A story of frustration, and a less than awesome solution

[Baker]

Curious why you don’t start protein till mid June? You’ve missed post rut recovery and most of antler growth as well as last trimester pregnancy and nursing? Critical times. Takes at least 3 years to begin seeing results from pellets but benefits start compounding after that

 

[Mozark]

I now do supplemental feeding and baiting, along with pretty much every other habitat management I can. Our state defines baiting and supplemental feeding differently. Baiting is allowed during season, including cwd areas, and is defined as a food source placed for the purpose of hunting over. Supplemental feeding is a food source placed outside hunting season and is done primarily to benefit/assist the deer. Supplemental feeding is not allowed in cwd zones.

Baiting can be cheap and easy or labor intensive and difficult. I have neighbors who fill a single 250 lb spin feeder with corn the week before season and maybe once again midway through season. Cheap and easy - $100 for the entire season. The gamut runs from that to folks who supply tons of high protein feed year round - and dont ever hunt near the feed location.

I feed a high protein food source beginning mid June. I hand spread it twice a week in four different locations - with one of the locations 8 miles away. My feed locations are all fenced with 32” field fence to keep the hogs out. A complete feed run takes me about three hours - and I do that twice a week for approximately 26 weeks. I spend a little over $100 per week for feed. That is 156 hours and almost $3000 per year, not including fuel and travel too and from the feed store.

Supplemental feeding is one of my more expensive, labor intensive management activities. But to be honest, most hunters probably fall somewhere in between and tend toward the less intensive side.

While I have spent the last 45 years involved with some type wildlife management activity, I am fairly new to baiting/feeding. We first put out a little corn about six or seven years ago to help position deer so the grand daughters could get a better shot on them. It was three of four years before an adult, who had never killed a deer, ever hunted one of the bait piles. We gradually graduated to a six month feeding program - with the intent of improving fawn recruitment numbers, improve buck health, and potentially keep the deer on our property for longer periods of time. With the exception of improving fawn recruitment numbers, I believe we have accomplished those goals.

I have killed one deer on a feed location - my personal best. I will admit, I believe I would not have killed this deer without bait. While most of locals are mostly ML and MG hunters, My experience is the one time I really see a big advantage to hunting over bait is early bow season - Sept, first week or two of Oct. Before bachelor herds break up and bucks are still fairly diurnal. My experience is an early season bow hunter will be benefitted actually hunting a bait site more than anyone.

Your experience mirrors mine. I supplemental fed for 18 months a few years ago as an experiment, feeding daily with buckets. I did see an increase in quality, even in a very short time. A 130 buck here is as good as it gets, most years. At the end of a year and a half, I had two bucks that beat 140, one beating 150. This on a tiny 14 acres away from ag. The desire to find a sustainable method, away from the cost, is what brought me here.

 

[Mozark]

Your experience mirrors mine. I supplemental fed for 18 months a few years ago as an experiment, feeding daily with buckets. I did see an increase in quality, even in a very short time. A 130 buck here is as good as it gets, most years. At the end of a year and a half, I had two bucks that beat 140, one beating 150. This on a tiny 14 acres away from ag. The desire to find a sustainable method, away from the cost, is what brought me here.View attachment 38764View attachment 38765

 

[SwampCat]

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Did you have any trouble to get them to accept the trough?

 

[Mozark]

Did you have any trouble to get them to accept the trough?

I did not have any trouble, I had previously used them for mineral (horses), they were already familiar with them.

 

[roymunson]

I did not have any trouble, I had previously used them for mineral (horses), they were already familiar with them.

Our older deer are skiddish of big structured feeders, but I think as time goes by and deer grow up around feeders it does better.

I'm feeding corn for the hunting purpose. We do a lot of chainsaw work and mineral blocks for the spring/early summer rebound.

 

[Mozark]

I am surrounded by old growth timber with no understory and pasture/rangeland. They were so starved for protein it didn't seem to matter where the feed was placed, they would find it. Some of the more mature bucks preferred to eat out of the bunks.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Clearly, you have not experienced the joy of feral hogs

bill

 

[SwampCat]

Curious why you don’t start protein till mid June? You’ve missed post rut recovery and most of antler growth as well as last trimester pregnancy and nursing? Critical times. Takes at least 3 years to begin seeing results from pellets but benefits start compounding after that

I would like to feed year round - but a couple things keep me from doing it. The cost at $100 per week is pretty tough to swallow for me (actually, my wife), and most of my ground is not accessible from Jan into Jun because it is so wet and soft. Aint man enough to carry 50 lb bags on my shoulder a mile through the swamp.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I am surrounded by old growth timber with no understory

Similar here. All big hardwoods for miles. Crappy twig-browse most of the year, with acorns in the fall. Good year-round food supplies were nowhere to be found. Once we started planting food plots with high-protein crops (clover, alfalfa, chicory, WW, WR, brassicas) - the deer got bigger, and grew bigger racks. It wasn't pellet-style supplemental feeding - but it was still high-protein supplemental food sources. Other camps on our mountain also started to plant food plots, and the increase in big-bodied, bigger-racked bucks is undeniable.

I can see why your protein-pellet supplements worked like they did.

As for the baiting argument ......... here in Pa., baiting is illegal. But if you PLANT corn, apple / crab / pear trees, turnips, etc. - it's not considered baiting. The saying here is, "Plant it - OK. Pile it - no way." Seems the slogan guys were working hard on that one.

 

[PatinPA]

Similar here. All big hardwoods for miles. Crappy twig-browse most of the year, with acorns in the fall. Good year-round food supplies were nowhere to be found. Once we started planting food plots with high-protein crops (clover, alfalfa, chicory, WW, WR, brassicas) - the deer got bigger, and grew bigger racks. It wasn't pellet-style supplemental feeding - but it was still high-protein supplemental food sources. Other camps on our mountain also started to plant food plots, and the increase in big-bodied, bigger-racked bucks is undeniable.

I can see why your protein-pellet supplements worked like they did.

As for the baiting argument ......... here in Pa., baiting is illegal. But if you PLANT corn, apple / crab / pear trees, turnips, etc. - it's not considered baiting. The saying here is, "Plant it - OK. Pile it - no way." Seems the slogan guys were working hard on that one.

Plant corn and mow it down and let it lay, hunt over it = fine. grab an ear on your way by and throw it by your treestand = baiting. My personal favorite PA baiting law is that you can get fined for hunting over bait if your neighbor is baiting and you have no idea about it. There is no safe distance in the law.

 

[Baker]

Occasionally a mature buck will visit a corn feeder. Of course in most places this 6 yr old would have been shot as an infant

 

[Baker]

I have no idea how to rotate pics???

This wonderful woman got her first buck at the ranch over Thanksgiving holidays. She followed me thru the brush, often on hands and knees for several days including several failed stalks. Finally got this ancient old buck on her belly off bipods navy seal style. She was shaking like a leaf speechless excited. Yep, we had a little corn scattered down the sendero in what is otherwise essentially impenetrable cactus and brush.

Should anyone suggest that her hunt or she was unethical in any way I would want to duck tape that person to a chair and pull their fingernails and toe nails out with needle nose pliers all while glaring directly into their eyes. Unethical....good grief



Should anyone su

 

[Triple C]

View attachment 38879I have no idea how to rotate pics???

This wonderful woman got her first buck at the ranch over Thanksgiving holidays. She followed me thru the brush, often on hands and knees for several days including several failed stalks. Finally got this ancient old buck on her belly off bipods navy seal style. She was shaking like a leaf speechless excited. Yep, we had a little corn scattered down the sendero in what is otherwise essentially impenetrable cactus and brush.

Should anyone suggest that her hunt or she was unethical in any way I would want to duck tape that person to a chair and pull their fingernails and toe nails out with needle nose pliers all while glaring directly into their eyes. Unethical....good grief



Should anyone su

Congrats to the lady on an amazing, mature animal! Many hunters in a good portion of the U.S. will go their entire life and never encounter a mature 5.5 yr old or older whitetail...most likely me included. With a 4 month long firearms season, a two buck limit and the mindset of "If I don't shoot it someone else will", our younger bucks just get slaughtered in my area. We consider ourselves very lucky to encounter a 3.5 or older buck on the farm. 11 years and we've killed only 1 buck older than 3.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Congrats to the lady on an amazing, mature animal! Many hunters in a good portion of the U.S. will go their entire life and never encounter a mature 5.5 yr old or older whitetail...most likely me included. With a 4 month long firearms season, a two buck limit and the mindset of "If I don't shoot it someone else will", our younger bucks just get slaughtered in my area. We consider ourselves very lucky to encounter a 3.5 or older buck on the farm. 11 years and we've killed only 1 buck older than 3.

Same situation here - but only 1 buck allowed. I wish more guys would give the bucks a chance to REALLY mature. I'd rather shoot a big gagger of a buck than 5 "handful, basket-racks." Just my thought - YMMV.

 

[MadMadHoosier]

Same situation here - but only 1 buck allowed. I wish more guys would give the bucks a chance to REALLY mature. I'd rather shoot a big gagger of a buck than 5 "handful, basket-racks." Just my thought - YMMV.

I’m always surprised listening to hunters talk about getting “a buck” each year. Even if it’s the same size or smaller than previous years. After multiple years of another “good buck”, I’d think they would start letting those try to become “great bucks”. I’m happy to shoot a big doe each year, and have not shot a buck in 5 years. I let a really nice one walk this year (see below), because he is about the same size as my best ever, even knowing some of my neighbors are “if it’s brown - it’s down“ types. I’m hoping they will eventually get bored with the average good horns, and let them grow another year. But I’m also hopeful drivers will eventually learn how to use the left lane on the highway - HA!

He made it through Kentucky’s modern gun season. I’m guessing he is about 3-1/2. I really like his split G2s.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I’m always surprised listening to hunters talk about getting “a buck” each year. Even if it’s the same size or smaller than previous years. After multiple years of another “good buck”, I’d think they would start letting those try to become “great bucks”. I’m happy to shoot a big doe each year, and have not shot a buck in 5 years. I let a really nice one walk this year (see below), because he is about the same size as my best ever, even knowing some of my neighbors are “if it’s brown - it’s down“ types. I’m hoping they will eventually get bored with the average good horns, and let them grow another year. But I’m also hopeful drivers will eventually learn how to use the left lane on the highway - HA!

He made it through Kentucky’s modern gun season. I’m guessing he is about 3-1/2. I really like his split G2s.

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I have always found that odd too. I think it’s a northern thing maybe? We never would say that in Georgia growing up. Probably because deer season was so long it didn’t lend itself to feeling like you were just there to complete a task quickly and move on…no clue but I share that same thought as you.

Great deer too! Glad he’s made it so far.

 

[weekender21]

I’m always surprised listening to hunters talk about getting “a buck” each year. Even if it’s the same size or smaller than previous years. After multiple years of another “good buck”, I’d think they would start letting those try to become “great bucks”. I’m happy to shoot a big doe each year, and have not shot a buck in 5 years. I let a really nice one walk this year (see below), because he is about the same size as my best ever, even knowing some of my neighbors are “if it’s brown - it’s down“ types. I’m hoping they will eventually get bored with the average good horns, and let them grow another year. But I’m also hopeful drivers will eventually learn how to use the left lane on the highway - HA!

He made it through Kentucky’s modern gun season. I’m guessing he is about 3-1/2. I really like his split G2s.

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Just different goals I guess. A much higher percentage of hunters would never pass the buck you have pictured then shoot one every 5 years.

We get four doe tags in NC, I’d be happy filling those and passing good bucks but most of the neighborhood only shoot bucks. We’re in a really high deer density area (50+ per square mile). More of tradition in our area but these habits lead to poor age structure.


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[MJ74]

Just different goals I guess. A much higher percentage of hunters would never pass the buck you have pictured then shoot one every 5 years.

We get four doe tags in NC, I’d be happy filling those and passing good bucks but most of the neighborhood only shoot bucks. We’re in a really high deer density area (50+ per square mile). More of tradition in our area but these habits lead to poor age structure.


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I would not pass that deer on any of the land I hunt.
I have let 3 bucks walk in previous years that were bigger than anything I'd ever killed hoping they would make it one more year only to be never seen again.
I rarely, and I mean very rarely see a buck from one year to the next and thats with close to 1,000 acres and little pressure.

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[Bowsnbucks]

tradition in our area but these habits lead to poor age structure.

Same here. With many - it's a competition of sorts. The guys who shoot deer every year are "good hunters" - while the guys who don't "fill their tags" are lesser woodsmen. It's a macho thing really. (I'm referring to MY home hunting ground - not everyone else's !! )

When I was younger, I wanted to kill deer every year, so other guys would think "He knows his way around in the woods." I took pride in my filed tags back then. But after a few years of shooting basket-racks with a big 10" spread - or a really big 12"-er - I wanted something worthy of a taxi-man visit. Once I shot a wallhanger, my tastes changed to pursuing the bigger, mature ones ............ older bucks. Consequently, I've passed on a number of "avg." bucks the last few years - which I would have killed some years ago. I LIKE the feeling of letting them walk for another year, hoping they grow to make me - and others - slobber next fall. I'm not about "just meat" anymore. I take pride in trying to grow a better age structure, with more mature bucks prowling the woods. But that's just me - not condemning others' views.