Help with White Tail tactics please?

[roysclockgun]

After successfully hunting White Tail deer in a number of states, I find that there is more that I do not know about White Tail, than what I do know.
I am hunting in SE Ga. for the first time and am allowed to use bait. I am allowed two bucks and three doe. I already have taken two deer. The 1600 acres has been leased by the same club for 18 years and they have always baited with corn.
My elevated box is at a cross trail in the pines, where I have 300 yards of feed plots to overlook on the east side and on the south side. The feed plots are wide enough for two cars to pass each other. I have seen numerous bucks that, by club rules are too small of antler and a number of antlerless deer.
Two weeks ago, I chose to put up on auto feeder, design to broadcast corn early morning and late afternoon. I began with about 10 lb. on the ground near the feeder. On the east fire lane, planted in the same manner, I poured out about 10 lb. of corn onto the ground. I have been coming home Monday morning and going back on Fri. morning. So far the deer have not touched the corn. Turkey have eaten some corn, but not deer! Why would deer, after two weeks, not be eating the corn?
I am still seeing deer, but they either just cross my fire lanes, or stop to nibble on the feed lots, but do not approach the corn. It has rained a number of times, so I cannot believe that two week old man scent has spooked deer off of the corn.
Suggestions?
Best,
Steven

 

[JD338]

Try some apples and carrots.
Temps here are single digit with several inches of snow. The deer are hitting the corn hard. The reason is grain produces body heat for them.

JD338

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Not to start a fight, but you stated you have had success before so why start baiting??? I with WI would ban all baiting of deer. Hunt where the deer are moving and you will get a chance if you wait long enough.

 

[roysclockgun]

Wi. teacher, Point well taken.

I have to admit, I did want to see how much baiting would really bring in deer. The only other reason, for me, is that while I have been seeing deer, I have had to hold off shooting bucks with less than 8 points and with antlers not outside the ears. This has put a serious hurt on the hunt, as in the past, I would bag a four pointer and go home. If a big one came along, maybe every three years, I bagged him. Now, since the smaller bucks are off limits, I wanted to raise my odds of seeing the bigger buck.

Were I hunting in WI or any other state banning baiting, of course, I would not bait.
Chime in! How many of you would bait deer if it were legal to do so, where you hunt?

Steven

 

[roysclockgun]

JD338, thank you for that tip, regarding how deer may be laying off corn when temps daily, are reaching high 70s. Makes sense to me!
Steven

 

[HTDUCK]

Every pasture in Texas has a dang corn feeder or six in it.
Usually when the deer ignore them it's because they are eating other high protein food sources that they prefer such as mast crops.
Times get lean and they can't get a belly full real quick they will start hitting the feeders.

 

[DrMike]

I imagine the feeders manage to bring in pigs, though, Howard. Steven, were baiting legal, I would abide by the law. In some jurisdictions, it would significantly increase the potential to see the game, much less give opportunity to inspect what you were hunting. Here in northern BC, it is possible to find some open spaces, allowing for spot and stalk. Other, heavily forested areas, make for difficulty in hunting.

 

[Bruce Mc]

Corn isn't good for deer! We have a state park just out side of town that has a tremendous deer population and some really good bucks. The visitors fed deer corn on a regular basis to get them to pose for pictures and the such. The deer started growing extremely long and unkempt hooves that damaged their health and ability to run. The cause was the corn diet, so the state biologists determined. They outlawed corn in the park. Since then the problem went away. Deer will eat corn when they have a shortage of something else to eat. South Texas has few trees that create mast so they come to feeders more readily there. In my part of the state oak trees are a plenty and the deer don't come so readily to the feeders.

 

[tim629]

knowing that the club usually baits with corn, I would find something different to make your bait stands better than all of the others.

check out some specific deer feeds or some of the other attractants, also salt licks generally attract a few animals in

 

[HTDUCK]

Yes Dr Mike, feeders will attract pigs as well.
I've seen as many as three sows and 30 shoats at a feeder at one time.

And turkeys and just about every other omnivorous critter you can think of.
I've even seen coyotes eating corn from under a feeder (for a short while before the sear released)
One afternoon I watched a bobcat stalk a group of hen turkeys that were at a feeder.

If everyone on the club is baiting w corn, try something different like peas, beans etc.
Perhaps that will make a difference.

 

[Bruce Mc]

When I was a kid, I would take my .22 into the deer blind with me and if I hadn't seen any deer by around 9:30 or so I would shoot the quail that spent the whole morning around the feeder.

 

[DrMike]

When I was a kid, I would take my .22 into the deer blind with me and if I hadn't seen any deer by around 9:30 or so I would shoot the quail that spent the whole morning around the feeder.

That sounds like a pleasant way to spend the morning.

 

[JD338]

MI put a ban on baiting for 3 years due to a CWD scare. I actually liked it because I didn't have to "compete" with hunters dumping 500 lbs of carrots in front of their conveniently located blind.
The ban was lifted 2 years ago with limitations on the amount of bait that can be used.
I am a bait hunter but would support a no bait law.

JD338

 

[tim629]

peanuts!

not sure how the wild deer will like them but i've heard that some of the guys raising white tails will occasionally throw their deer peanuts as treats, and I imagine they should be able to be flung out of a game feeder fairly well

 

[1Shot]

Get you some Sweet Feed for live stock. Deer love it.

 

[D21ALASKA]

In a straight up meat hunt to put food on the table, or to increase the odds of seeing game for a new hunter just getting started, baiting is a great way to go I believe. I've done it for deer in the past and continue to do it for bear. Not as surefire as some would lead it to be I don't think but definitely increases the odds. And it is way more work then most would think, especially for bears.
A "Trophy" hunt over bait though, different discussion but too close to fenced for me.

 

[ajvigs]

I used to hunt deer in CT with bait; we would use apples to bring them in. Although it worked, I wasnt to crazy about it. I would always keep a field tipped arrow or two in my quiver to pick off the dang squirrels that would take the apples; good way to practice as well.

 

[super-7]

I'd say a simple answer to the OP is they deer just are not hungry enough or in need of the extra food source at this time. No baiting allowed in Alberta except for black bear, and a lot of good deer hit the ground each fall. look for pinch points, natural funnels to and from water or feed and get set up.

 

[Vince]

Every area has it's own customs and accepted practices.

It looks like baiting in GA is a legally accepted custom and practice. If everyone is using the same bait dare to be different. Put out salt, sweet feed, or other "treat" to help draw the deer to you. When you put it out give them time to find it. Don't think that just because you put it out you will have every deer in seven counties come running. They have to find it and that takes time.