Yesterday i went to a new piece of property that i got permission to hunt on. My plan was to scout a good spot, put up my feeder, put up my camera, and lay out some buck jam to draw the animals in. Well i found a natural funnel at the bottom of a hollow along side a dried up creek bed. I started clearing out a spot to put my feeders and even carved out a trail so that i could get to my stand without crossing their trail. I was being pretty loud and careless. It was nearly 100 degrees outside and i just wanted to get home. So, I put up my feeder and hauled a bag of corn and a bottle of buck jam down to my spot. I then returned to my truck to get the camera, as i was walking back down to the spot i noticed two small bucks sniffing the jug of unopened buck jam. I watched for a while and decided that i can't sit there all day and wait for them to leave. So i starting walking down towards them and they spotted me. They didn't run off, they just slowly walked away about 30 yards and grazed acorns and occasionally looked up to watch me for a while. I strapped my camera to the tree filled my feeder with corn and then i opened the bottle of buck jam and poured it out on the ground. As soon as i turned around one of the bucks was about 10 yards away from me stomping his feet. I picked up the strongest stick that i could find and gathered my gear and returned to my truck. I waited about 5 minutes and then slowing crept down the trail to about 40 yards of the feeders and watched as these two bucks would cautiously walk up to the buck jam and start licking away until the camera went off, in which they would both jump up into the air and take off in two directions. Then they would return 5 minutes later to repeat the process.

This piece of property is very far out in the country. There are no nearby houses or people. Why are these deer so bold? Are they stupid, curious or can they just not resist the buck jam?

Those deer are suicidal, haha actually they know its not hunting season wait till season opens.... I see deer everytime I go tot he woods right now, wait till season opens, you wont see one unless your lucky....

I have heard of doe's coming up that close, but never a mature buck. Is this common?

You must be the first and only hunter to even venture thee. Thast amazing. send pics when you bag one there
Good Luck

they know its not huntin' season yet i guess

I think they are curious and its early....they are much more tollerant

I'm gonna go get the camera tonight. I know that it's only been a day but i am curious to get a better look at one of these guys. It appeared that one side of his rack was a tall 4 and the other side looked at first like it was missing and then i noticed what looked like a few short main beams. Realy weird buck. I will post pics later.

I think what you just experienced is what most private land deer act like... After a few days you'll be able to post some cametracker photos like the other guys

2573 posts......not one of them worth reading.

What you just read is what a guy without any private land sounds like[:-]

In public land in MI this time of year you can walk pretty close to the deer. It has to do with more time of year than anything.

We use to sit and watch them eat apples out of our yardat the cabin. Deer would walk right up to us 5 feet. This is one heaviest public land areas in MI(NE)