Baiting
 

What are some of benefits and disadvantages to baiting deer.

This is a topic that has been debated here several times a year every year. I would just look at the archives.

Is it just me or is there a touch of irony in a master tracker asking for advice on baiting?

Just asking.........

he want's to become the ''Master Baiter'':action-smiley-099:

sorry could not resist

Good one Crawler.

We should answer the Newby questions regardless.

Advantages of baiting:

I will speak for Michigan>

If you own a small plot and want to see deer and get them on a regular pattern, and put something in your freezer. Bait is the key. Also gives you a good look from a trail cam on what you have roaming around.

Dis - Bait costs money. If you are hunting over bait you are more than likely sitting in the same spot and you reduce your chances of searching out and moving in on a good buck. You may have a good buck chase a doe past your bait though. I was going to say a big mature buck in Michigan will not feed on corn over a feeder...but I saw it this year at my place. If you asked me last year I would have said never. 39 years old and 26 years in the woods and I still learn something every year. !!

I bait to get the does. Bucks hit it to, mostly at night though. I took a giant last season during our early ML season. Was on my corn for 30mins. Had bucks everywhere during shotgun season. Get the does and the bucks will be close by.

Where are going to bait? Some place like MI or WI where there is a 2 gal limit, or down south where bait is put in large quantities?

I'm baiting in MI

This right here. I do it only to keep the does in close.

ROFLMAO... I don't know why I didn't see that one coming:barmy::barmy::barmy:

I hunt in SouthCentral Michigan and do utilize bait. I place the spin feeders in the center of the property and it does help in seeing deer as well as keeping on eye on the herd and harvesting plenty of does. If I want to buck hunt, I simply use the feeder as a food source and hunt closer to the bedding areas. I also do not get to hunt as often as I like, so when I do get the opportunity, it is nice to know that I have a good chance of at least seeing deer.

In MI, your situation is similar to WI. Here is what I have found:
Advantages include:

• You can get a good standing shot.
• You can draw deer into a spot at a specified distance.
• You can draw in deer to a plot of land where otherwise you may not see a deer.
• You will usually see more deer, and hence can get some meat for your freezer.
• You can bait a variety of locations, giving you options if you get busted in one location.

Disadvantages include:

• You are leaving scent every time you bait, so mature deer will tend to avoid you. i.e. you tend not to see mature bucks, although there are exceptions.
• Baiting can seem like a "job" after a while, rather than sport. And in MI, you will have to bait almost daily. But I guess you can use a spin feeder - in WI that is not legal.
• Baiting will draw in bears, mice (with coyotes and bobcats then following), and can actually lead to deer being run off your land.
• Deer can learn to hit the bait after dark. In areas heavily baited, this often happens. See point #1 - the scent left.
• Watching a bait pile can be pretty tedious, particularly if nothing comes in. (see previous point)
• Baiting can really irritate fellow hunters and neighbors. It can wreck someone else's hunt in the rut. Or neighbors can go into "bait wars", trying to outbait each other.
• Baiting does not feel like real hunting - more like harvesting carrots out of your garden. But still, carrots and deer meat both make good stew.
• Baiting can spread disease (CWD) among deer.

For your situation, I would recommend short-term baiting in pre-rut or late-season. Bait 2 or 3 days, hunt, then move on - this causes the least disruption to others and minimizes disease spread. During the rut, the mature bucks will probably not come into your bait, but they may follow does that are. Still, mature does can sometimes get wary of bait piles as well. And if you are tramping around daily in the woods during the rut hauling bait, the mature bucks will be on to you.

For me, baiting gets us some meat. I have 3 hungry teens and we really need it. But for a real hunting experience, I hunt the rut (without bait) and better yet, still hunt with my muzzleloader.

This is why we dpn't bait anymore. It is not even sport. You can tame a deer with corn. By our cabin we put out corn but don't hunt there. We enjoy it but can't see hunting over corn anymore.

In the past, I never baited before because I used to travel to the U.P to hunt a friends farm..

I don't think you can just stroll out into unknown land and start throwing out corn and apples. If they're not indigenous to the area, the deer will tend to avoid them until they get accustomed to the scent of the new food. The problem is that the rodents and pests don't care and will eat it all before the deer can become comfortable with it.

I think the best bait pile is an unprotected garden.. A variety of veggies growing all season long will continuously get picked at and become a lay-over point as deer pass through.

My first year I grew rapeseed and saw some traffic as soon as the heavy frost hit and sweetened it up.. Didn't do me much good for bow season, but it sure picked up in November.
This year, I grew rapeseed and sweet corn.. traffic has been moderate, but constant.
Next year I plan on planting rapeseed, sweetcorn, sugar-beats, pole beans and maybe even cabbage.

I will rarely shoot a deer that's on my bait. Usually coming or going. I don't care if I see deer on the corn while I'm hunting. I know the deer are there. When I bait I only do it with a north wind. That's the best wind for my spot. Always wear my older knee boots and am in and out quick. Only put out 40 or 50lbs at a time. I pretty much throw the corn out in a large area. Probably 15ft x 15ft, maybe bigger. They say the piles are more of a problem with he spreading of disease. I make them browse for it. I've been doing it like this for years with great success. Good luck everybody. Joe

Your doing it right. I spread my corn with a ice scoop and spread it as far as I can. Piled corn can grow mold and deer won't eat it.

"Piled corn can grow mold and deer won't eat it." As my cousin found out pigs love it stinking.LOL

If baiting works....
 

there should be no deer to hunt.