i wish they would
some places i would some i would not
some places i would some i would not
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Help Support TNDeer:
baiting in Tennessee
- Thread starter diamond hunter
- Start date
I have hunted KY my whole life and do use corn every year. Not now that both counties I own in are in the CWD restricted since they found the one deer in Henry Co, TN. One thing I can say is I've never patterned a big buck or killed a big buck by the use of corn or any other supplement or feed. Most of the mature bucks I get on cam usually don't show up until mid Oct when they start shifting around and by then I'm usually done putting out corn just because it gets expensive and they would rather pass up 1,000 pounds of corn to find acorns and I have a heavy crop of acorns every year. It doesn't bother me to feed or not but since it was legal I did it but never relied on it to kill a deer. Mainly to just get pics early season of potential deer I had in the area. But had I been hunting a salt lick with corn around it I wouldn't feel bad at all to shoot a mature buck that came into it. No different than the 7 plots of clover I have planted they like to eat on.
I think if it is outlawed for hunting(as it is), it should be outlawed for feeding for the purpose of viewing in your back yard. It makes no sense in the CWD counties for a homeowner to still be able to put out corn to feed and view wildlife from their back porch, but not be able to go back in the woods and have corn or a salt lick for use in front of a camera. If one is bad, both should be considered bad. Salt licks for live stock are a bit of a different matter, and not part of my objection.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I thought baiting was going to be the greatest thing ever when MS legalized it around 4 or 5 years ago. Because it was novel, and I had never done it before, I went all it. Bought 2 feeders, kept them filled with hundreds of $$$ of corn, and hunted the stink out of them. They were great for getting nocturnal pictures of bucks I wanted to kill, but I never got a single older buck on them in daylight, and even then it wasn't until the last week of season (mid February) when the deer were starving. Saw a few does and young bucks on them in daylight, but never did kill a deer I was after. Some pictures of bigger bucks were even coming in to the feeder 5-10 minutes after dark...
The following year, I baited halfheartedly, mostly just for camera pictures. Didn't hunt over the feeders, and had great success killing the bucks I wanted in the woods and travel routes. A couple years ago, I quit baiting all together, and didn't hang cameras until scrapes started popping up. I missed getting the early pictures, but it didn't affect my hunting. All the other members who actually hunt except for 1 on my lease bait... Only 1 buck was killed going to their bait station, a small 2.5 y/o. A 5.5 y/o was killed over bait this year, but he was scent checking does that were on the feeder, he wasn't coming to the bait itself....
And another thing... I'm getting more pictures of bucks than the other members are since my cameras are placed over scrapes during prerut/ rut/ between 1st and 2nd rut. Most of the older bucks stop hitting corn even at night during the actual rut, but they are still hitting scrapes. I thought it would hurt my ability to photo capture bucks by abandoning bait, but found I'm actually getting more different bucks on camera now without it.
All that being said, I could care less whether TN legalizes it or not for deer season.... as long as it isn't dumped out on the ground with the potential to spoil. But one of the unintended consequences of artifically feeding deer during season is over half (according to MS state) of the bait is going to coons... The coon population locally will EXPLODE, and they will make it heck for any hen to successfully hatch out a brood. If you are going to bait, you MUST be willing to diligently trap all the coons for the turkey's sake. If baiting in TN is legalized, 99% of baiters won't be willing to do this.
As far as the neighbors... a good example would be the newest 78ac I bought in TN. Guy to my south had a feeder set up right on my property line. I wasn't cool with that, and asked him to move it 100y away. Im sure he killed a pile of deer in years past, but I improved my property placing multiple food sources in the center and north of that property after I bought it, and his hunting has nearly dried up south of me, while I am covered up in deer on my side of the fence. Improving your land will FAR outperform a corn pile.
The following year, I baited halfheartedly, mostly just for camera pictures. Didn't hunt over the feeders, and had great success killing the bucks I wanted in the woods and travel routes. A couple years ago, I quit baiting all together, and didn't hang cameras until scrapes started popping up. I missed getting the early pictures, but it didn't affect my hunting. All the other members who actually hunt except for 1 on my lease bait... Only 1 buck was killed going to their bait station, a small 2.5 y/o. A 5.5 y/o was killed over bait this year, but he was scent checking does that were on the feeder, he wasn't coming to the bait itself....
And another thing... I'm getting more pictures of bucks than the other members are since my cameras are placed over scrapes during prerut/ rut/ between 1st and 2nd rut. Most of the older bucks stop hitting corn even at night during the actual rut, but they are still hitting scrapes. I thought it would hurt my ability to photo capture bucks by abandoning bait, but found I'm actually getting more different bucks on camera now without it.
All that being said, I could care less whether TN legalizes it or not for deer season.... as long as it isn't dumped out on the ground with the potential to spoil. But one of the unintended consequences of artifically feeding deer during season is over half (according to MS state) of the bait is going to coons... The coon population locally will EXPLODE, and they will make it heck for any hen to successfully hatch out a brood. If you are going to bait, you MUST be willing to diligently trap all the coons for the turkey's sake. If baiting in TN is legalized, 99% of baiters won't be willing to do this.
As far as the neighbors... a good example would be the newest 78ac I bought in TN. Guy to my south had a feeder set up right on my property line. I wasn't cool with that, and asked him to move it 100y away. Im sure he killed a pile of deer in years past, but I improved my property placing multiple food sources in the center and north of that property after I bought it, and his hunting has nearly dried up south of me, while I am covered up in deer on my side of the fence. Improving your land will FAR outperform a corn pile.
Man that is terrible logic and reasoning. The bullet is bait???? What????
Headhunter
Well-Known Member
Waste of time, IMO. I hunt in KY. Even though we can, we DO NOT bait. Never have and I don't care to. Most of the guys around us do. We usually see more deer than they do. Could be a little different there though, the area we hunt is crops, I crops everywhere, beans, corn, alfafa, wheat, etc.
I know one season, the landowner put out a large pile of corn where I could see it. Not only did I see tons of deer and killed a great buck, but many of those deer walked right by the corn pile, a couple ran over it while chasing, not one deer touched the corn, not one. It was of zero help. I would not spend the time or money to bait even if it was legal. Don't want to, don't care to.
I know one season, the landowner put out a large pile of corn where I could see it. Not only did I see tons of deer and killed a great buck, but many of those deer walked right by the corn pile, a couple ran over it while chasing, not one deer touched the corn, not one. It was of zero help. I would not spend the time or money to bait even if it was legal. Don't want to, don't care to.
I thought you planted corn for the deer on your place? If so then I don't understand why deer would leave your place to go eat at the neighbors corn pile
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
I'd rather invest my time and money into habitat improvements that actually benefit wildlife...food plots, when done correctly, can feed and benefit wildlife year around....verses a corn pile that can spoil and have a negative effect on wildlife.....sure grabbing some "deer corn" at Walmart is easier than making long term habitat improvements....but working on the land can give you a much better return on your investment....and with CWD slowly moving across the state I wouldn't think now would be the recommended time to concentrate deer on a bait pile.
Actually, it's terrible logic to compare fishing with live bait to hunting over corn.... But I was playing along with your game...
Here is my thinking if you wish to dispel... You say corn is the bait just like the minnow on your hook crappie fishing. I disagree. The hook and minnow are the tools you use to remove the fish from the water, just the like the gun and bullet. A minnow does not attract fish, it gets them to bite but if you throw a minnow out on a hook that is a half a mile from the nearest crappie, you aren't going to suddenly attract crappie from great distances. Conversely, if you put out a pile of corn, you'll have deer travel great distances and consistently revisit the area for a bite to eat. Now, if you place a brush pile(corn) in an otherwise barren area, all you'll need is a hook and a minnow(or perhaps a rifle in the case of deer) to catch them.
BTW, I think if you bite both of your apples, one will taste like an orange
You really should go and study a dictionary to understand and comprehend the true meaning of words. According to most of the other posts on this thread, corn does not attract deer says the hunters. And by the way, when I stop at the local bait shop before going fishing, I buy minnows, worms or crickets for BAIT. Once again words have meanings, learn them before making yourself look uneducated.Actually, it's terrible logic to compare fishing with live bait to hunting over corn.... But I was playing along with your game...
Here is my thinking if you wish to dispel... You say corn is the bait just like the minnow on your hook crappie fishing. I disagree. The hook and minnow are the tools you use to remove the fish from the water, just the like the gun and bullet. A minnow does not attract fish, it gets them to bite but if you throw a minnow out on a hook that is a half a mile from the nearest crappie, you aren't going to suddenly attract crappie from great distances. Conversely, if you put out a pile of corn, you'll have deer travel great distances and consistently revisit the area for a bite to eat. Now, if you place a brush pile(corn) in an otherwise barren area, all you'll need is a hook and a minnow(or perhaps a rifle in the case of deer) to catch them.
BTW, I think if you bite both of your apples, one will taste like an orange
Good Logic and Reasoning always exposes your fallacy of a point. BTW, I don't bite apples, I do use my large banana to destroy some tacos though. Jokes on you !!!
Logic and reasoning tell me that you are correct.BTW, I think if you bite both of your apples, one will taste like an orange
And on you...
We have talked this one to death, but I'll weigh in again.
1. Either baiting is legal in deer season (I don't think you should be able to hunt turkeys over it) or backyard feeding is illegal during deer and turkey season. If it is allowed at all (and it is) it will kill turkeys too, so unfortunately, as much as I hate it, it is what it is.
2. Most people are doing it. Just watch the pallets of corn disappear every year at the beginning of ML season.
3. There are too many doing it and not enough wardens to enforce it. Also I'd rather them be enforcing road hunting and trespassing laws. Lastly, there is no way that they could enforce it being illegal in the backyard during those seasons, so just allow it for hunting (deer) and do things that really make a difference like trying to stop poachers and trespassers. If someone does it during Turkey it should be easier to enforce IMO (I may be wrong).
4. You cannot convince me that putting in a micro plot (1-2 acres) depending on how it lays out is any different. Heck of bad deal to do a micro plot (especially with fertilizer, Gly, and seed prices) to have your neighbor bait.
5. I don't hunt the Unit L doe hunts on my property. I have in the past at times, put corn out in that week and made sure camera batteries were full. Sometimes in that week or the week after season closed (after second Juvi) I would get daytime pics of a mature buck eating corn with a doe fawn. A lot of times I had never seen the buck before. Point is if a hot doe is by the corn, a mature buck will be by the corn daylight or not. Same thing as a hot doe in a food plot in the daylight, here comes old boy out of the thicket... no difference.
6. Woodsmanship is learned by hunting and observing the animals you are hunting and their behavior patterns and then using that to set up and kill them. It can be taught, but many of us didn't have anyone to show us, we just learned.
7. If it were legal IDK if I would or would not, but if I did, I wouldn't have an issue shooting a buck over it and wouldn't care if I others shot deer over it even if I didn't put it out.
1. Either baiting is legal in deer season (I don't think you should be able to hunt turkeys over it) or backyard feeding is illegal during deer and turkey season. If it is allowed at all (and it is) it will kill turkeys too, so unfortunately, as much as I hate it, it is what it is.
2. Most people are doing it. Just watch the pallets of corn disappear every year at the beginning of ML season.
3. There are too many doing it and not enough wardens to enforce it. Also I'd rather them be enforcing road hunting and trespassing laws. Lastly, there is no way that they could enforce it being illegal in the backyard during those seasons, so just allow it for hunting (deer) and do things that really make a difference like trying to stop poachers and trespassers. If someone does it during Turkey it should be easier to enforce IMO (I may be wrong).
4. You cannot convince me that putting in a micro plot (1-2 acres) depending on how it lays out is any different. Heck of bad deal to do a micro plot (especially with fertilizer, Gly, and seed prices) to have your neighbor bait.
5. I don't hunt the Unit L doe hunts on my property. I have in the past at times, put corn out in that week and made sure camera batteries were full. Sometimes in that week or the week after season closed (after second Juvi) I would get daytime pics of a mature buck eating corn with a doe fawn. A lot of times I had never seen the buck before. Point is if a hot doe is by the corn, a mature buck will be by the corn daylight or not. Same thing as a hot doe in a food plot in the daylight, here comes old boy out of the thicket... no difference.
6. Woodsmanship is learned by hunting and observing the animals you are hunting and their behavior patterns and then using that to set up and kill them. It can be taught, but many of us didn't have anyone to show us, we just learned.
7. If it were legal IDK if I would or would not, but if I did, I wouldn't have an issue shooting a buck over it and wouldn't care if I others shot deer over it even if I didn't put it out.
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Thelonegoose
Well-Known Member
I also have 350 acres. I feed the feeder in front of the house usually year round. Come rifle season, I don't see too many deer using it in daylight. I only run a total of 3 feeders and two salt licks. I usually cut one of those feeders off before bow season so I can legally hunt within its 250 yard perimeter. I will leave the other going until muzzleloader season opens because I don't usually hunt near it until rifle season opens anyway. I will be honest, I don't think it makes much of a difference. I see way more mature (3.5+) bucks on trails and in thick cover than I have ever seen around a feeder. I also don't feed a lot of corn. I only let it run for a couple of seconds because the natural browse and food plots are way better for them. I have yet to turn my feeders on this year as an experiment. So far the deer seem to still be in the same areas and are just hitting the food plots more. I believe from this point on, I will focus more on food plots and making sure I have plenty of diversity in habitat so there is food available year round for the deer and turkeys.
It's never really mattered to me, I got a buddy in Georgia that won't hunt without corn. I've hunted with him but didn't really see an advantage. But to me looks like if corn is illegal the food plots should be illegal also.
The semantics game of fishing vs. hunting is ridiculous, IMO. Fishing is fishing. Hunting is hunting. Conflating the two unnecessarily distracts from a direct exchange of perspectives.
Baiting absolutely works. Feeding, not as much. There's a difference. It's a tactic like any other and if used properly in the right context, it's dynamite. Or if used wrongly can be a dud. On a well managed property with plenty of food already available, especially in variety, baiting is going to be less of a draw. In an environment where it's the easiest food source then heck yeah the deer will hammer it. If it's a feeder with persistent, predictable production then it becomes like a plot where mature bucks only come after dark. But throw out a random bag of corn in an area where deer aren't used to it, and they'll compete to get it. Context is everything.
I could care less one way or the other. I personally don't care for it but I certainly don't push my beliefs on anybody else or think ill of somebody who disagrees with me. But to say it's an ineffective tactic is ridiculous. Even here in midTN pallet loads of deer corn are sold at Wal-Mart every season. Nobody's buying all that corn if they're not killing deer over it. Not only is it an expense, but it's also a risk of trouble with the law. Hardly worth the expense & trouble for an ineffective tactic. It works. That's why people break the law to do it.
Baiting absolutely works. Feeding, not as much. There's a difference. It's a tactic like any other and if used properly in the right context, it's dynamite. Or if used wrongly can be a dud. On a well managed property with plenty of food already available, especially in variety, baiting is going to be less of a draw. In an environment where it's the easiest food source then heck yeah the deer will hammer it. If it's a feeder with persistent, predictable production then it becomes like a plot where mature bucks only come after dark. But throw out a random bag of corn in an area where deer aren't used to it, and they'll compete to get it. Context is everything.
I could care less one way or the other. I personally don't care for it but I certainly don't push my beliefs on anybody else or think ill of somebody who disagrees with me. But to say it's an ineffective tactic is ridiculous. Even here in midTN pallet loads of deer corn are sold at Wal-Mart every season. Nobody's buying all that corn if they're not killing deer over it. Not only is it an expense, but it's also a risk of trouble with the law. Hardly worth the expense & trouble for an ineffective tactic. It works. That's why people break the law to do it.
Ski, please explain how the"Semantics" of hunting vs fishing is ridiculous. My very simple point at the beginning was that to use bait in one sport and not refer to it as the same thing in another does not hold water in an argument using Logic and reason. Minnows, crickets or worms for fishing AND Apples, Corn or whatever for deer hunting is the SAME THING. It is irrational to argue that they are different. I have gotten an appreciation of different hunters on here and there thoughts of hunting over corn- "bait"
