AF Hunter

Here's a little tidbit that may help you.

Earlier this season when the peaches were ripe, I took the peels out and dumped them out in the woods and they were gone the next morning. When my wife processed some more peaches, I took the peels out again and put a trail cam on them. I dumped them in an area where I had never seen the deer before and that night, the deer came in and ate them all up again.

A few days ago, we picked over 100 lbs of apples from the one tree on the property. My wife decided to dehydrate a bunch. I took the cores and peels out last night with a bunch more peach peels from some more peaches she had eaten and dumped them where the peach peels were dumped before (over a month ago). The aroma from these peels and cores was very strong. This morning, I went out with some more and there were deer tracks all over the place and all the cores and peels were gone.

We can't bait here, but if you can where you're at, peaches and apples cut up would be the ticket as far as I'm concerned.

GMMAT

If you can't bait there.....what are you doing?.....lol

Just kidding.

I've put out apples the first year I hunted in NC. I noticed they weren't hitting them very hard at first.....so I got to thinking "why". I didn't do anything to let them smell them. When I started stepping on half of them....they started getting POUNDED.

Bait.....without scent to get them interested....isn't very productive. they have to know it's there.

Spearchucker

Apples are pretty well number one in attracting deer, at least around here. They like corn, but apples will be gone in a few days. The scent does need to be dispursed for sure, what I do, is cut some, and I also take some, and rake the tree's in a circle around the bait, at about a 3-4 foot level, this helps the scent get out, and let all the deer know they are there.

AF Hunter

Apples do well, but I think they hit the peach peels harder and faster. If you have someplace to pick up peaches cheap, I would HIGHLY recommend it.

I am feeding the deer, not baiting them. Where I dump the apples and peaches are no where near any place I hunt. Someone else told me that they really like Nestles Chocolate milk powder. I have not tried it and don't plan on it either. I know chocolate will make a dog very sick and can kill them if they eat too much. I don't want to even try it with deer.

GMMAT

I was really kidding, AF....but you must know your state's game laws better than I.....and know that there's a difference in their eyes.

AF Hunter

I know you were kidding. You can feed the deer all you want here, you just can't have a stand within 100 yards of a feeder.

GMMAT

That's still close. Do a lot of people in Iowa take advantage of the loose interpretation (seemingly) of feeding v. baiting? I would imagine a lot of "feeding" going on....with a lot of close proximity stands (say 101 yds away?)

AF Hunter

I would be willing to bet that there are those who hunt right over a salt lick or mineral site. I have even heard "hunters" talking about it in cafes. With the penalties as strict as they are here, I would not even chance it. I enjoy hunting and fishing too much to even bend the laws.

minnesotadeer

I never understood states that considered salt or mineral licks bait, or rather wouldn't let you hunt near or over them. I say this because I don't think it gives you much if any advantage at all. It's apples to oranges, no pun intended, versus dumping 500 pounds of corn on the ground. I've rarely, in fact never, seen deer hitting my mineral licks in October/November or during primetime.