How Many Deer Do You Expect to See in One Hunt?

[SwampCat]

Our pictures have really taken a dive last four weeks. I have a corn feeder - a spinner - 400 yards from house - that sits in the edge of a two acre food plot. Have not had a deer visit that feeder in three weeks. Had a dozen everyday does there. Not a blade of wheat has been eaten in the food plot. 100 yards away, you could not throw a quarter down without hitting a deer track - eating acorns under the oak trees

 

[Mortenson]

Easy for me to say as an outsider from a non bait state (although some neighbors likely bait), but I feel deer baiting should be banned across the board. Never going to convince me a planted apple tree or wildlife plot is the same as dumped bait either.

 

[SwampCat]

Easy for me to say as an outsider from a non bait state (although some neighbors likely bait), but I feel deer baiting should be banned across the board. Never going to convince me a planted apple tree or wildlife plot is the same as dumped bait either.

I agree 100%. No telling what percentage our deer harvest would drop. I have 30 acres of food plots, so would help me immensely - except after a couple years, probably couldnt drive down the road without hitting a deer.

 

[BenA]

I agree 100%. No telling what percentage our deer harvest would drop. I have 30 acres of food plots, so would help me immensely - except after a couple years, probably couldnt drive down the road without hitting a deer.

Do you believe if you didn't bait, you wouldn't have as many deer even with that many acres in food plots? I'm starting to think prolonged baiting on a property can trump anything for holding deer.

 

[SwampCat]

Do you believe if you didn't bait, you wouldn't have as many deer even with that many acres in food plots? I'm starting to think prolonged baiting on a property can trump anything for holding deer.

I believe I would have as many deer with just the food plots. I dont believe they would spend quite as much time on my land without bait. I primarily bait to keep more deer on my place for more time as opposed to them spending as much time at the neighbors feeders. For me, bait is utilized far more by deer in summer and early fall and bait use gradually diminishes throughout the fall. Our hot, dry southern summers are our stress period and deer, including mature bucks, readily come to bait in summer and early fall when it is usually dry as a bone here. As acorns start falling late Oct, deer frequency - and especially buck frequency - diminishes on bait. Usually post rut is when the deer start really getting on the green food plots - with frequency of use increasing up through mid winter. Doe use on feed increases again after acorns are eaten or sour. My ten to twenty acre neighbors rely strictly on bait to get their deer. None of them have food plots. The more deer I can keep on my place with food plots and bait - the more deer likely to make it through the year.

I have been baiting for nine years. I do hunt on bait some. I have hunted maybe 20 times this year for two different bucks coming to bait. One never came during season to bait - almost shooting light, but not quite. The other has visited a bait site in shooting light twice this year for a few minutes at times I was not hunting. I have killed one deer on bait. By far the most deer we kill are in food plots mid to late season. I could kill deer on bait - just not the ones I want.