RE: best bait
I use a horse food that a local shop carries to get them comeing in. Its got molases in it & supposedly the deer can smell it so its easier for them to find. Once they are coming in I use corn, they gobble it up & it seems to hold them in an area fine. I also use a deer block the same shop sells,I believe its a purina product, its mostly corn & grains held together with molases & they like it alot as well. Theyre apple flavored this year, I dont know if that helps but it cant hurt. I like the blocks a bit better than just corn as the squirrels & turkeys dont gobble it up so fast. I can leave a block out & it'll last at least 3 days & often longer. Using corn I need to throw some out almost daily if I want it to be there when I hunt.
I dont hunt over the bait any more, rather I set up where they come in to feed. When I set up over the bait they seemed to come in very nervous. This way they are focused on the bait area as they aproach & if they do bust me they dont abandon the site.