Quick question..... I am putting out a bait pile and need to know that, if I handle the bait, will my scent ruin it? Should I wear gloves? And should I mash a few up to get the scent going?

we bait year round and It has never spooked the deer. corn that we mix up in the afternoon has deer eating at it a evening.

I dought your sent will ruin your bait.
I ,when I baited in the past used to take my machetey to chop it up a little, And also rub some on the near by tree just enough to get the sent out in the air more..
Don't know if the chopping and rubbing works I just did it.
Good luck and safe hunting.

depends on what your baiting with but i try not to handle any bait first hand if possible unless im shelling my own corn which i do often

The only time I have seen handling bait by hand have an adverse affect on game is on hogs..it definately affects them. I don't think it does much on deer but I always say when you are after that big buck take every scent precaution you can...can't hurt anything to avoid handling your bait by hand I would imagine.

When I put out bags of corn I just slice the open down the side and flip them over. You can pile it four stories high and the deer and squirrels will make sure it gets spread out nice and good for you.

I agree, unless you are sweating your butt off and it's running down on the corn or rice bran or whatever, I wouldn't worry about scent. They will still be there to eat. Last week I had a pair of deer get spooked from the rice bran to go down about six hundred yards away to eat grass only on a powerlineto come back to the rice bran before dark. Feed them what they like. Not what someone wants to sell.