We are allowed to hunt over bait in NJ. With the rut coming up in the near future, does it make sense to still use a bait pile of corn or sweet potatoes or should I just use scent lures? Or both?
I realize deer still have to eat during this time, but do they eat less frequently and are more concerned about reproducing.

A lot of people here use corn feeders, and they hunt them all season. I usually notice more does become regulars at feeders than bucks. My theory is that during the rut, bucks are after does, so find the does and you will find the bucks. If you can attract does to feed, then sometimes those does will attract bucks that would otherwise wouldn't come around your setup.

A live hot doe is the best bait you can have.

Feed the hot mommas and the bucks will come

i personaly hunt over bait all year. i hunt in northern wisconsin and usually when my bait pile runs low i see fewer deer. my party also saw fewer deer about 2 years ago when there was a temporary bating band due to cwd in the southern part of the state. but since bating has been reistablished we have seen more deer than in years past.

I hunt over a feeder year round, because I love to watch deer. My feeder and stand are on a thick tree line. During rut I move to a stand just inside the tree line and out of sight of the feeder. I found, like many, the BIG boys will hang in the cover and watch the does eat. So thats were i'm gonna be, in the cover with the big boys.

I hunt over bait in NJ. I have been making sure that the pile is refreshed often now. As the does come in, so will the bucks. One of my set-ups is near a 20+- acre thicket that is a hiding place and a bedding area. I can get along the edge and get the deer moving in or out. It sems the bucks lately have been "cruising" past the pile, not to eat but to look for love.

The pile has ben out since August.

Greg

i have bean hunting over corn for the past month for bow season and i have sean at least 2 deer every time i go out but iv only sean 3 bucks over that time but i could of bean becouse it isnt rut im in turtl lake WI

Never hunted over bait before , but since we can in NJ , figured I'd give it a try. What food seems to work the best and how far away should you be from the pile ? I'll be hunting in a pop-up blind. How far in advance to you put food out and how often to you check/re-stock the pile ?

I've always been told the reason big mature bucks aren't seen as much around piles of corn is because their teeth are all worn down to almost little stumps and it's hard for them to eat the stuff. The does will hang around and eat so that brings in the bucks looking for a little bit of love......