Baiting and big bucks
 

First off this is not a thread on baiting being fair or not, it is legal in michigan where I hunt.

Has anyone really ever shot big bucks off of a bait pile during legal shooting hours?
I tend to see lots of small bucks and many does.

My thought being that durring the rut the bucks will chase the does and the does will want to eat, thus bringing bucks into me.

My hunting land is all gravel pit and pine forrest there are no agricultural lands within miles. I figure if anything at least the extra food I supply them will help in the herds overall health.

well let me know what you think!

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

it is legal to bait deer and my first year bowhunting I baited just so I wouldn't have any tough distances to gudge and so I would get a first hand look at what it feels like to have deer in that close(have not baited since) but that year I did not see any large bucks hitting the bait just spikes and does.

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

It is illegal in Pennsylvania to bait deer during the hunting season, although you can bait them until a month before the bow season. But I know some people that bait anyways during the season and they never see any nice bucks. They see pretty much what the above posters see.....spikes and does.

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

I've shot two bucks that just make or are just shy of pope and young.. over bait.. But the bait was only there two days on one and the same day as i shot on the other..

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

mature bucks for the most part won't hit the bait pile in daylight hours. they tend to hit them at night, if at all. I myself am against baiting, as its not the best thing to fight CWD with.

slayer

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

The majority of outfitters in my area use bait for there #1 game plan. They scout out an area that has some good sign then dump a few square bales in the area. I bait a bit myself and find if it is placed close enough to his bedroom he will come in during legal shooting time. If not wait till the rut, doe's will be in there all the time and the big boys will follow.

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

I own 400+ acres in WV. We have a feeder in our yard that is visible at night with a security light. We're over a mile from any other dwelling, and the deer are comfortable coming to our feeder. BTW, the feeder is for viewing only. We have NEVER shot deer from the yard in over 30 years.

I have seen some big bucks at our feeder. We have a beautiful 10pt coming in now that'll push 130-135". That said, I have NEVER seen a buck over 6pts come in during daylight hours.

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

It is the way of life in Texas to hunt the feeders. I have seen many nice bucks at feeder but no trophy deer. I have noticed that there is usually a lot of movement out in the distance just before shooting light comes or goes. They say the big ones don't get big being stupid.

I took this guy at my feeder last year.

RE: Baiting and big bucks
 

I believe that if you bait in the same spot year after year big bucks will come during daylight hours and you will have the oportunity to harvest the animal if you put in the time. I think the young bucks you see the first year you hunt over bait, if they feel comfortable hitting it, the next year when they're older they'll continue to hit it and so on and so on the older and older it gets. I hunt with a guy who hunts over bait, he baited last year and saw only young bucks. This year he baited in the same spot and took a beautiful 130 class 8 point with an 18 1/2 inch spread off the pile.