Are the glory days of deer hunting coming to a close?

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I don’t think many people understand the hunter efficiency increases provided by using bait. Even with archery tackle. With cellular cameras, even the oldest bucks are efficiently removed from the herd. Add in rifles … I think you know. Baiting is the ultimate game changer. It attracts bucks, in the daytime, reliably, and to a 20’x20’ spot on the landscape.

There will usually be some come along and claim that mature bucks don’t use their bait stations. I don’t know what to tell them. Get off your phone??

1000%. I had this discussion with a buddy yesterday. I have all the proof I need that I could kill any mature buck on my property over a bait pile, and most likely opening weekend of bow season. In fact id bet on it. Without the bait pile I have the odds against me. Throw in a crossbow where I don’t even have to get off my ass and draw it’s even easier if possible. My neighbor sat one time this year and killed a 162 over a bait pile with a muzzleloader….

 

[Turkish]

We had new neighbors move in about 8 years ago. They quickly began feeding about a ton a week on 200 acres. We don’t bait at all. We can’t compete. This is a lease of mine. I do think I could provide some competition if I could do more with the habitat, though.

 

[BenAllgood]

I don’t think many people understand the hunter efficiency increases provided by using bait. Even with archery tackle. With cellular cameras, even the oldest bucks are efficiently removed from the herd. Add in rifles … I think you know. Baiting is the ultimate game changer. It attracts bucks, in the daytime, reliably, and to a 20’x20’ spot on the landscape.

There will usually be some come along and claim that mature bucks don’t use their bait stations. I don’t know what to tell them. Get off your phone??

1000%. I had this discussion with a buddy yesterday. I have all the proof I need that I could kill any mature buck on my property over a bait pile, and most likely opening weekend of bow season. In fact id bet on it. Without the bait pile I have the odds against me. Throw in a crossbow where I don’t even have to get off my ass and draw it’s even easier if possible. My neighbor sat one time this year and killed a 162 over a bait pile with a muzzleloader….

It depends. Being from Louisiana, I've done my share of baiting over the years. They can get conditioned to night use only depending on the pressure. I've seen properties where hunting bait piles guaranteed you not seeing many deer at all, much less mature bucks. They would avoid feeders except at night. And, that's knowing where they were bedding. But, then I've seen areas where they come into bait with no worries. Since buying land in Kentucky, I used bait part of one past season and didn't really see a need for it. I could do just as well hunting in bottlenecks between bed and food plots. No, not just as well, it is easier on bottlenecks between bed and plots. I'd much rather have designed daytime bedding than bait any day.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

It depends. Being from Louisiana, I've done my share of baiting over the years. They can get conditioned to night use only depending on the pressure. I've seen properties where hunting bait piles guaranteed you not seeing many deer at all, much less mature bucks. They would avoid feeders except at night. And, that's knowing where they were bedding. But, then I've seen areas where they come into bait with no worries. Since buying land in Kentucky, I used bait part of one past season and didn't really see a need for it. I could do just as well hunting in bottlenecks between bed and food plots. No, not just as well, it is easier on bottlenecks between bed and plots. I'd much rather have designed daytime bedding than bait any day.

Agree to disagree. I have never seen a buck avoid bait in daylight ever. Sure they will visit at night but they move at night too so no surprise. I remember one day last year I had 13 bucks visit a feeder in daylight in one day. I’ve already had two 3.5/4.5 visit a feeder this am in shooting light. Thats post rifle season and 3 months of bow season where every one of my neighbors won’t sit without a yellow pile in front of them. It’s literally crack. If bait wasn’t so effective we would be Iowa. I bet 90% of bucks in ky and Ohio are killed over bait.

 

[omicron1792]

I think something not talked about much here that makes a difference is the cyclical nature of things. A location gets low pressure, is known for having good bucks, and overtime, The hunting pressure there increases as people chase those large buck. The areas they used to hunt becomes better as the pressure decreases.

We live in such a age of information, no place with large bucks is going to stay secret

 

[omicron1792]

Agree to disagree. I have never seen a buck avoid bait in daylight ever. Sure they will visit at night but they move at night too so no surprise. I remember one day last year I had 13 bucks visit a feeder in daylight in one day. I’ve already had two 3.5/4.5 visit a feeder this am in shooting light. Thats post rifle season and 3 months of bow season where every one of my neighbors won’t sit without a yellow pile in front of them. It’s literally crack. If bait wasn’t so effective we would be Iowa. I bet 90% of bucks in ky and Ohio are killed over bait.

I have never seen a large buck use My bait in the daylight. Ever. The big one I killed has never been caught in a feeder camera. Saw him on a trail camera one time.

My guess is as you get to know your property better you’ll find there are big bucks there you aren’t seeing on your cameras.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I think something not talked about much here that makes a difference is the cyclical nature of things. A location gets low pressure, is known for having good bucks, and overtime, The hunting pressure there increases as people chase those large buck. The areas they used to hunt becomes better as the pressure decreases.

We live in such a age of information, no place with large bucks is going to stay secret

I feel like from 30,000’ that is Illinois. Illinois was the place to be a few years back. I know there’s pockets that are phenomenal but as a whole it seems to have taken a step back.

 

[BenAllgood]

Agree to disagree. I have never seen a buck avoid bait in daylight ever. Sure they will visit at night but they move at night too so no surprise. I remember one day last year I had 13 bucks visit a feeder in daylight in one day. I’ve already had two 3.5/4.5 visit a feeder this am in shooting light. Thats post rifle season and 3 months of bow season where every one of my neighbors won’t sit without a yellow pile in front of them. It’s literally crack. If bait wasn’t so effective we would be Iowa. I bet 90% of bucks in ky and Ohio are killed over bait.

I would completely agree with you had I not hunted areas where they were conditioned not to visit bait during the day. If you start shooting deer (without passing any) on bait each time they come to it, they do learn to avoid it. Also, seeing them on camera during the day at bait is a little different than being able to kill them there.

 

[Turkish]

Agree to disagree. I have never seen a buck avoid bait in daylight ever. Sure they will visit at night but they move at night too so no surprise. I remember one day last year I had 13 bucks visit a feeder in daylight in one day. I’ve already had two 3.5/4.5 visit a feeder this am in shooting light. Thats post rifle season and 3 months of bow season where every one of my neighbors won’t sit without a yellow pile in front of them. It’s literally crack. If bait wasn’t so effective we would be Iowa. I bet 90% of bucks in ky and Ohio are killed over bait.

The recent L&L podcast talks some about this. Pretty entertaining.

 

[omicron1792]

I feel like from 30,000’ that is Illinois. Illinois was the place to be a few years back. I know there’s pockets that are phenomenal but as a whole it seems to have taken a step back.

It’s funny, you say that, I had that discussion with my buddy yesterday. He leases 700 acres there, and has gone for the last 10 years. He says it has gone down every year, is more and more people do like he has

He said Iowa has the biggest deer from what he has seen. You have to get a buck tag to harvest a buck, one a year, and they limit those even with in-state people. I’m in agree with you that regulations matter as much as anything.

 

[omicron1792]

We also talked about deer hunting in Alabama. We have a three buck limit, only one requiring antler restrictions. Our genetics could be as good as anywhere, we just need more regulations.

Another issue that might be bigger is we just have more country boys here. I feel like up north, there are fewer hunters, per capita, and more people that hunt take it seriously And manage land to hunt. Here, every redneck, I know, calls himself, a hunter, when really they go out once a year during rut and shoot a four Point

 

[Turkish]

It’s funny, you say that, I had that discussion with my buddy yesterday. He leases 700 acres there, and has gone for the last 10 years. He says it has gone down every year, is more and more people do like he has

He said Iowa has the biggest deer from what he has seen. You have to get a buck tag to harvest a buck, one a year, and they limit those even with in-state people. I’m in agree with you that regulations matter as much as anything.

And no baiting culture in IA. ;)

 

[omicron1792]

I can’t tell you how many times someone has shown me pictures of a deer they have killed, and it is a great genetics eight point that is probably two years old. Could be a real boomer at four or five, but the mentality is an eight point goes down, almost no evaluation of the Deer’s age.

Literally, every guy I know in Birmingham caused himself a hunter, and goes to the deer camp once or twice a year during rut and kills a buck. I just don’t think people in Chicago are doing that.

 

[Brian662]

It’s funny, you say that, I had that discussion with my buddy yesterday. He leases 700 acres there, and has gone for the last 10 years. He says it has gone down every year, is more and more people do like he has

He said Iowa has the biggest deer from what he has seen. You have to get a buck tag to harvest a buck, one a year, and they limit those even with in-state people. I’m in agree with you that regulations matter as much as anything.

Iowa residents get two buck tags a year and some can get three. Non-resident archery is a limited draw and often takes 3-5 years of applications to draw a buck tag. NR gun can be 1-3 years depending on zone and NR muzzle loader can be almost every year (for buck tags).

 

[omicron1792]

Iowa residents get two buck tags a year and some can get three. Non-resident archery is a limited draw and often takes 3-5 years of applications to draw a buck tag. NR gun can be 1-3 years depending on zone and NR muzzle loader can be almost every year (for buck tags).

He must have been talking about archery. Thats all he does.

How long is there gun season? Ours is Nov 14-Feb 10 (give or take a day).

 

[Brian662]

He must have been talking about archery. Thats all he does.

How long is there gun season? Ours is Nov 14-Feb 10 (give or take a day).

I'm not sure but I know their gun season starts early Dec, it is probably going on right now. A NR can "party hunt" a buck during the firearm season with a resident's tag.

 

[omicron1792]

I'm not sure but I know their gun season starts early Dec, it is probably going on right now. A NR can "party hunt" a buck during the firearm season with a resident's tag.

I think those party hunts happen alot of places. I’ve seen it with lots of duck hunting. Don’t know how I feel about that

I saw a stat that Alabama has over 2 million deer. The DOT wants as many killed as possible. I wish they would incentivize doe harvest and limit buck. I bet I see 20 does per buck. I tried to lower the ratio but many more just fill their spot.

I feed here. I’ve never killed a buck over feed. Don’t think I would. I feel the more time I keep immature bucks on my place the more chance they have of making it to the next season. And every single person here baits. If you don’t have corn you won’t have deer this time of year.

 

[Mortenson]

Our department snipers last year had not 1 but 2 stations a half mile from our fence. They use corn piles, night scopes and silencers, and tracked utv's. They snipe day or night, but usually more often at night. They don't get em all.

 

[TenPoint]

I can’t tell you how many times someone has shown me pictures of a deer they have killed, and it is a great genetics eight point that is probably two years old. Could be a real boomer at four or five, but the mentality is an eight point goes down, almost no evaluation of the Deer’s age.

Literally, every guy I know in Birmingham caused himself a hunter, and goes to the deer camp once or twice a year during rut and kills a buck. I just don’t think people in Chicago are doing that.

There’s plenty from Chicago that come up to WI and do this very exact thing.

 

[omicron1792]

There’s plenty from Chicago that come up to WI and do this very exact thing.

I’m sure they do. I’m just saying I think the south is culturally more of that. And with a 3 buck limit.

The cool kids in the upper class area where I live (just giving context) all drive jacked up, pick up trucks, where shit, kicker boots, and have a browning sticker on the back. I just don’t think that’s how it is in Chicago.