Thoughts on mature bucks on bait

[Hodag Hunter]

My apologies if I offended some baiters.
I did not put anyone down for their method of hunting.

The OP asked for thoughts on baiting, I stand by my thought that baiting is opposite of beast style hunting.

Good luck to all and Merry Christmas!!

Baiting is a tool.....use it correctly or incorrectly its still just another method in the toolbox to tag a good buck.

Integrate baiting with your defination of "beast hunting" and success can be achieved.

Open your mind and pick up the small details when one is in a buck's home turf is the difference between telling stories or killing one.

[Rutnstrut]

What i would like to know is why baiting works so well for mature bucks in places like Kansas or Canada. I would imagine it's due to the geography of both of those regions. But mature deer are still mature deer, yet they seem easier to hunt over bait in these areas.

[Wlog]

What i would like to know is why baiting works so well for mature bucks in places like Kansas or Canada. I would imagine it's due to the geography of both of those regions. But mature deer are still mature deer, yet they seem easier to hunt over bait in these areas.

From what I've seen in the past on tv, baiting seems to be pretty prevalent in Canada. I have acquaintances who do really well with bait.

[mheichelbech]

What i would like to know is why baiting works so well for mature bucks in places like Kansas or Canada. I would imagine it's due to the geography of both of those regions. But mature deer are still mature deer, yet they seem easier to hunt over bait in these areas.

From what I've seen in the past on tv, baiting seems to be pretty prevalent in Canada. I have acquaintances who do really well with bait.

Almost every show I’ve seen with whitetail hunting in Canada they have big piles of alfalfa they are hunting over. The only exception I saw was a major league bowhunters episode.

I feed the deer behind my house (don’t hunt them) and they are pretty much totally nocturnal unless the weather is really bad. I keep a cam over it and only times I’ve ever seen Bucks is later in the night. My neighbor keeps trophy rock and out he gets the same thing. Very few daylight pics.

[Wapiti]

I grew up hunting over bait here in MD. Many big bucks have succumbed to the bait pile here and elsewhere.

I don't hunt over bait anymore, but from what I learned the best chances of killing a buck over bait were during the rut or late season. I've had bucks hit the bait at first late, after their mid-morning cruise and at dusk during the rut as they were checking for does. Late season was mainly an evening game. I think the success of killing bucks over bait has a lot to do with where the bait pile is positioned (e.g. proximity to bedding during late season) and access. I think great access goes a long way to keeping the perceived pressure down on the bait location, especially late season.

[mainebowhunter]

I grew up hunting over bait here in MD. Many big bucks have succumbed to the bait pile here and elsewhere.

I don't hunt over bait anymore, but from what I learned the best chances of killing a buck over bait were during the rut or late season. I've had bucks hit the bait at first late, after their mid-morning cruise and at dusk during the rut as they were checking for does. Late season was mainly an evening game. I think the success of killing bucks over bait has a lot to do with where the bait pile is positioned (e.g. proximity to bedding during late season) and access. I think great access goes a long way to keeping the perceived pressure down on the bait location, especially late season.

Agreed. When I bait offseason my best success in getting pics of good bucks on bait is to put in same spots buck showed daylight without bait.

I hunt a lot of natural bait. Location of that bait is everything.

[Rob loper]

My apologies if I offended some baiters.
I did not put anyone down for their method of hunting.

The OP asked for thoughts on baiting, I stand by my thought that baiting is opposite of beast style hunting.

Good luck to all and Merry Christmas!!

Np bro merry xmas to you too and all my beast brothers
Its a brotherhood and a lifestyle not a tactict lol
Dan being our don or og. Lol

[mainebowhunter]

Figured I would add...just had a 3 or 4yr buck show back up broad daylight. Just put bait out less than 24 hrs ago. Now hunting is over. But this spot is where I got pics of him daylight during the season. The quickest baiting areas thst work are spots where deer are used to feeding.

Fun to see these bucks made the season. One of my best beds...like clock work these bucks will be here next season in sept and oct. Hoping to see 1 more 3.5 here. Be a great start for next season.

[Bogle]

In general, I don’t think you will kill the oldest age bucks over bait. With that said; age is relative to the property you hunt. However, I think you will kill some really good bucks off of it especially around the rut. I hunt with some guys that bait quite a bit and the ones that are successful do it year round. One of them that is very successful with it will set up a bait station approximately 50 to 75 yds from a thick transition with the bait in the open area. He will then place cell cameras on the thick transition area. Once he gets a shooter buck coming along the transition line during daylight on a regular basis he will wait for the proper wind and set up along the transition line. Again works reAlly well during the rut. In addition, all of them have gotten away from automatic feeders and gone to old fashionedpipe feeders.

[Twenty Up]

ive been able to hunt both ways (GA is split Northern half no baiting but Southern half allows it)

I've personally found that baiting hurts your chances rather than helping them. Hunted over bait September-January only seen 1 mature buck near a bait pile... because it drew in the does.

Only way baiting works is if
A. It's near the Bucks core area
B. You bait consistently for weeks/months on end
3. id try hunting just off wind of it.. I hunted a heavily baited stand my buddy sat in 2 days in a row. I hunted the third day and every doe came in down wind to scent check the area, winded me then got out of dodge.

Natural food trumps bait every time. Food plots or fruit trees are less effort and more effective imo in the long run

[cameron]

I used to hunt over bait and for years but I feel that I did more damage than good. That being said, I do think that it can be used as an effective strategy if done right. I think the best time to implement bait during season is after the rut in a real hard cold snap. I had quite a few good bucks on camera over the years during day light leading up to season but once the velvet came off they pretty much all went nocturnal. However, when it got real cold or if we got snow sure enough, the big boys would appear a few times during daylight. I had one big buck show up 2 years in a row on Christmas Eve and Christmas, both years we had snow on the ground and was real cold and of course, I wasnt in the tree.

[Rob loper]

Figured I would add...just had a 3 or 4yr buck show back up broad daylight. Just put bait out less than 24 hrs ago. Now hunting is over. But this spot is where I got pics of him daylight during the season. The quickest baiting areas thst work are spots where deer are used to feeding.

Fun to see these bucks made the season. One of my best beds...like clock work these bucks will be here next season in sept and oct. Hoping to see 1 more 3.5 here. Be a great start for next season.

I think if bucks arent used to bait or never had a negative consequence coming to bait piles. They will come into it during daylight hours. But like deer where i moved from (new jersey) where there is a bait pile every 75-100 yards and deer are being spooked shot at etc ( negative) occurrences. They just dont or rarely come til after dark
Does will always come in because their maternal instinct for the yearlings must eat for survival.

[mainebowhunter]

Figured I would add...just had a 3 or 4yr buck show back up broad daylight. Just put bait out less than 24 hrs ago. Now hunting is over. But this spot is where I got pics of him daylight during the season. The quickest baiting areas thst work are spots where deer are used to feeding.

Fun to see these bucks made the season. One of my best beds...like clock work these bucks will be here next season in sept and oct. Hoping to see 1 more 3.5 here. Be a great start for next season.

I think if bucks arent used to bait or never had a negative consequence coming to bait piles. They will come into it during daylight hours. But like deer where i moved from (new jersey) where there is a bait pile every 75-100 yards and deer are being spooked shot at etc ( negative) occurrences. They just dont or rarely come til after dark
Does will always come in because their maternal instinct for the yearlings must eat for survival.

I can see your point..I don't hunt over placed bait nor is it allowed here. It can be a lifetime loss of license. I think what I am getting at is..if your getting on mature bucks without bait...I am very convinced you could add bait in the mix and have success. Bucks would never come to most of those areas without the bait in the first place. I watch a lot of bucks on cam come to natUral bait after dark as well. Because the food is not in the right place.

But I will admit...I dont know much about hunting over bait.

[Rich M]

Baiting is no different than hunting an apple/acorn tree dropping apples/acorns, a food plot, or a farm field. There are all kinds of lame arguments why a food plot isn't bait but if you boil it all down - it is a food source.

I've got nothing against any legal hunting method. It is often legal to bait where I hunt and I'm not beyond baiting and planting food plots.

Maine - you are closer than you would know. You would use the bait as an added allurement and something to help channel the deer movement as opposed to dumping 1,000 pounds of sweat potatoes in a field.

[Jonny]

Figured I would add...just had a 3 or 4yr buck show back up broad daylight. Just put bait out less than 24 hrs ago. Now hunting is over. But this spot is where I got pics of him daylight during the season. The quickest baiting areas thst work are spots where deer are used to feeding.

Fun to see these bucks made the season. One of my best beds...like clock work these bucks will be here next season in sept and oct. Hoping to see 1 more 3.5 here. Be a great start for next season.

I think if bucks arent used to bait or never had a negative consequence coming to bait piles. They will come into it during daylight hours. But like deer where i moved from (new jersey) where there is a bait pile every 75-100 yards and deer are being spooked shot at etc ( negative) occurrences. They just dont or rarely come til after dark
Does will always come in because their maternal instinct for the yearlings must eat for survival.

I can see your point..I don't hunt over placed bait nor is it allowed here. It can be a lifetime loss of license. I think what I am getting at is..if your getting on mature bucks without bait...I am very convinced you could add bait in the mix and have success. Bucks would never come to most of those areas without the bait in the first place.I watch a lot of bucks on cam come to natUral bait after dark as well. Because the food is not in the right place.

But I will admit...I dont know much about hunting over bait.

I see this a lot by me. And I am in a very low pressure area. Hunt all day, leave your stand up, come back the next morning and it looked like a herd of cattle and longhorns went through. Very quick sign to me that I am wasting my time hunting that area and need to dive in deeper.