Buck magnets did their thing.

[ImpalaSSpeed96]

Yea, I'm confused as to how those deer are that conditioned that they are like pets. Def a case of to each their own here....

 

[uglykat26]

Good buck fred always love your pics

 

[FredT]

A few questions Fred. How did you get them to warm up to you? How long did it take? Is there any hunting pressure near your borders? Do you own enough land to keep them from straying off? Pretty awesome idea and hunting technique if you ask me. Thanks for sharing!

I have been feeding and interfacing with these deer behind the house for six years. I live with in walking distance of Salt Fork park and large tracts of land surround me. In 2005 I put some corn out for the deer I saw behind the house. They came and ate it. I put more out and saw them come to it from a distance, always late in the afternoon. Each day as I put more out I would move closer and let them see me. They tolerated me as long as I stayed back and did not move. Since I never acted as a threat and was always associated with food they started to allow me to come close to the point that they would watch me put out food and then come to it. I started doing this in the fall when natural food was scarce. Now it is to the point that I belong there and they know me as the corn guy. I feed them almost every day. I rev up the 4 wheeler engine to call them in like the Mr. Softy ice cream truck. I sit in my chair right next to them as they eat. They will often bed just yards from me. I have been sniffed, licked and drooled on. I get to see the fawns in late summer and button bucks starting to grow antlers in the spring. I get to watch them mature until they polish their first set of antlers. Often when the snow is down and deep they will bed near the chair and wait for me. It is a cool thing I got going. Taking one mature buck during the rut back there does not bother them. They seem to be thankful. After the buck is taken there is usually no more hunting back there. Fortunately the neighbors are not big hunters at all or the go somewhere else.

If anyone wants to come out to feed the gang and get in a photo op you are more than welcome. They do not mind visitors.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Are you saying Fred, that I can put meeting you and feeding your friends on my bucket list? Get it...corn...bucket...feeding deer.

Now someone is going to tell me I'm corny!

Sorry, I had to. Love those pictures, that really is a great thing.

 

[finelyshedded]

Good one Huck! It was corny though. Lol

Thank you very much for responding to my questions so quick. That is so cool. Thanks again!

 

[ohio mossy oak]

Good job Fred!!.....................How would they be with meeting school age child Fred?

 

[FredT]

One at a time would be best.

 

["J"]

Friends had a doe that was orphaned and raised to come and go as it pleased... it was good with adults and teenagers but little kids smaller then the deer it would try to dominate all the time.... it liked Doritos more then anything lol... they put an orange collar on it and it hung around for years... most of the neighbors watched out for it... they think it fell to a hunter a few years back during gun season....

 

[saddlepants]

Thats interesting. I told my husband I wanted a bottle doe for both as a pet and to get involved with some form of teaching for women hunters? Having a tame doe to paint the vitals on as they teach horsemen with about horse anatomy. But a tame doe to follow me and hang out in my food plot during early bow season could be a nice confidence decoy for other does, lol. Id never let her out during the heavy hunt as being tame wouldnt be fair to her. I knew of a kid who had one and would paint TAME in hunter orange on both her sides. I can get one for around $150 in the spring.

 

[saddlepants]

BTW...Are you feeding them frosted ginger snaps?! LMAO!!

 

[FredT]

Good eye! I did try that for the aroma to see if they would take it off of my knee or out of my hand. No way.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Great job Fred, congrats!!! As always, great pictures!