how much corn?

M

MadScientist

New member
If I wanted to encourage some deer traffic down a path near my house would one or two corn cobs every few days be effective? (I see deer tracks there every so often but fresh ones do not appear on a regular basis)
Of course, being in VA, I'd stop the practice before deer season started.
 
MadScientist,

I'd put down 5 or 10 ears and, checking it daily, replenish it with 10, 15 or even 20 ears when it gets hit. Then I'd keep it at that level or as much as they can easily consume in one night. Check the grocery store for apples that are going soft. They get aromatic about then. I'd make the apples indigenous species to your locale. Lastly, go to the feed store and get a mineralized salt block (around $5 or 6 around here in GA) and try that too. It's great for antler growth. I poured a cheap brand of molasses over the last salt block I set out. The ants never bothered the molasses, but the deer were all over it. There are salt blocks that have corn ground up in them too.
 
I've got fresh deer tracks on the path that doubles as my rifle range (from the deck it runs 80 yards north doglegs adn continues for another 600 feet) everyday, and the deer have been pruning the wifes rose bushes (20 feet from the front door) but I never see any deer. I put out some COB (Corn Oats and Barley) the other day on a couple of stumps but it didn't look like they touched it.

I have never hunted but am tempted this year. The wife doesn't want to discourage the deer, but I'd kinda like to smoke one -Mmmmm jerky... - and this seems like a good opprotunity. I have suggested to her that come deer season the deer will wander down out of the hills and we will have transients. That sounds reasonable doesn't it?

Also some of the tracks are about 2.5 inches long by about 1.75 inches wide, can any of you more expeirnced deer hunts guesstimate size from tracks?
 
Try putting some corn out that you can get at the feed store.
Sprinkle about a 5 gallon bucket full in a circle about 5 feet in diameter. They will come and find it. When they start coming in, just get em' in your sights. LOL............
 
"2.5 inches long by about 1.75 inches wide"

Hmmm. I'd say "shootable". That ain't no fawn.

They're coming around at night. Now you have an excuse to buy one of those IR or tripwire rigs for your camera. Just so your wife can see who's eating the roses, of course.

:), Art
 
I knew someone would give me grief. If I had access to land and time, I'd do it proper but that won't happen. I'd rather feed my family.
 
I'll agree with anybody that stalking takes more skill than stand-hunting. I don't really have the patience to be happy in a stand, so I'm a walking hunter out in my wide-open country.

The only issue with baiting is that one not fool one's self into thinking that this is a real challenge in hunting. Regardless, the primary important point is that the shot be sure, the kill is clean.

I've sat in stands, with and without bait. I've stalked. I walk. And I've thoroughly enjoyed myself, every time.

Madscientist, don't sweat it. You work with the situation you have--there ain't no magic.

:), Art
 
this brings an interesting point...

what is this idea of "fair chase" anyway?
you want to get down on your feet and try to kill a deer w/o any weapon? no you dont. we have evolved to use tools and one of the best tools we have is our mind which leads use to figure things out like what will bring my prey to me.
you bait fish, but baiting deer is wrong.
during the rut a buck will bypass food for sex BUT you can use all the doe piss in the world as a lure and thats not baiting (right).
99% of you "hunters" have been brainwashed by the scent suppliers, camo outfitters, gun magazines, caller hawkers and scope manufactures into beliving that you must drag a special felt pad dipped in doe in heat piss (from on doe nonetheless) to your concealed climbing tree stand 20 feet above the ground where you'll sit quietly in your scentblocker realtree suit and shoot some hapless deer at 200 yards w/ a 7mm ultra magnum short action fiberglass and stainless steel rifle w/ a 15 power leupold scope.
yeah, thats fair...
what was i thinking?
i'll just sit under a tree in my carhart bibs eating a couple of grannysmith apples and tossing the cores hoping my little levergun gets a chance to take another deer this season.
and if i dont i can always come back tomorow or the next week or the next year.
 
I think some of us are making unwarranted assumptions about setting out the corn and such. I don't hunt over bait. It's not legal here in GA. But it does two things ... it gets the deer coming into the general area and, if done properly, it can improve their general health. We plant on our hunting leases here and we choose plantings that are recommended by the state DNR.

XXSUPO, that's a fine rant.
 
XXSUPO, there ain't a lot of folks who've grown up in the country, or who have the free time to spend a lot of it out in the boonies. So, hunting is inherently harder for them just to begin with.

Next, figure that in many areas, there are too many deer for the habitat. Lots of the southern U.S., for sure.

Using the calls and the bait and the scent and the camo ain't MY style, but so what? I sure ain't gonna set myself up as Huntin' Stylist In Chief! :)

"Fair Chase" mostly means the deer--or other game--isn't constrained into some area where there's no hidey-hole or chance to get away. I've hunted some country where I'm not sure if I could find a deer in two acres, and I've hunted some country where a thousand acres is barely "fair".

The mainest thing, in my mind, is that it's a clean kill, and the memory of the day stays as one of those good memories that will become more important as the years go by.

Ya gotta build up a savings account of memories against that time when about all you can hunt is the campfire, and memories are what let you look back and be content.

Regards,

Art
 
Ya gotta build up a savings account of memories against that time when about all you can hunt is the campfire, and memories are what let you look back and be content.
Click to expand...

Well said Art. If we all remembered that then our hunts (and lives) would be happy ones.
 
Why is it that putting food in an area, then removing it and hunting that spot is considered unethical, yet going to land where someone else has planted food in an area (and maybe hasn't even removed it) and hunting that spot, is considered ethical?
;)
 
deer dope

1 jar of creamy style Peanut butter
1/2 jar of dark mollasass or sorgum
1/3 box of quaker oatmeal
1 handful of kosher salt
1 small jar of applesauce
mix together and refrigerate then smear onto a smooth bark tree about 4 feet up. use rubber gloves its messy.
 
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