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Corn Piles for big Bucks

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,084
223
Ohio
Baiting is far from an exact science. Hell. It's not even really a guess. I am currently running three piles, each about a mile apart in three separate wood lots. I've been pouring It to them for over a month now. Guess how many mature bucks I have on cam. Zero. A couple in the 130s show up once or twice a week always at night. There are big deer around. But they're not that stupid. Like any food source mature deer show up at night. Be that dumped corn, crops, or acorns. They show up at night. A corn pile is far from a preferred food source. Even in the dead of winter like now it's still not preferred. While there is snow on the ground I get plenty of pics of deer hitting the pile. Today is a prime example. On the top of a hill I have about 200lbs of corn out. The deer didn't show today. Why? The rain has melted most of the snow. As we were leaving the deer were in the bottom cut corn field not 200 yards from the pile up in the woods. They preferred to scratch and peck for waste grain here and there instead of gorge on a pile. Both food sources is corn. But their natural ways are set. They have a preferred source. To me a corn pile for mature animals is nothing but an inventory tool. Find out where they're staying and hunt them there. The corn is just for pictures. If that somehow makes it "easier" then running cams over salt in August is the same. Really though, running cams at all would be just the same.

Corn is just for pictures and is the same as running salt licks in august...

Oh boy, now I've heard it all. Lmao
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Im runnin cams on 8 different peoperties right now, all with corn. Usually its double that. Have only hunted 2 properties this year.

90 percent of it is to keep track of certain deer, build a history with them, etc.. But if you do start to see a pattern with a big buck, you can use it to your advantage. Doesnt happen very often... Shit, finding a deer to hunt doesnt happen very often in my area
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
amen to that! It gets harder every year


Thats what makes it fun though! When you do find one, or one you've been watching turns into a shooter, its a great feeling. One photo can dictate how your going to be spending the next couple months. Pretty crazy
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Thats what makes it fun though! When you do find one, or one you've been watching turns into a shooter, its a great feeling. One photo can dictate how your going to be spending the next couple months. Pretty crazy
Right on Gordo, But sometimes those cameras really suck, When we see the one we want to go after we get stupid and let some go that we probably never would if we didn't use the trail cams, LOL. But you are right it is fun whether we get him or not and hopefully we learn a lot along the way.
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
No doubt that knowing the existence of a bull winkle will save the lifes of would be shooters. At the same time it'll keep ya in the woods longer and hunting harder. Not a bad way to spend time
 

CritterGitterToo

Junior Member
375
58
Central Ohio
Wait, I thought baiting was automatic. I have read from a certified expert on another forum that baiting is easy peasy for killing big bucks. He makes it sound like its a slam dunk. Oh, but he doesn't do it because he doan believe in it.

:smiley_depressive:
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,859
260
Corn is just for pictures and is the same as running salt licks in august...

Oh boy, now I've heard it all. Lmao

I've gotten 10x the daylight pictures of mature bucks over salt in August than I ever have ever gotten over corn. My response was to the ones who said it was easier and somehow cheating. It's no more cheating than using salt, or using cams. Ever year we base stand placement decisions over cam pictures. How is that any less cheating than placing stands based on a late season corn pile. Salt in front if a cam, corn in front of a cam. It's the same shit.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Some guys hunt corridors on the way to food plots and kill deer.

Some guys don't have access to food plots or land to plant food plots, so they create their own plot in the form of corn piles. They then hunt corridors on the way to corn piles. It's all the same. Neither guarantees success, but both can help.

Some guys hunt right on the corn.

Some guys choose to do neither and hunt deep woods or field edges and let what be will be.

To each his own, I say. I've used all four methods and will continue to do so as the each situation I'm hunting in dictates.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,084
223
Ohio
I've gotten 10x the daylight pictures of mature bucks over salt in August than I ever have ever gotten over corn. My response was to the ones who said it was easier and somehow cheating. It's no more cheating than using salt, or using cams. Ever year we base stand placement decisions over cam pictures. How is that any less cheating than placing stands based on a late season corn pile. Salt in front if a cam, corn in front of a cam. It's the same shit.

Whatever you say, Joe.
 

matthewusmc8791

Junior Member
288
46
NE Ohio
I've gotten 10x the daylight pictures of mature bucks over salt in August than I ever have ever gotten over corn. My response was to the ones who said it was easier and somehow cheating. It's no more cheating than using salt, or using cams. Ever year we base stand placement decisions over cam pictures. How is that any less cheating than placing stands based on a late season corn pile. Salt in front if a cam, corn in front of a cam. It's the same shit.

Oh boy I can see where this is going... LOL +1 jack - o lope

Corn -vs - salt - vs - a 25 acre food plot standing corn left standing all winter to include beans... all too funny to me guys..

I haven't heard anyone using a recurve or long bow and hunting from the ground on public land with a 2mile walk in and bag a buck...lol.

Everything is all good as long as you do what is legal for each state.

I run 3 feeders from July through April and have cams everywhere. To include salt and mineral blocks piled up all the time. $5 at tractor supply so you cant go wrong.

JMTC
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,859
260
Oh boy I can see where this is going... LOL +1 jack - o lope

Corn -vs - salt - vs - a 25 acre food plot standing corn left standing all winter to include beans... all too funny to me guys..

I haven't heard anyone using a recurve or long bow and hunting from the ground on public land with a 2mile walk in and bag a buck...lol.

Everything is all good as long as you do what is legal for each state.

I run 3 feeders from July through April and have cams everywhere. To include salt and mineral blocks piled up all the time. $5 at tractor supply so you cant go wrong.

JMTC

Agreed. It's all relative. I can't stand to hear this is easier. That is easier. This is cheating. That is cheating. It's all the same. I've shot deer being drove by dogs. Many would say that cheating. But it's legal in Ms. It's no more different than driving them with 10 humans. Deer aren't rabbits that run in circles. They just run. Just like they do when people drive them. If we can make the argument that corn is cheating we can make the same one for salt or plots or crops or white oaks or even running cams. Why stop there. How about 80% let off bows that make it easier than 40%. To each their own. If it's legal it's not cheating, immoral, or unethical. It's just different.
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
Agreed. It's all relative. I can't stand to hear this is easier. That is easier. This is cheating. That is cheating. It's all the same. I've shot deer being drove by dogs. Many would say that cheating. But it's legal in Ms. It's no more different than driving them with 10 humans. Deer aren't rabbits that run in circles. They just run. Just like they do when people drive them. If we can make the argument that corn is cheating we can make the same one for salt or plots or crops or white oaks or even running cams. Why stop there. How about 80% let off bows that make it easier than 40%. To each their own. If it's legal it's not cheating, immoral, or unethical. It's just different.

Well said...
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Agreed. It's all relative. I can't stand to hear this is easier. That is easier. This is cheating. That is cheating. It's all the same. I've shot deer being drove by dogs. Many would say that cheating. But it's legal in Ms. It's no more different than driving them with 10 humans. Deer aren't rabbits that run in circles. They just run. Just like they do when people drive them. If we can make the argument that corn is cheating we can make the same one for salt or plots or crops or white oaks or even running cams. Why stop there. How about 80% let off bows that make it easier than 40%. To each their own. If it's legal it's not cheating, immoral, or unethical. It's just different.
Totally agree with you on that one Joe just hunt and do it legal and ethical and enjoy being outdoors and who cares what someone else thinks as long as you are satisfied that is all that should matter as I don't do it to impress anyone I do it because it is what I love to do.
 

matthewusmc8791

Junior Member
288
46
NE Ohio
Agreed. It's all relative. I can't stand to hear this is easier. That is easier. This is cheating. That is cheating. It's all the same. I've shot deer being drove by dogs. Many would say that cheating. But it's legal in Ms. It's no more different than driving them with 10 humans. Deer aren't rabbits that run in circles. They just run. Just like they do when people drive them. If we can make the argument that corn is cheating we can make the same one for salt or plots or crops or white oaks or even running cams. Why stop there. How about 80% let off bows that make it easier than 40%. To each their own. If it's legal it's not cheating, immoral, or unethical. It's just different.

I so agree.. I tell ya when I see threads starting to head in that direction it just silly.. If you don't agree with someone and you don't use their same gear then either your gear is junk and you don't know what your talking about.. Or if you use a crossbow... Of all the hunter I know and even the ones I see on these threads, I have yet to find one damn guy using old school bows... 80% left is way easier then a recurve or longbow... all the assclown with their anti crossbows statements... hell if its legal use it... Why don't I hear more people bitching about these preserves with their 300" deer you can shoot sitting in your car or shooting deer from your computer screen...

Well im heading out Sunday for a day of hunting.. I'll be sitting in my tree over a feeder... Enjoy your evening and I hope we still have some cooler weather to sit and watch some deer activity.. Good luck
 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,084
223
Ohio
As far as I know, no one here ever said using corn piles was "cheating." All I said was it was easier, because it is. If it wasn't, nobody would do it. And I said that I personally think it's comical to have a thread dedicated to the "strategy" of baiting deer.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,859
260
As far as I know, no one here ever said using corn piles was "cheating." All I said was it was easier, because it is. If it wasn't, nobody would do it. And I said that I personally think it's comical to have a thread dedicated to the "strategy" of baiting deer.

Easier than what? As I said it's all relative. Everything is easier than using a stick bow with a loin cloth. But that shouldn't attach a bad stigma to anything else. A stand is easier than being on the ground. A blind is easier than being in a stand. A cam is easier than not having a cam. 60% let off is easier than 40%. It's all relative to what it's being compared to. Hunting over corn is no easier than hunting over a white oak in October. Running a cam over corn is no better than over salt in September. This time of year deer are yarded up over preferred food. It's no easier hunting over corn than it is their preferred food this time of year. It's just a different tactic. Is it easier than other things sure. Short divisions easier than long too.