Thoughts on mature bucks on bait

[Rob loper]

I would love to hear thoughs of mature bucks and bait? Especially from dan and some og’s here

[Sam Ubl]

I'm not Dan, but I'll weigh in if I could...

Baiting deer provides all deer, not just big bucks, with a dependable food source that will always be there so long as the hunter continues to bait. Deer smell the presence of human intrusion every time they return to feed because the human must constantly return to add food to the pile. The deer become trained of the routine and daylight visits become scarce; why visit the bait in daylight when the darkness is safer? Baiting deer promotes nocturnal behavior, although it may also attract nearby bedding during the late season. I believe this to be true between 1.5 old deer and a 5 year old.

Baiting is a great way to get pictures of deer to learn inventory, but it's a lackluster way to hunt.

[Whitetailaddict]

I agree with Sam. I never killed a mature buck on bait nor has anyone in my immediate family. After switching from bait success went up. You will get lots of pictures of big deer if they're in the area but again likely not in daylight. The only person I've heard who was successful baiting was able to dump hundreds of pounds at a time in a remote area with little human intrusion other than himself. As winter approached he usually shot a nice buck but I also believe he could have done this with scouting and no baiting.

[oldrank]

Baiting works if done correctly. Michigan is the baiting capital of the world. When I used to bait I would see mature bucks during 3 distinct time of the season.

Early season.. right when season opens and the deer are not spooked.

Rut before gun season... Bucks seem to get stupid and come right in. Or they come in following does.

Late season with heavy snow.... They have to eat and after rut they are worn down. A quick easy meal conserves energy.

Those periods are small windows in the season but were pretty consistent. I had to hunt very high. I'm talking 25 ft plus. Your stand site has to be set with some thought. What is predominant wind? How will the deer come in? Where are they bedding?

I have also notice if the bait is right next to bedding it never gets hit as well. I focused more on bullet proof setups a few hundred yards from bedding.

I also always had a 3 day rule. Dump bait hunt on third day. They will pattern you fast. Keeping the spot fresh is key. Multiple sight for different winds. I also noticed they don't mind ground scent that much, but get busted in the tree n your done

I haven't hunted that way in probably 12-15 yrs. It takes alot of time and effort to keep up with it, plus money. I find that effort is better spent hunting and scouting. I am a far better hunter since I left the bait pile...

[headgear]

I think you are fighting an uphill battle with bait, not that it can't be done but they KNOW you are there because of the scent you leave and that will always complicate things.

[Buckshot20]

Baiting works if done correctly. Michigan is the baiting capital of the world. When I used to bait I would see mature bucks during 3 distinct time of the season.

Early season.. right when season opens and the deer are not spooked.

Rut before gun season... Bucks seem to get stupid and come right in. Or they come in following does.

Late season with heavy snow.... They have to eat and after rut they are worn down. A quick easy meal conserves energy.

Those periods are small windows in the season but were pretty consistent. I had to hunt very high. I'm talking 25 ft plus. Your stand site has to be set with some thought. What is predominant wind? How will the deer come in? Where are they bedding?

I have also notice if the bait is right next to bedding it never gets hit as well. I focused more on bullet proof setups a few hundred yards from bedding.

I also always had a 3 day rule. Dump bait hunt on third day. They will pattern you fast. Keeping the spot fresh is key. Multiple sight for different winds. I also noticed they don't mind ground scent that much, but get busted in the tree n your done

I haven't hunted that way in probably 12-15 yrs. It takes alot of time and effort to keep up with it, plus money. I find that effort is better spent hunting and scouting. I am a far better hunter since I left the bait pile...

I baited on some private ground years back. Usually trying to find a good buck. My experience was when I baited and hung a camera I would have a nice buck on camera in the daylight within 2 days. After the initial visit all visits were at night. Obviously they smelled me.

Now set up down wind of an established bait site and you might have something during the rut.

[Boogieman1]

I spent a lot of years playing with bait and learning how to use it on mature bucks. Does it work? Heck yes! But not in how u think, he isn't strolling in there in daylight and even at night during the rut he's not eating he's trying to cut a track. After getting acouple bucks this way I kinda found it unsporty and not very challenging. Any place that attracts a lot of deer gets a mature bucks attention, and he will visit on the reg. If it's something u r interested in once u figure out mature deers instinctive nature and how they move, and where they feel comfy bedding u won't have a prob.

[oldrank]

I spent a lot of years playing with bait and learning how to use it on mature bucks. Does it work? Heck yes! But not in how u think, he isn't strolling in there in daylight and even at night during the rut he's not eating he's trying to cut a track. After getting acouple bucks this way I kinda found it unsporty and not very challenging. Any place that attracts a lot of deer gets a mature bucks attention, and he will visit on the reg. If it's something u r interested in once u figure out mature deers instinctive nature and how they move, and where they feel comfy bedding u won't have a prob.

I have had them come right in on a line oblivious to everything and chow down , mid November. On Michigan public that gets hammered. I ain't saying it's an everyday thing but it happened almost every year. I just seen a mature buck last week on a baitpile. Walked right to it and ate. I posted about it on another thread I think. Watched him from my cousin's barn as he ate on the neighbors bait. The neighbor was also hunting and had just walked through the area but was sitting in his other blind.

I do agree most are scent checking down wind checking for does. My Dad killed a bunch of late season bucks that were doing just that. He hunted a old grown up corn field. It was 264 acres. He put a tower blind right dead center n only hunted over bait.

[Boogieman1]

I spent a lot of years playing with bait and learning how to use it on mature bucks. Does it work? Heck yes! But not in how u think, he isn't strolling in there in daylight and even at night during the rut he's not eating he's trying to cut a track. After getting acouple bucks this way I kinda found it unsporty and not very challenging. Any place that attracts a lot of deer gets a mature bucks attention, and he will visit on the reg. If it's something u r interested in once u figure out mature deers instinctive nature and how they move, and where they feel comfy bedding u won't have a prob.

I have had them come right in on a line oblivious to everything and chow down , mid November. On Michigan public that gets hammered. I ain't saying it's an everyday thing but it happened almost every year. I just seen a mature buck last week on a baitpile. Walked right to it and ate. I posted about it on another thread I think. Watched him from my cousin's barn as he ate on the neighbors bait. The neighbor was also hunting and had just walked through the area but was sitting in his other blind.

I do agree most are scent checking down wind checking for does. My Dad killed a bunch of late season bucks that were doing just that. He hunted a old grown up corn field. It was 264 acres. He put a tower blind right dead center n only hunted over bait.

Possibly different here cause I'm loaded with acorns and we don't get those cold temps u guys get. They don't always come in downwind, I've watched em 100 yards upwind bed down on a high spot and watch it. The thing here is the old bucks know where the does are coming from on there way to the bait and will intercept them on the way without exposing himself. I think the key is where u put it, but if they are coming to it and only using the wind put it on the opposite side of a creek! That gives ya a variety of winds to work with and its impossible to get busted.

[ERICBROOKS]

Hunting over bait and beast style hunting are complete opposites.
This topic belongs on AT.
That’s my thoughts on it.

[Buckshot20]

Hunting over bait and beast style hunting are complete opposites.
This topic belongs on AT.
That’s my thoughts on it.

What constitutes what can be discussed on the beast? The guys asked a question, and he's getting answers. There still has to be thought to kill a big buck on bait. Its still a tactic whether one agrees with it or not.

[Boogieman1]

Hunting over bait and beast style hunting are complete opposites.
This topic belongs on AT.
That’s my thoughts on it.

What constitutes what can be discussed on the beast? The guys asked a question, and he's getting answers. There still has to be thought to kill a big buck on bait. Its still a tactic whether one agrees with it or not.

X2 I agree, but I also understand how it's looked at as not beastly. My own opinion is anything that takes a thought process is fair chase, if u just walk out into the woods and dump a bag of corn and expect to shoot a giant u r about to get a lesson from the school of hard nocks! I just found after learning how to bait effectively that manipulating the situation just was not fun or challenging anymore so I walked away from it. Nothing wrong with anyone who does it, no one frowns at a bear hunter for doing it just keep the challenge in it where u feel u accomplished something and am happy with yourself

[Jonny]

We need hodag hunter to chime in on this. I know he has mentioned using bait before during late season and has done well.

There’s more than one way to hunt and kill a mature buck.

[thwack16]

I’m a very strong opponent of hunting over bait, but

1. I’ve recently chose to run three feeders on my main private to “hold” deer. All three are located in areas that would be impossible to hunt from any stands and shouldn’t provide an advantage to anyone hunting. Mississippi’s gradual move toward allowing it has totally screwed up our hunting in my opinion.

I’ve noticed a steady decline in doe numbers over the past 10 seasons during the hunting season (I.e. while people are baiting). Then they suddenly show up in our food plots after season and after everyone has stopped baiting.

FWIW, week one of running them and a big buck has already shown in daylight on the only cam I checked.

2. Bait can certainly kill big bucks. As already mentioned, week one of season, rut, late season on cold fronts.

Combo bait, someone that understands deer and how they bed, and CELL CAMS, and unfortunately, you have a very deadly combination.

[Dewey]

I haven’t hunted over a bait pile for over 20 years. When I did in the Northwoods I never seen a mature buck over a corn pile in daylight. I have seen them 100 yards downwind of known bait piles scent checking them just before dark. Mature bucks and does didn’t get mature by walking right into bait piles during daylight. If you know where bait is consistently located it’s really no different than hunting the staging area near a natural food source. Set up where they feel safe checking it out.