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Corn Piles for big Bucks

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
I've written this blog a few times but never dared to post if for fear of backlash. But the time has come to share it and I would like some input/feedback. So lets talk about baiting/ corn piles in particular. Keep it civil. Does any one else corn pile?


Just a quick glance on any hunting forum and it’s easy to see that baiting deer is a controversial and heated topic among the deer hunting community. Whether you are for or against baiting, whether it’s legal or illegal in your state, one thing is for certain…..baiting deer with a big corn pile, in cold weather, is a deadly big buck killing tactic.

In Ohio, baiting deer on private ground is 100% legal. I have used corn piles in the past to kill a couple nice late season bucks and with 2013-2014 season winding down, it’s looking like a tactic I may be using in the near future. Before going any farther however, I would like to free myself of accusations and set the record straight. I don’t want my hard work and hunting ability clouded by a blog about baiting.





For me, baiting is a late season tactic only! Used when all the hopes of seeing rut action has expired and cold temperatures and limited hunting opportunities make filling a single, coveted Ohio buck tag a hopeless chore. I do not bait pre-rut or during the rut. I enjoy hunting these periods of the season and feel my properties, ability and chance of shooting a mature buck with out bait are high enough. I feel baiting would take away some of the actual hunt and the feeling of out whiting a big, smart buck. That’s right, I think baiting makes hunting easier, less achieving and that’s simply not something I’m interested durring early season. But there is an exception for every rule and as I said above, mine comes in late season!

I would also like to add that I don’t hold baiting against any one! To each their own. Where baiting is legal, every hunter has the right to choose if, how and when he or she wants to employ baiting. I have several friends that bait early season and have killed some true giants over a corn pile. We are all hunters and we should stand together.



One of the things that may add to the controversy of baiting, is many think: Once bait goes on the ground, killing a deer is a guarantee. I think many hunters who have never baited and non-hunters, have a notion that hunting bait is as simple as pouring corn onto the ground and pulling the trigger. Although it can be that simple, in my opinion, to kill a big buck on a corn pile you still have to do your home work and play your cards right. Here is the down and dirty on late season big buck corn piles the way I see it.



Finding a Shooter



Forget the rules you enforce on yourself in early season, finding a big buck to kill is going to take some intrusion. Many factors dictate where you will find deer in late season. Generally speaking, if you find one deer, you will find many. Things to look for when scouting for late season deer are predominate food sources, high quality bedding with thick cover, thermal barriers, south facing slopes and sun exposer. Finding the food and prefered bedding should get you in the right area.

The first step in killing a big buck on a corn pile is finding one that will visit a corn pile. I have found some bucks that absolutely will not visit a corn pile. So start laying down some corn piles in areas that you think hold big bucks and see what shows up and when. 100 pounds should do the trick. If you find a shooter buck that is willing to eat from the pile, its time to narrow down where he is coming and how to hunt the buck by making him the most vulnerable.



Finding the Right Spot



Remember that late season can make for crunchy walking with snow/ ice and open tree canopy that can make you visible from very long distances. You must find the perfect spot! I have found that fence lines and areas with lots of topography changes make great corn pile locations. Fence lines provide a visual break to approach woodlots and topography changes break the horizon line. However, the spot must be close to the big bucks bedding and regular travel routes.



Laying the Pile



It never fails that whenever I start talking baiting with other hunters someone always says a big deer won’t come to a feeder in daylight. From my experience with feeders, most mature deer will not visit them in daylight and lot of times they wont visit them at all! But when you lay down a big pile of corn on the ground……. the game changes!

Go big or go home! Drop 300# in a pile, throw up and camera and walk away for a week. Let the deer find the pile and use it with confidence. If the target shooter buck is using the corn pile in daylight or close to daylight, it’s time to wait for cold weather and a good wind.



Waiting for the Right Conditions



I set most late season corn pile tree stands up for a North wind. In Ohio, these are the winds that typically bring cold temperatures and snow. Simply wait for the coldest day in the near future to hunt, big cold fronts or immediately after the target buck hits the corn pile in daylight for the first time. Another great day I have found is the first warm day after a big, long cold front! If the corn pile runs out while waiting, drop another #100 but never let the corn pile run dry.



Getting It Done



A few things to remember about corn pile hunting.



1) Forget hunting mornings! Deer are going to visit your corn pile at all hours of the day. So busting deer off the pile will be hard enough mid-day, let alone in the pre-dawn. Don't ruin a day light walking mature buck by bad entries!


2) Many times, deer will be at the bait site when legal shooting light ends and you will have to bust them off the pile. Always try to do this in a manner that does not pin point you in the stand. I typically have someone run the deer off with an approaching 4 wheeler or vehicle.


3) When it’s really cold, it’s typically really calm. Your stand or blind should be rock steady, roomy and silent. Corn piles also mean lots of deer at close range. Always try to put an obstacle between you and the corn pile. I typically use a large brush pile to help break eye to eye contact.


In closing I have to admit that corn piling deer in late season makes for some really exciting hunting. It's a ton of fun to see what bucks show up that you have never seen before and it's a great way to go into shed season. It also gives you a great outlook for the following season!

In the last couple weeks, I have ran multiple corn piles on multiple farms and have found ONE shooter buck and I feel he is very killable. Some of you may remember this buck from summer scouting. I call him Shovels, for his eye gaurds that in velvet reminded me of the shovels on a Caribou. I have hung a tree stand for the cold temp's and North-Eastern cold front that is about to hit Ohio and will be making my move on him this week. Wish me luck!

-Corey


 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
Very interesting, thanks! I run a corn pile on our land and my woman's sisters place. I gotta freshen the one up at her sisters tomorrow in preparation for muzzy.
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
Nice write up. This is my first year trying the corn thing. I'm doing almost exactly this and so far the deer are coming I just haven't had a chance at the particular one I'm after. Tomorrow the wind is about perfect and it can't get much colder so we'll see how it works.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I really dont understand why you could consider shooting a buck over bait during early season "unfair" or that it would "take away from the hunt," yet consider it a reasonable tactic during late season. That makes no sense. If anything, baiting late season is the EASIEST of all hunting tactics.

Baiting is indeed legal in Ohio and we all have a right to do so. To each their own. What really annoys me though are the guys who brag about a wall of big deer that were killed over bait. That's really no big accomplishment IMO.
 

Diane

*Supporting Member*
4,715
66
Newark
Good luck, Corey! I threw #150 out and it was gone in about 4-5 days. I'm waiting until after Muzzy weekend before throwing out another couple hundred.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I really dont understand why you could consider shooting a buck over bait during early season "unfair" or that it would "take away from the hunt," yet consider it a reasonable tactic during late season. That makes no sense. If anything, baiting late season is the EASIEST of all hunting tactics.

Baiting is indeed legal in Ohio and we all have a right to do so. To each their own. What really annoys me though are the guys who brag about a wall of big deer that were killed over bait. That's really no big accomplishment IMO.

What he said.

What was the response on AT? Sure they love this kind of stuff over there...
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I've shot big deer with and without bait. I just started baiting 4 years ago. I will say it is easier no matter what time of year it is. It's a real help in getting kids started in hunting. They can watch the squirrels and birds until the deer arrive if they do so. I see it like this: do what you want. You don't like smoking, don't smoke. Don't like baiting, don't bait. Believe in hunting with bait, then bait. To each their own and enjoy what you do choose. And if you're knocking what the other guy did choose, you're not enjoying what you chose to it's fullest. Most people say: That's a nice buck! Rarely do you hear, his breath smells like corn!
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Pretty good read.

I'll add if u dont have someone to pick ya up after the hunt, sitting over the bait isnt a good way to go. The deer will catch on to ur exact stand/blind location real quick after watching you exit.

Hunting trails too the corn, and using topography to your advantage will give u a better chance of going undetected.

I used to not put too much thought into bait location. Now i factor in all the different variables.

The one thing i try to do is put the food in a spot that isnt accessible from every direction. This narrows down the travel corridors that i'll be hunting. Factoring in the pre-dominant winds while setting this all up is an equation for success, but doesnt guarantee shit. Work, work, and more work.
 

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
Pretty good read.

I'll add if u dont have someone to pick ya up after the hunt, sitting over the bait isnt a good way to go. The deer will catch on to ur exact stand/blind location real quick after watching you exit.

Hunting trails too the corn, and using topography to your advantage will give u a better chance of going undetected.

I used to not put too much thought into bait location. Now i factor in all the different variables.

The one thing i try to do is put the food in a spot that isnt accessible from every direction. This narrows down the travel corridors that i'll be hunting. Factoring in the pre-dominant winds while setting this all up is an equation for success, but doesnt guarantee shit. Work, work, and more work.


I agree and thank you for your input
 
I use corn many years ( not this year )

But I almost never hunt over it

I put the corn outside the woods
I then hunt exit trails that lead to the corn


I find , many times the older deer will hang around inside the woods waiting for sunset
That gives me a chance to get one before sunset

John
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
I am in no way ashamed to kill a big buck over corn if the opportunity were to present itself. If anyone thinks its.easy I challenge you to feed all year and see.how.easy it is to kill a big/mature deer over corn. I have shot one.buck."near" a corn pile. It was in 2010 and he was locked down with a doe that was going .in there.

But.....I have killed two leaving their bedroom and heading.to a corn pile 200 yards away. 2009 and this year.

If I still had a tag rt now I can guarantee u I would be using corn to my advantage.

I run corn in certain places all fall to let me know what deer are in the area and using which bedding areas.
 
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Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
The one farm I hunt that I have killed 4 deer ranging from 140-152 putting corn out isn't an option. It is a cattle farm. All id end up doing is feeding cows. 50 lbs of corn lasts about 10 minutes with cows. Ha
 

DeadOn

Junior Member
31
0
I have found that scattering the corn a little bit instead of just piling it up is better because the deer will scavenge for whatever they can find laying under small field foliage, twigs, and brush. Make a basic pile to attract the deer and broadcast a decent amount about the area around the pile. It will help multiple deer separate a bit when they are eating. This separation of the deer is good for a clean shot when you have multiple deer. It also will make deer linger a bit looking for more bits of food.

Great write up on the corn pile. Thanks a ton for so much information.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I am in no way ashamed to kill a big buck over corn if the opportunity were to present itself. If anyone thinks its.easy I challenge you to feed all year and see.how.easy it is to kill a big/mature deer over corn. I have shot one.buck."near" a corn pile. It was in 2010 and he was locked down with a doe that was going .in there.

But.....I have killed two leaving their bedroom and heading.to a corn pile 200 yards away. 2009 and this year.

If I still had a tag rt now I can guarantee u I would be using corn to my advantage.

I run corn in certain places all fall to let me know what deer are in the area and using which bedding areas.

A friend of mine has a room FULL of mature buck mounts... I mean, one for each year dating back at least the last the last seven years or so, and then some. He's killed damn near every one the same way... Sitting over a pile of corn. He puts it out in October and sits over it every time he hunts. Sooner or later, Mr. Big shows himself during daylight. It NEVER fails. This guy is a good friend of mine, so I dont knock him... But he'd be clueless as to how to hunt deer any other way.

If you have access to property that holds good deer, I just don't see where the difficulty lies in shooting one over a bait pile... Especially during weather like we're having right now.

Hunt however you want to hunt... I have no problem with it. But no one will convince me that hunting mature deer over bait is not significantly easier than hunting without bait.
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
I agree it makes it "easier" but.I don't think it makes it easy. Although, I know some guys like your friend that do consistently kill big deer over corn. It amazes me they get big deer like that to consistently come in broad daylight to corn piles. I will say this....they have access to large chunks of ground that only they have access.to. so human intrusion is at a minimum


But I agree with u. I would rather kill them doing their own thing. And all but the three I stated above were doing their own thing.
 
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finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
I've personally never killed a deer over a bait pile or much less hunted over a bait pile. In Jan of 2011 while still carrying my 2010 seasons buck tag I put out a gallon of shelled corn near a trail during a couple hunts to help stop a deer if they came through is my only experience or attempt to hunting with bait. I didn't even put a camera over the trail as I was just trying to put some meat in the freezer.

Truth is, if I had my own 100 acre spread behind my house or close by to where I could throw a 100# of corn and sacks of apples on my quad and drive up to a spot and dump it to help the deer get through the rigors of winter I'd do it in a heart beat! I'd also be running multiple cameras so's to take inventory of what made it and whose starting to shed antlers. If I were still carrying a buck tag and a shooter buck was coming pretty regularly to my pile during daylight hours I'd try and kill him.

I just don't have a place like this all to myself where someone else couldn't/wouldn't mess it up for me. To establish a site like Corey is talking about takes a lot of time and effort on top of having the property. If I'm still carrying a tag after deer gun season my season is pretty much done with the exception of a few muzzy hunts and bowhunts till the close of season. I'm pretty much burned out and out of vacation time before Christmas or New Years so that doesn't help either.

Those who to have the property and the means to transport large amounts of corn and other foods with little back breaking effort and intrusion via quad/tractor have an excellent chance of dropping a big ole buck during the late season. If a feller was retired and had all the time he needed he could get as picky as he wanted as to when he pulled the trigger. I would however prefer to use the late season tactics that the Drurys and the Kiskeys do and just hunt over partially standing food sources. It's just as effective and looks more like hunting....lol

The argument has been made if its cheating or too easy killing a big buck over a pile. If its legal(which it is on private land here in Ohio), I have no problem with it and don't look down on those that do. There is no denying it that food is the key focus during late season hunting. Whether it is dumped or cultivated and left standing you bet come late season when temps are frigid and snow is deep even the wariest mature bucks become vulnerable. Just my .02.

Good luck and be safe this muzzy season!
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
I've personally never killed a deer over a bait pile or much less hunted over a bait pile. In Jan of 2011 while still carrying my 2010 seasons buck tag I put out a gallon of shelled corn near a trail during a couple hunts to help stop a deer if they came through is my only experience or attempt to hunting with bait. I didn't even put a camera over the trail as I was just trying to put some meat in the freezer.

Truth is, if I had my own 100 acre spread behind my house or close by to where I could throw a 100# of corn and sacks of apples on my quad and drive up to a spot and dump it to help the deer get through the rigors of winter I'd do it in a heart beat! I'd also be running multiple cameras so's to take inventory of what made it and whose starting to shed antlers. If I were still carrying a buck tag and a shooter buck was coming pretty regularly to my pile during daylight hours I'd try and kill him.

I just don't have a place like this all to myself where someone else couldn't/wouldn't mess it up for me. To establish a site like Corey is talking about takes a lot of time and effort on top of having the property. If I'm still carrying a tag after deer gun season my season is pretty much done with the exception of a few muzzy hunts and bowhunts till the close of season. I'm pretty much burned out and out of vacation time before Christmas or New Years so that doesn't help either.

Those who to have the property and the means to transport large amounts of corn and other foods with little back breaking effort and intrusion via quad/tractor have an excellent chance of dropping a big ole buck during the late season. If a feller was retired and had all the time he needed he could get as picky as he wanted as to when he pulled the trigger. I would however prefer to use the late season tactics that the Drurys and the Kiskeys do and just hunt over partially standing food sources. It's just as effective and looks more like hunting....lol

The argument has been made if its cheating or too easy killing a big buck over a pile. If its legal(which it is on private land here in Ohio), I have no problem with it and don't look down on those that do. There is no denying it that food is the key focus during late season hunting. Whether it is dumped or cultivated and left standing you bet come late season when temps are frigid and snow is deep even the wariest mature bucks become vulnerable. Just my .02.

Good luck and be safe this muzzy season!

I wish I had the property to plant.and leave corn or beans standing in the late season. I.think that would.be awesome.