- 38,864
- 260
I agree. Food isn't what's on their mind right now, and they still have other stuff here and there to eat. Wait until after gun when there's nothing left but woody browse and they're rutted down. They'll be in to those piles.
On to plan B
- Thread starter Jackalope
- Start date
I agree. Food isn't what's on their mind right now, and they still have other stuff here and there to eat. Wait until after gun when there's nothing left but woody browse and they're rutted down. They'll be in to those piles.
Agreed.
I figure about the 2nd 3rd week of December they will be back to looking for food to gain some of the weight back from rut and being chased during gun season. Should be good for the late season for sure. Most of the acorns are eaten or rotting now so they won't be picking at them much longer, bean fields up here get picked pretty clean so not much to pick at, corn fields have some cobs here and there they will be able to pick up during the night but that won't last very long after the rut is over and they all start putting the feedbag back on. By the end of December they will be down to just woody browse but get those feeders or piles started mid month so they know where it is and get comfortable and they will be in there by the end of December pretty regularly.
rgecko23
*Supporting Member*
100 lbs of corn a week scattered through my food plot. Only two little doe coming into it for the last week or so, until dark. Should get them coming eventually.
Lundy
Member
- 1,307
- 127
Effectiveness will vary from location to location based upon a bunch of different conditions. There are not many black and white rules in deer hunting
I have 5 automatic feeders, up for 3 -4 weeks and most are being visited daily by bucks, nothing huge, just bucks. The area my DIL will hunt has 5 different bucks visiting every day, multiple time per day.
The coons are numerous
Typical first time at a feeder
Corn, coon and COWS!
I have 5 automatic feeders, up for 3 -4 weeks and most are being visited daily by bucks, nothing huge, just bucks. The area my DIL will hunt has 5 different bucks visiting every day, multiple time per day.
The coons are numerous
Typical first time at a feeder
Corn, coon and COWS!
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Big_Holla
Senior Member
CritterGitterToo
Junior Member
Thunderflight
Dignitary Member
Hortontoter
Senior Member
My experience with feeders and corn has been very dim. I no longer feed at my place. All my deer become nocturnal when a feeder is in place. The only scenario that changes this is deeper snow, but the bucks still appear almost always after dark. Like Lundy said, nothing is black and white with deer though.
Thunderflight
Dignitary Member
Another recommendation is not to hunt over the bait but about 75-100 yards from it. My experience was that after deer figure out they are being hunted they will start to stage and wait until it's dark before they feed on it. Hunting their staging area should cure the nocturnal problem.
Last edited:
- 38,864
- 260
I agree. I always try to place it in an area where they have to go get it. Number one is for the reason you stated. Number two is so I can replenish the bait pile without impacting the dears core area. Number three is If you are hunting over bait it's almost a guarantee that you'll bust deer out walking In. Put the bait in a area where they have to sneak over to get it but still offers them relative safety. Take note of the direction of approach. Move that direction in hopes to find him staging.
Mike Rex will tell you he gets far more mature buck pics over loose corn than he ever has over a feeder. Try to spread it out some vs a pile.
Last edited:
Don't put the sweet feed in the feeders! I had to shovel it out of 2 feeders as it "Glued" itself together the first time the sun hit it. Turned into one huge chunk of feed. They do love sweet feed though. :smiley_coolpeace:
I love "O' Brother Where Art Thou". Thus, I must say: "Oh George. Not the cows."
at1010
*Supporting Member*
- 4,977
- 139
"o george....not the livestock" hilarious movie! Idk what he says exactly but everytime I think of that movie I say that quote! hahaha
Lundy what county you in?
Lundy
Member
- 1,307
- 127
I hunt in Athens county, no corn fields around here.
The cow didn't knock over that feeder but they have in the past and might have this week. I'll know in the morning when I go back down.
The nocturnal problem is not exclusive to feeders or bait piles, if they are nocturnal on the corn, they are nocturnal everywhere anyway, you just have a camera to show you they are nocturnal at the bait pile.
If they have enough corn on the ground that there is enough left that they know they can wait until after dark and still go and get some, they will wait until after dark. If they show up after dark and it is all gone they just MIGHT change the schedule a little
The best way to almost guarantee a buck going nocturnal on a bait pile is to have a pile large enough that he always has food available to him even if he waits until night to go to it. He has little incentive to expose himself for the daytime trip when he knows he can wait and eat all he wants after dark.. Weather, rut, hunting pressure, deer densities, etc, etc all play into each situation keeping me always guessing and not all deer read the same books.
If I could have a way to widely spread-out 5-8 pounds of corn an hour after daylight, in the same area, same time,everyday, without the need to walk in there to do it, I would choose that option every time over some big ugly plastic feeder thingy sitting in the woods for sure. I do NOT run any feeder time after the early AM feeder setting, and I don't dispense much each am. There is typically no corn left at night. They still come at night to check and look for the stray kernel or two, but they don't stay long.
Just my opinion on bait piles and feeders
The cow didn't knock over that feeder but they have in the past and might have this week. I'll know in the morning when I go back down.
The nocturnal problem is not exclusive to feeders or bait piles, if they are nocturnal on the corn, they are nocturnal everywhere anyway, you just have a camera to show you they are nocturnal at the bait pile.
If they have enough corn on the ground that there is enough left that they know they can wait until after dark and still go and get some, they will wait until after dark. If they show up after dark and it is all gone they just MIGHT change the schedule a little
The best way to almost guarantee a buck going nocturnal on a bait pile is to have a pile large enough that he always has food available to him even if he waits until night to go to it. He has little incentive to expose himself for the daytime trip when he knows he can wait and eat all he wants after dark.. Weather, rut, hunting pressure, deer densities, etc, etc all play into each situation keeping me always guessing and not all deer read the same books.If I could have a way to widely spread-out 5-8 pounds of corn an hour after daylight, in the same area, same time,everyday, without the need to walk in there to do it, I would choose that option every time over some big ugly plastic feeder thingy sitting in the woods for sure. I do NOT run any feeder time after the early AM feeder setting, and I don't dispense much each am. There is typically no corn left at night. They still come at night to check and look for the stray kernel or two, but they don't stay long.
Just my opinion on bait piles and feeders
dante322
*Supporting Member*
I went out thursday to dump some corn, On my way back i poked around the woods a little, and found spots where the deer have been digging up those small black osk acorns. Found several that were half eaten, must be already starting to rot.