Davoh

+1 to this. If you put a feeder on part of the land that is most usually without deer, its not going to magically make them appear there... On our place, the most successful feeders are ones near draws and large stands of Live Oak. Only time you really see big bucks is during the Rut, but its great for putting does in the freezer. I stalk the live oak flats and sit in draws near the feeders, where the deer will stage before goign into the feeder at last light, or returning to their bedding area after first light...

Finding these spots is pretty tough on a ranch that primarily grazes sheep and goats, as you really can't tell a stock trail from a deer trail... doesnt help that the deer use the same trails often... My main indicator is looking for old rubs... trees with scars from the bucks working them the year before... usually on the edges of live oak flats...

Granted, this is in SW Texas... I've killed deer from 20 yds out to nearly 400... you really never know where you're going to see them...

As to the people who say baiting makes you not a hunter, ask them when the last time they killed a deer with their bare hands, in their loin cloth... Better yet, ask them when the last time their kids ASKED for a home cooked venison supper... Ask them how often they eat it... I venture to bet, not very often... Dont listen to them. Fill your freezer, and feed your family, while enjoying them. THAT is what hunting is about. Not these silly little arguments people get into on message boards.

Todd1700

It's hard to beat corn. Deer everywhere love it as much as anything else and it's much more weather resistant than these ground up mixes on the market now. One brief rain shower and those mixes are history. But, if you want one of those ground up mixes then (as someone else already mentioned) just get some rice bran. It's the primary ingredient in most of those other mixes anyway and you can get it waaaay cheaper than the highly advertised products like C'mere Deer.

Depends on what you are hunting. It's not legal to bait with loose feed here in Alabama but we do feed our deer in the off season. I put out cameras at these feeders in order to see what is roaming about the place. In the last 10 years I have gotten many daylight photo's of does and spikes. I have also got many pictures of gorgeous racked bucks but nearly 100% have been at night. I think I have two photos of shooter bucks in daylight over that time span.

Don't be fooled by commercials or the tame pen deer you see on these hunting shows. In the real world wild, free range, mature, bucks are mostly nocturnal and will not change those patterns just because you pour something out of a sack.

deerdust

There are many great products on the market that will give the deer a variety of flavors, apple persimmon acorn are generally the top ones. Even if you don't have any of these naturally in your area, the deer will love you for putting them out. Sugar beets is another. (which you can purchase crushed in a bag. Anything molasses flavored is another. Some of these you make a lick in the ground and some are best poured over an old stump.

If it is legal in your area and you are game for feeding it to the deer or even hunting over it, then by all means, give it a try, it doesn't make you any less of a hunter...................Period! Food on the table is the main objective.

doetrain

They like apples of course and will consume them in a heartbeat, I never put out an apple that did not get eaten by something by the next day if they are in the area.

xGREENx

BAITING IS NOW LEGAL IN MI. oh my god you just made my day. I was finding a link to them saying it was illegal. but low and behold i found the baiting ban is done!!!

SavageArms

Just to get started the above is very accurate I put some molasses on an old log a good length 3 or 5 feet of just spilled out molasses and when i came back in like 4 months they had the log complete destroyed looked like someone took a chainsaw to it. I have had great luck with throwing salt in the spring time and mineral block in the summer. also if you throw a high protein food plot in early spring you will receive a good dividend, more deer and bigger deer. I also if you throw a sweet tender cold resistant plot in September you will have more chances to harvest more deer, in my experience.

halfbakedi420

something maybe, i put 2 of every apple i could find out..i crushed one of each...7 deer came by...all of them sniffed, or looked at it..none ate a bite of them..i think if you were hunting in an apple orchid, it might work though, or where there might be one around the area even.
those apple basically decomposed where i put them at, nothing ate them, except my buddy we call the pig, he ate the warshington one.

MZS

That is pretty unusual. Apples are typically a very natural feed, even more so than corn. But I have seen deer pass up things like carrots which are considered to be one of the best baits in some areas. I think a deer needs to be "trained in" on the food. Sounds like your buddy is already "trained in" on most everything!

falcon

We have feeders on our places. The feeders are there to supplement the deers ration. They also serve to keep deer on our posted places during deer season.

All of SW Oklahoma is in a severe drought. The deer, especially those with fawns, are in very poor condition. If we don't get some rain before October many of those deer will not survive the winter.

Adults are not allowed to shoot deer under our feeders or in the game plots. We do shoot wild hogs under the feeders.

fastetti

One thing I like to do when baiting was legal in Michigan was too collect acorns from the trees in the neighborhood and wait until well after the acorns had dropped and most had been eaten by the animals. Then I'd take a them and throw them out when deer were still craving them but there weren't too many around. All deer in my area love acorns so if you get them coming to a spot where they are still available, they will be back as long as you keep putting out acorns. Sure it takes a few hours to pick up a couple 5 gallon buckets but its worth it in the end.

Sugar beets are also very popular where I hunt in Michigan when they did have baiting as well as corn. Deer sure to love the sugar beets too and pretty cheap as well.