BillBrasky

I have my stand set up on the edge of a creek bed in a dense patch of woods surrounded by beans. There are tracks everywhere and plenty of bedding spots in some long strips of CRP to the east and west of me but for some reason I'm not seeing any deer. I have given up on morning hunts because the last time I showed up before first light I started walking from my car I made it 50 yards, heard a few doe bleats and then that was it (they are bedding maybe 100 yards from any entrance i have to the property). From now on I am going to be hunting in the afternoon and evening so they will most likely be making a pit stop in that patch of woods before heading to their bedding sites. I'm thinking of bringing some apples to leave behind after my next trip to the woods. Are there any specific types that deer prefer or should I try to just "match the hatch" of what other near by orchards are growing? Or have they already figured that this area is no longer safe and I'm just wasting my money and feeding the raccoons?

radlad31

the variety of apple doesn't really matter. I've got about 4 bushels of honey crisps scattered around my property, even though there isn't a honey crisp tree around for who knows how many miles. If you have some, put out a camera or two overlooking the apples to see when they are feeding and moving through your area. I've got a couple nice bucks by me, but all their activity seems to be in the darkness, nothing in daylight.

BillBrasky

Thanks for the info, radlad.

I don't have a camera, but I may try to borrow one from a friend of mine--I've always been curious of what bucks are frequenting my area and when. Right now I have permission from my girlfriend's uncle to hunt on a 160 acre corn and bean field, and 3 bean and CRP fields that are 240, 80, and 40 acres so I have a plenty of options on stand location, but being a student I just can't afford more than the 2 stands I have (donations welcome!). I'm near a reservoir so I know there have to be some trophies out there. I do know of one decent guy, but I also scared him up when moving to a different stand at the north end of the field. He was 10 pts and maybe 130" with stubby tines but a main beam that went past his snout and had some definite mass to it. But like you say, it would be nice to know when they're moving past so I can maximize my time at a worthwhile spot.

Also, with the apples, should I scatter them all over or should I just dump them in a few piles?

Thanks

radlad31

I just dump them in a few piles (near a stand of course ). Yeah, I've hunted on our property since I can remember. There was always sign around (tracks, rubs, scrapes, etc.), but the low number of deer seen didn't add up. I started getting into trail cameras about 3 or 4 years ago, and now it's real interesting to see how they go from being active at all times during the summer, but by late summer/early fall, they become more nocturnal (by me anyway), but right around rut time, their daytime activity shoots up. I never knew their activities like that till I put some cameras up. And don't worry about having all this equipment right now, it'll come in time.

*twodogs*

How hard have you been hunting this area, consider letting it rest until the rut kicks in, you may have put too much pressure on this area and they changed patterns. Also, it sounds like you need to do more scouting (use cameras, they don't smell & make noise like us) but that's hard to do now that the rut is near. For now I would find the funnels and hunt these until you get a better idea of their patterns. Everything that I am seeing during daylight is basket 2.5 year olds or spikes and those guys get a hall pass. I'll be setting up on some funnels once the rut starts to see if I can catch a mature buck chasing something during daylight.

Also, consider alternate directions of travel to your stands. If it requires asking for permission to enter the opposite side do that, you never know, it just may open up more land to hunt.

Finally, get a climber, it goes everywhere you go.

BillBrasky

I have scouted out plenty of areas to hunt, but these two locations seemed like they were getting the most action. I also set them in positions that would factor in wind so I could get to a stand no matter how the wind is blowing. But you may be right about overhunting that field. I only go out 1 day on the weekend, but I'm wondering if those two incidents I mentioned earlier were enough to make them think twice about that field.

I have been thinking about heading out at noon and moving my stand at the north end of the field to a tree with better shooting lanes. It's at a nice backward L shaped funnel and I small 8 there the first time I tried to hang my stand. It's a good general location but I need to move to a tree with better shooting lanes. Would it be too deep in the season to move that stand?

vapahunter

If baiting is legal in your state you are fine. If baiting is illegal please check your regs on spreading apples around you property.

keyshunter

Baiting deer during fall and early winter is illegal in Va. Interestingly, every major sporting goods store, and Walmart have pallets of bagged shelled corn (usually labeled as deer corn) in their hunting departments. Since food plots are legal, it is probable that all of this corn is going into "redneck food plots."

BillBrasky

Baiting in Kansas is legal. Hunting with your cellphone turned on is not.