I bought a digital trail cam and placed it along one of my most heavily used trails. To get them to stop and say cheese, I have been dumping a mixture of corn and "deer feed" the local farm store sells in front of it. Not much, just about a 5 gallon bucket every week. It's worked well but I've noticed almost all the pics are at night. A few here and there during the day.

During the summer months and fall hunting season, I've usually seen the deer using the trail most in the morning - anywhere from an hour before to a few hours after sunup. I've even seen them on it mid-day on many occassions.

This got me to thinking. I've heard the arguement that deer will eventually only visit "bait" sites by night and eventually only pass through this area at night. What do you think? Am I messing with their routine, causing them to only use this trail at night now? Or will they shift back to daylight hours when I stop - which I plan to once this batch of corn/feed runs out. NOTE: Let's NOT turn this into some debate over baiting because it's illegal here so I'm not interested either way.

And because baiting is illegal here, I've thought about switching over to a curiousity scent well before hunting season anyway- mounting a scent dripper in front of the camera.

Just interested in what people think about whether food placed by humans can alter deer travel patters in terms of WHEN they will visit an area. Again, please let's not turn it into a debate over baiting. Thanks!

I dont think deer will always hit bait piles only at night. It seems to me later in the season after theyve been hunted is when they hit the piles after dark. I have lots of pics of deer hitting corn during daylight up until gun season typically then they become more nocturnal or cautious about hitting the piles during daylight hours. Just like I see deer come out to feed in fields during daylight is much more common early in the season, after gun season its rare to see deer come out to the fields to feed in light.

Thanks Diesel. That's the kind of insight I'm looking for. I did notice the deer become more elusive after gun season in general. After the first day. I also mainly hunt in thicker forest areas - absent of any pine trees. During the summer and fall there is a thick canopy lots of brush on the ground for cover. In winter, it's usually blanketed with deep snow (couple feet)and wide open.