MizzouMonster

Make sure you know your states regulations vis-a-vis baiting. Here, you must remove all "food" bait 10 days prior to the season starting. If you don't, you're outside the regulations.

Minerals or salt are not considered food here, so they can stay year round.

UPHunter08

Doesn't matter when, because it's rarely going to happen in most wooded areas (ag land is a bit different).

Emphasis added to clarify my response. IMO in any area that has at least moderate hunting pressure, hunting over bait reduces your chance of getting a big buck. After all, they didn't get big by prancing into bait piles in broad daylight. Bait means hunters, and bucks that don't learn this lesson will often get harvested by the time they're a yearling (or 2.5 year old deer). I've actually observed bucks intercepting does heading to other hunters' bait...100-200 yards away from the bait (ie. in cover). The hunter on the bait pile never even knew they were there. LOL!

If you're in an area with a lot of baiting hunters, you're better off treating their bait as a food source...and intercepting the bucks where they wait for does coming and going to the bait

If you're not picky and want to shoot a doe or young buck (spike, fork, etc), bait works great at any time.

scribbler444

good thought so true