Baiting Remote Northwoods deer
 

Hi folks - I've shot plenty of nice deer in my time but always while still hunting and from self climbing tree stands. Now getting too old for the tree stand and I have a young grandson who wants to shoot his first deer.

I've set up two ground blinds on great looking spots. Should mention, I hunt very remote dense forest cover in NW Ontario where I rarely if ever see another hunter. That is the good news. The not so good news is that while our deer are huge, they're very low density.

I've never baited for deer before so need some help. I started baiting the two sites with bailed alfalfa that I pack in. Plus I have set up a couple of mock scrapes/licking branches. But so far, I've yet to see a deer on the trail cams after two weeks of baiting.

The weather has been warm for our neck of the woods and I suspect the deer haven't been moving much. Plus, their natural food sources are probably only now starting to dry up.

Is it too early to pull the plug on these two great looking spots. How long before deer in a very low density area find new food sources. I am thinking / hoping that with the pre-rut approaching and with colder weather coming the deer will start moving more and eventually find and lock into my bait.

Is this overly wishful thinking or not?

Appreciate your comments.

Are there White Oaks in that area? If there are and they had a good mass crop then that is where the deer are right now. White Oak acorns are like Hershey's kisses to whitetail. But even if no white oaks, any of the hardwoods dropping nuts presently is where the deer are hitting. High protein. Keep at it though. If there are deer in that area they will eventually find your hay pile and hit it pretty hard.

Get the scent out there. You need to put stuff down witb a scent a deer loves. Throw some apples down and stomp them to get the scent out and they WILL find it. Salt blocks are also a good choice. Deer love apples.

Corn ! the deers best friend

For his first deer just get him a nice big doe!! That's much more likely. Does will always go and investigate the new smell in the woods. Get them to come there everyday. Make it a habit for the deer. I would suggest a feeder with a time setting that only drops feed during the day. Then they will make a routine to go get some snacks in daylight!

Thanks folks
 

Thanks folks - I appreciate the suggestions. My only way in is by boat and then a short back pack into my ground blinds so the feeder is not practical, but I'll try the other ideas.

Thanks a bunch!

Carry corn in 5 gallon pails. I used to get them from the local Tim Horton's free for the asking. Don't take a lot of apples maybe a pound to get them coming to the corn.


:D Al

I have hunted that area of Ontario and doubt there are many oak trees or even apple trees for that matter. The woods are thick and mostly conifer with few agricultural fields on the Crown lands. The locals who do bait say it takes about a month to get the deer coming so going on a week long hunt it normally isn't effective to bait. The bait I have seen used was grain (wheat I believe) along with some pressed alfalfa pellets available up there at sports shops and occasionally a mineral block. The deer are huge up there and are always on alert due to the wolves. It was a great big woods hunt but difficult to still hunt due to the thick woods. Four of us went and we got 2 nine points. It is a hunt I would like to try again.

I have a friend that hunts near chercliffe Ont. on hiway 129, crown land. They go every year take corn in 55 gallon drums but take 5 gallon pails into the bush with about a pound of apples. Takes two days most to draw deer in to the piles.
They bring home some monsters every year.


:D Al,