baiting deer/elk for the cam/shot

[shed head]

i have been noticing alot of guys are getting good picks using some sort of bait. i have used selenium salt during shed season to see if the deer would drop in the area. within a week the deer had ate the stump a foot into the ground. was just curious what some others have had success with. i also heard crack corn is not good for deer because the can not digest it fully. they are blaming it on some deaths of "city deer" in jackson county???

[Beamerfish]

Never heard the cracked corn thing - if that were true whitetails woulda been wiped out by the thousands of feeders spinning from Texas to South Carolina.

I've had good success with dry cob (cracked rolled oats, corn & barley I think). I also tried all breed which is some find of pellets - they like it just fine but it kind of disintegrates in the rain.

[225nontypical]

wet cobb works well. liquid deer caine and apple blocks broken up work to. ask sliverpicker, that guy is the master, look at some of his trail cam pictures!

[Dave Smith]

Originally Posted by Beamerfish

Never heard the cracked corn thing - if that were true whitetails woulda been wiped out by the thousands of feeders spinning from Texas to South Carolina.

No problem whatsoever for deer that have been raised on corn, which is about 80% of the whitetail population. The problem arises when deer eat corn that aren't used to it (don't have the right stuff in there system to break it down and digest it)

[shed head]

Originally Posted by Dave Smith

No problem whatsoever for deer that have been raised on corn, which is about 80% of the whitetail population. The problem arises when deer eat corn that aren't used to it (don't have the right stuff in there system to break it down and digest it)

i just wanted the word to get around about the cracked corn. i hear of alot of people using it for bait. the article i read was in the medford mail tribune about deer in jacksonville and ashland,or dropping dead in peoples yards. dont know for sure. just what i heard.

thanks dave!

[Sixes]

I use rolled oats and barly mixed together. And also alfalfa bails. the mineral lick I use is the trophy rock. Man the deer love it, there are many many grooves from there tongues in it. Oh and apples where ever you can find them (grocery stores waste).

[jjelkhorn]

I use loose salt to get them to stop and pose. Pick up a 50# bag for under $10, then just fill up a quart size bag to dump in front of the cam. I've got 3 camera's over a 1 1/2 miles in and don't want to pack in more than that, and it doesn't take more than that to keep them around.

[Blacktail Slayer]

Originally Posted by Dave Smith

No problem whatsoever for deer that have been raised on corn, which is about 80% of the whitetail population. The problem arises when deer eat corn that aren't used to it (don't have the right stuff in there system to break it down and digest it)

Dave is right. It would have to be giving to them in little amounts over a long period of time. You could add a little more each time. Spreading out the feed and not just putting it in a pile is better for the animals also. Less chance of spreading disease and such. Good luck with whatever you try. Lots of good info about feed on whitetail sites. Most blacktail and mule deer hunters out west are a little behind on this. Dave would be a good source.

[Blacktail Slayer]

I have not had any luck with any brand of minerals on blacktails in the Oregon coast range. Has anyone had any luck with blacktails in southern Oregon? What brand worked for you? I have heard great things about Trophy Rock on several websites. What do you Southern hunters think?

[Chug]

Originally Posted by Blacktail Slayer

I have not had any luck with any brand of minerals on blacktails in the Oregon coast range. Has anyone had any luck with blacktails in southern Oregon? What brand worked for you? I have heard great things about Trophy Rock on several websites. What do you Southern hunters think?

Yep, same results for me. Tried salt, with No luck.
Apples, & dog treats, were a hit. Till Mr Bear showed up.
Western deer are more picky!.

[Blacktail Slayer]

I believe it is from the salt coming from the ocean. They get enough day to day as it is. That is what I have heard from other people. Just wondering if anyone else has had different experiences.

[BuxnDux82]

We have had the same results as well. Tried the deer cocaine, jelly, salt you name it and it hasn't worked on the deer around the house. They do seem to be picky. I though had luck with the deer cocaine up around the Marcola area. Had a few nice bucks coming through and licking it up. Got them on the trail Cam as well.

[jjelkhorn]

Blacktail Slayer
I've used the Trophy Rock and it works but so does just plain loose salt and lots cheaper. If I'm putting out salt in an area the deer will be all summer and fall I dig a hole dump half the bag, put in some dirt, then more salt, rest of the dirt back in the hole and sprinkle a little salt on top. Don't know why but the deer and elk just nuts over it. Maybe something about digging for it. I've seen salt blocks in the same area get licked on but not used as much as the loose salt.

[Sixes]

I have tryed apple flavored salt licks and they did not even try it. But the Trophy Rock mineral they have at it down a lot it it is all most time to buy another. They have made deep grooves in it. I will take a pic of mine and post it tomarrow.

jjelkhorn have you seen this with the trophy rock that you are using.

[jjelkhorn]

Sixes
The Trophy Rock I've used have been rained on and kinda melted so haven't really seen grooves in them. I think they work good but it around $15 for a #15 rock when I can get #50 for under $10 and the same results. Most of the deer and elk I'm targeting now will leave area end of March so I'll move camera's to a new area with salt put out like I described above. The salt leaches into the ground better I think and the deer keep coming back to the spot even if you don't put out that year. Kept running into deer when packing out my bear last year at a spot I had put salt only once the year before.

[NeverGuess]

My buddy uses apples & yellow (sulphur) salt. Not my style, but I love his trailcam pics.....

[Blktalhunter]

Originally Posted by Dave Smith

No problem whatsoever for deer that have been raised on corn, which is about 80% of the whitetail population. The problem arises when deer eat corn that aren't used to it (don't have the right stuff in there system to break it down and digest it)

How long does it take after the deer that aren't use to it, to have digestive problems? The reason I ask is because I usually have my cam up from sept-dec and use corn. I continue to see the same deer through out this entire time period. I haven't noticed any of them having any problems and see them the next year (bucks), when I feed again.

[Sixes]

Here is a pic of the trophy rock lick i have been using. I am goig to have to try what jjelkhorn talked about.

jjelkhorn do you think the deer on the coast might not use the salt because of the salt the is already here.

[sooslaw]

I have my setup about 8 miles from ocean. Trace mineral block...absolutely zero activity with the thing. only trail cam pics i have gotten since putting it in there are animals walking by it. Gonna try the Sweetlick block next.

[Rank Amateur]

I put mineral blocks out years ago, thought it would help with calving/ antler growth, they never touched them, they just melted into the ground after a year. Over East, you will see deer and elk tracks all around the salt blocks the ranchers put out.

[49erjimmy]

Originally Posted by brandon shawnego

i just wanted the word to get around about the cracked corn. i hear of alot of people using it for bait. the article i read was in the medford mail tribune about deer in jacksonville and ashland,or dropping dead in peoples yards. dont know for sure. just what i heard.

thanks dave!

I read that same article. The problem down there was that many of the old time residents were in a fued with new residents about having so many deer aound the town in their yards and such. The biologist thought that several deer deaths in the area could be due to problems digesting corn. I think there may well have been some "other stuff" put out for the deer to get rid of them. I have fed cracked corn to deer in several areas where they aren't used to eating it and got the same deer month after month on camera so they weren't having any trouble digesting corn. Maybe if they weren't used to it and you put out several bushels per deer they might get some indigestion.

[Bertram42]

Alfalfa bales are the key, it's like candy and won't mess with there digestive system. Not good for packing into your little honey hole though.

[Tar Heel]

Is the salt bad for them? I know its been used forever but wouldnt food such as corn, oats and alfalfa be better for them? Any research on salt licks? The deer in my hood love apples!

[whtelk]

Forgot where I saw this but peanut butter is suppose to really bring the deer in.

[Chug]

Originally Posted by whtelk

Forgot where I saw this but peanut butter is suppose to really bring the deer in.

Hmm.. might wait till they get that Salmonella cleared up first. I know it works for Coons, Mice, Rats.

Thought, about buying a Kong on rope filling the inside with Peanut butter. To hang from tree, set trail cam's up for Video mode. Just to give bear something to Chew on. But thought better of it, for fear He might want to eat the Cook. But that would be Great Photo's & Videos.

[3fletch]

Brandon: I have some secrets that work quite well. When I "bait" everything looks natural...

Most of mine are either natural or man made salt licks.

Once you get them hooked they cant stop....

[Sixes]

Originally Posted by whtelk

Forgot where I saw this but peanut butter is suppose to really bring the deer in.

I have used peanut butter that I srewed to a tree it worked out well deer loved it.

[jjelkhorn]

Sixes-

Nice pics of the salt rock. The ones I've tried looked a little different. Hard to say if being close to the ocean makes the deer use salt less. A buddy and I put out a salt block and loose salt together at one site and the deer dug out the hole getting the loose salt. They lick the block but it has been there 2 years and still 3/4 of a block there. Like the peanut butter idea. Do bears hit it good too?

[xXx Archery]

we did the peanut butter thing and got 57 pics of BEARS not one deer?
going to do a blacktail food plot this year

[Tilla]

Did I ever mention the time we went in before the bow season road closure and left some bales of hay for archery practice for when we walked in to our camp a few weeks later?Doh!

[Sixes]

Originally Posted by jjelkhorn

Sixes-

Nice pics of the salt rock. The ones I've tried looked a little different. Hard to say if being close to the ocean makes the deer use salt less. A buddy and I put out a salt block and loose salt together at one site and the deer dug out the hole getting the loose salt. They lick the block but it has been there 2 years and still 3/4 of a block there. Like the peanut butter idea. Do bears hit it good too?

I haven't had any bears mess with it yet (peanut butter). But then again I haven't even got a bear pic on my TC yet. I dont see ant sign that there is even a bear in the nieghborhood. The rock is a trophy rock that my father picked up at Cabelas in Idaho. I have tried the salt blocks they dont work. I am going to try the loose salt idea.

Sixes