Baiting at your trail cam or no bait?

[addicted2hunting]

I have had my cam in its spot for 2 weeks and only have one image of an animal not sure exactly what it was cause my cam was too high. It is an area full of old rubs that havehealed over multiple times and last year I found the area and had tons of fresh rubs in it at the end of the late season. Do I put bait out to draw them to my cam OR do I keep the cam soaking till late season to see what kind of bucks I get during the rut? I am an archery hunter just to clarify. Thanks guys

[hogslayer]

If you found the rubs during the late season then the buck was running during the rut and they rut in a different spot then they live during the year.  I would wait tell the apples get ripe and start putting apples out.  Don't worry if you only get does at first.  The big boy will soon follow. 

[addicted2hunting]

I wont disturb there rut area by putting apples in the area? I'm talking its got a ton of rubs so I don't want to mess up their area for when they come to use it.

[vandeman17]

I am thinking that the area you are in is an area that the deer use later in the season and during the rut. I bet if you leave it out there you will start to see more and more critters show up. Are you on a well used trail? Bait would help but if there aren't deer in the area then it doesn't do you much good. I believe that bait doesn't draw the animals in but more just stops them as they pass and/or keeps them coming back once they have found it. 

[bmccalister]

You could bait the camera, but because they are in the area so late they may be bucks which migrate and are not even in the area until the rut. I would recommend moving the camera to an area where you know there are lots of does. If you find the does you will find the bucks. Good luck.

[addicted2hunting]

I am thinking that the area you are in is an area that the deer use later in the season and during the rut. I bet if you leave it out there you will start to see more and more critters show up. Are you on a well used trail? Bait would help but if there aren't deer in the area then it doesn't do you much good. I believe that bait doesn't draw the animals in but more just stops them as they pass and/or keeps them coming back once they have found it. 

Yeah its got tons of trails heading from the timber to the main trail. I put it at a intersection. I found lots of fresh poop on the trail and also in the timber but there are so many trails spread out that I just put it on the biggest intersection.

[addicted2hunting]

You could bait the camera, but because they are in the area so late they may be bucks which migrate and are not even in the area until the rut. I would recommend moving the camera to an area where you know there are lots of does. If you find the does you will find the bucks. Good luck.

If I am hunting the front edge of the rut and the pre rut would they be there this year? it looks like they have used it many years.

[hogslayer]

They should be.   I am telling you though I would find some apple trees and start dumping a pack frame full every weekend at least.  Sounds like you are hunting blacktail?  If you are then the big boys won't be hanging out in the clear cut.  They will be in the timber.  So bait them with Apples.  Once you get some bucks find out which direction they are coming in from and folllow there tracks back towards the home port.  The big guys will only come out a few minutes before dark so you need to be close enough that you see him in those few minutes and blam!

[addicted2hunting]

They should be.   I am telling you though I would find some apple trees and start dumping a pack frame full every weekend at least.  Sounds like you are hunting blacktail?  If you are then the big boys won't be hanging out in the clear cut.  They will be in the timber.  So bait them with Apples.  Once you get some bucks find out which direction they are coming in from and folllow there tracks back towards the home port.  The big guys will only come out a few minutes before dark so you need to be close enough that you see him in those few minutes and blam!

yeah I'm away's from a clearcut. yeah its blacktail. its a long skinny alder patch with timber on both sides and the ground in the timber is just overran and I mean beat up with dear tracks every place you walk and they head in the same general direction and intersect with the alder patch trail. the alder patch is about 10 ft wide and 1/4 mile long with a big bedding area at the end where it flattens out.

[addicted2hunting]

*Deer

[hogslayer]

Sounds like you need to cut yourself a good trail and set up a tree stand. 

[jnevs23]

I've been baiting one site all summer with salt, game block and apples.  In the last 6 weeks I've had 2600+ pics. On 2 unbaited cams I've got maybe 100. 

[addicted2hunting]

I've been baiting one site all summer with salt, game block and apples.  In the last 6 weeks I've had 2600+ pics. On 2 unbaited cams I've got maybe 100.

sounds like I need to bait! haha

[addicted2hunting]

now how to get apples for cheap?

[billythekidrock]

now how to get apples for cheap?

You can get lots of apples by asking to pick the  up out of peoples yards. Ask if you can leave a bucket and often they will pick them up for you.