Hunting Forum

I currently am using a broadcast feeder with corn. It is set to go off for 10 seconds at each interval. It goes off 30 minutes after sunrise and about 30 minutes before sunset. I have used this feeder set up for about 10 years. I would agree with rkramer about seeing mature bucks at mechanical feeders. I have seen smaller bucks and does actually go to the feeder prior to it going off and not finding any corn. They would return to cover and soon as the feeder went off, they would return to eat. I have never stuck a deer near the feeder. I kind of like it to be their little safe haven. There is a camera on the feeder to help me manage the deer in the area. I have tried food plots. They work, but I seen no point to the food plots since the deer have plenty of agricultural food in the area. I am in the process of making a gravity feeder out of pvc and a barrel. Getting tired of feeding all of the turkeys and coons.

Boomer, the gravity feeder's work good. But them coon's can get corn anywhere! Only one way to stop them,bullet's lol. And with the price of corn a homemade feeder will save you a ton of money.

I actually have pictures of two coons climbing up the supports and while one is holding the other one that is reaching out to the broadcaster. One of my nephews traps and has offered to get rid of the coons for me. On one of my broadcast feeders, I would generally have about 80 percent pictures of deer and 20 percent other, mainly turkeys. Now the number of pictures has reversed 80% turkeys, coons and 20% deer. I'm taking a big group of guys out this weekend to shoot, hopefully around 30 turkeys.

Boomer, I have property near a creek and get a ton of coon's . I started having my feeder go off earlier so that the corn is on the ground well before the deer start moving this helps by providing the corn for the deer before the coon's are active which also give's you more of a chance getting a shot on a deer well before dark. The deer will figure out that if they get there earlier they have less comeptition for the corn. If I know about what time I'm going to my stand I will have the feeder go off a little after I'm there . I usualy go out around 2 to 3 pm in the afternoon and although the deer may not come in for an hour or two they don't get spooked from the feeder and the corn is available. That is just my experience

Personally I don't like baiting and don't do it. However, I know there's a need for it in some places just to see deer. I have friends that live in the U.P. of Michigan and own several hundreds of acres and I go up there occasionally to deer hunt. As much as I don't like baiting it's almost impossible to see a deer during gun season up there without baiting. Bow hunting is a different story. One trick that they do that might help is that they only bait during the day but they don't use auto feeders. They make a two foot by four foot box out of 2x4's with a lid and a lock. About a week before gun season starts they set these "feeders" out near known deer runs. They put corn or sugar beets in them and every day in the morning they open them up and at night they close them and lock them. It doesn't take long for the deer to learn that food is only available during daylight hours. The deer even come accustomed to the sound of the four wheeler in the morning coming out to open the feeders, it's like a dinner bell. Now, I've never seen a big buck at any of these feeders and neither have they. Mostly spikes, buttons, and doe's. Big bucks don't get big by being dumb. But if all you're after is meat it works and it's cheaper than buying electronic feeders.

You should check out some of the pictures I've posted of the big bucks (by SC standards) at my bait locations. I've posted pictures showing them at various times of the morning, noon, afternoon, and night. When I drive my 4 wheeler to put corn on the bait locations, I've gotten pictures of me leaving and in the next frame a picture of deer walking out to the corn; some are does, but you'd be amazed at the number and size of some of the bucks in those pics.

I have posted a few of trail camera pics. There are a few decent ones taken at a bait pile. I will see if I can find the pictures of the ones with two coons holding onto each other eating of the broadcaster.

A little tip for the guy's that are putting corn on the ground. I like to pile the corn where I can pile limb's and log's almost in a triangle fashion to force the deer to present me with a good bradside shot from my stand. I don't how many times I used to have deer come head on into the bait and not present a shot

Also try using Stabalized Rice Bran either by it's self or prefebly mixed with corn. It is one of the main ingredient's in alot of packaged product's like Buck Grub,Acorn Rage and so on . Most times it's the first ingredient listed. It's available at larger feed mills for a fraction of the cost of the name hunting specific product's. I have also seen alot of coyote's and fox get into it also

Well, I am a hunter so I do not bait.  Baiting is like feeding a hereford or angus steer....only you get less meat for your effort.  Baiting gives the anti-hunting crowd excellent ammunition in their arguments that we are not sportsmen... I worry that our young people no longer know how to hunt...they just sit in a blind and wait for chow time then kill a tame deer. 

prunes, tell us exactly where and how you do hunt, then. I guarantee you one thing. It's not in the swamps of the South. You obviously don't have a clue, since baiting in no way resembles hunting a "tame" deer. If we didn't bait, then we'd never even encounter a deer other than on a dog drive, which I would assume from your attitude also isn't hunting! It's not the anti-hunting crowd's opinion of how we hunt, it's the fact that people like you who have no tolerance or understanding of other people's methods of hunting that provide the fuel and the impression that we are not sportsmen. If you don't care to use bait, and if your area doesn't require baiting, then by all means don't bait! But, to come on a hunting site and claim that you are a "hunter so I do not bait", is an asinine and pretentiousness of attitude to something you obviously have no knowledge or understanding of. I guess you also don't believe that an AR15 can be used for hunting, either so it should be banned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET A FUGGIN' LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm waiting on his experiences before I say anything. One way or the other.

Posted By rthomas4 on 07 Feb 2013 09:46 AM
prunes, tell us exactly where and how you do hunt, then. I guarantee you one thing. It's not in the swamps of the South. You obviously don't have a clue, since baiting in no way resembles hunting a "tame" deer. If we didn't bait, then we'd never even encounter a deer other than on a dog drive, which I would assume from your attitude also isn't hunting! It's not the anti-hunting crowd's opinion of how we hunt, it's the fact that people like you who have no tolerance or understanding of other people's methods of hunting that provide the fuel and the impression that we are not sportsmen. If you don't care to use bait, and if your area doesn't require baiting, then by all means don't bait! But, to come on a hunting site and claim that you are a "hunter so I do not bait", is an asinine and pretentiousness of attitude to something you obviously have no knowledge or understanding of. I guess you also don't believe that an AR15 can be used for hunting, either so it should be banned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET A FUGGIN' LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dang RT4, not that I disagree with you, but don't you think that's a bit hard for a first response

I mean... Rather than assume that someone is an idiot based on a "first impression" don't you think you should give them a few chances to prove it  You know... It's the old "Give them enough rope theory"

Lunker you know me well enough by now to know that I'm not very tolerant of people who profess to be hunters and then claim that their methods are the only real way to hunt. Even more so, when they disregard other peoples methods as being "non hunting". I have long been a proponent of every type of hunting being accepted as part of the brotherhood, and that any denigration of one style or method is feeding the antis with ammunition to point out how fractured we as hunters are. When someone comes to this or any other hunting site and trashes a method that they obviously have no knowledge of, then I have no hesitancy to call them out for their ignorance and lack of understanding. Baiting is certainly in no way similar to hunting cattle, and to make such an absurd comment shows a total lack of mental acuity, especially when the individual is a newbie with obvious preconceived prejudices towards a perfectly acceptable method of hunting in many parts of the country. I would be willing to bet that his opinions are formulated by living and hunting in a state or province where baiting is illegal based on the DNR's unscientific decisions.

RT4, think about my post. I'm guessing, but I think that you may have knee jerked with your reaction to Prunes, and may in fact be being "baited" yourself. Prunes isn't exactly a newbie. He/She? has been around for almost 3 years. If not longer

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Ah ha, one of those lurkers!!!!!!!!!!

Rt, I totally agree with you on what you said. Everyone has their own methods for hunting. I bait deer mainly for knowing what is on the property. The only time that deer get taken over bait on the ground I hunt, is if I am taking a kid or new hunter out for their first deer, just to to get them hooked. There are so many things that could be considered baiting, hunting food plots, corn fields, etc.

I absoultley agree.. that is stupid for someone to think they are better than the rest of us.We all hunt.. and I gurantee you ,anyway I can fill a deepfreeze, legally...Ill do it.What a weiner...get em RT.

Prune's has a right to his opinion, as long as he understand's that's all it is ,an opinion. And like the ole saying goe's everybody has one. I personally use bait as in corn,supplement's and food plot's. And as some one else said as long as it is legal it's game on!. The feeder's I use are in use more than just deer season. I live in a metro area and the farmland around me has dwindled. I believe my food plot's and feeder's do agreat deal in helping overall herd health. I still belive I'm a HUNTER no matter what another think's. To each his own I say

boomer, you nailed it. Every single individual who hunts deer, uses some form of bait. Even if they don't realize it. Hunting a game trail, a ridge line, a fence row, mast trees, water source, the rut, calling, decoying, using scents, or hunting natural browse edges. It's all baiting!!

rkramer, I also agree, since I plant food plots year 'round and also bait camera locations with corn as a method of scouting.