phil_pick

Hey guys. I need some legal ways to bait deer. I BOW hunt in southern WI where it's illegal to bait deer, but I hunt a farm with corn and bean fields that are 100 x 300 yards. The deer just never seem to follow and set trails seeing as the fields are rotated so its always a crap shoot when choosing the stand to hunt out of. What are some LEGAL tips or tricks you guys use to attract deer when "bait" is illegal? A food plot is out of the question but any other ideas would be great.

P.S. I have 4 cameras out trying to patern them but it just is soooo random.

dliz

Phil,

I scout about 25 square mile in Pa and have 8 trail cameras out. (Mostly Mountains) Almost all of the nice buck ( 8 points or better) I've scouted over the last couple of years have not been consistant in their patterns. I'll get most large buck on camera every 5 to 10 days if that. When I first purchased these trail cameras my thought was I could pattern a buck to help decide when and where I wanted to hunt. What I've learned it is very difficult to pattern large bucks if not impossible. If you could pattern every buck they wouldnt last long enough to get big. Its a great tool to determine what area to hunt but trying to pattern them is a different story. My advice would be find a big one, hunt the best trails try to figure out their travel direction (trail cameras), and never hunt when the wind is bad for that stand. This has been my experience in the mountains it may be different in farm country.

Krypt Keeper

maybe instead of looking for where they may eat try and pattern them to a near by water source. They must drink, once the acorns and persimmons and the like start falling they can walk almost anywhere to feed unless they have a certain taste for corn/beans ect.

Also look for funnel areas that they may use to go around problem spots that are more difficult to pass.

dmax4me

Once those corn and bean fields have been cut, try using a decoy. Use the wind but set it up along the field where they can see it from far away. A buck decoy near the end of October always seems to work for me. Good Luck!

Bernie P.

You MUST find the bedding areas.The big boys will be the last to get up and head out to the food sources most often not getting there till dark.They will also be the first to leave the feeding areas again most often while it's still dark.Find the entry/exit trails to the bedding areas and set up as close as you can to them without getting caught going to and from the stands.