Baiting Technique

[300UltraMagShooter]

Seems a lot of new guys on here could use some help on getting their buck. 
I thought it would be a good idea to really show that this is a different kind of forum. 

With that said, one of the best ways for a new guy to get a deer is to bait them.  Do any of you have any unique ideas on the way you bait deer?  During the few times I have baited, I know one of the best things I did was to make sure I was in heavy cover and not out in the open.  Anyone else have anything they can share with the new guys having trouble getting their deer?

 

[300UltraMagShooter]

Oh, and I thought of one more thing. 

Any of you new guys, most of the guys baiting try and put out more bait than the next guy over from them.  This can work, but seems to end up seeing who can outdo each other in quantity.  Another idea is to make sure you have some variety.  Corn, apples, pumpkins, carrots, peanut butter...   

Anyone else have some good things others may not have thought about, please chime in. 

[h20hunter]

Apples and cob. Hopefully this time of the year the bears are denning up. Problem with baiting is the bears will come in and eat everything and the deer will vanish. Other than that...apples and sweet cob.

[300UltraMagShooter]

Yes, bears can be a problem.  I ha a buddy that got a grizz started coming into his bait.  The GW made him move and not use it anymore.  That was years ago. 

Early season, trying to keep the bears off your bait can be a pain, but can be worth the effort.

[Wilderness Addict]

Don't overlook natural foods for bait piles. Around here the deer eat horsehair lichen faster than apples, sweet cob, or hay. In about fifteen minutes you can gather a truckload of lichen, which by the way is free.

[300UltraMagShooter]

buckfvr, I agree, knowledge is key, but like you said, that comes with time.  I'd hate for these guys to quit and a little success along the way will keep them hunting.  I haven't baited in years, but for a new hunter that is frustrated with not seeing game, this can keep them with full freezers and a little satisfied while they learn.   

I think of it as training wheels. 

[deltaops]

Not to cause anyone to get butt hurt but the question is what is your bait technique? I would like to see what others use as well and not see this get into a debate on whether to bait or not bait. thanks for your cooperation in this matter.  Carry on!

[mossback91]

I tried bating for the first time this year. I just don't find it near as fun or exciting as spot and stalk! just not my cup of tea I guess! Ive had more fun blowing a stalk(which can really be frustrating at times ) then I did killing a deer off a bait pile.... I wonder how much longer baiting will be legal in this state anyways.

[DoubleJ]

Don't overlook natural foods for bait piles. Around here the deer eat horsehair lichen faster than apples, sweet cob, or hay. In about fifteen minutes you can gather a truckload of lichen, which by the way is free.

This.  I've said it a thousand times.  In September on the west side, one of the best blacktail baits you can have is a waist high pile of fresh cut, leafy alder branches.

[300UltraMagShooter]

Thought of one more thing that might help.  Sometimes it is best to not hunt over the bait.  Put the bait in a place they like to travel in the first place and then back off the bait at least 50 yards... up to 100 yards.  Catch them "between bed and feed" as it were.

Some others are bound to have some good ideas?

[Boss .300 winmag]

I tried bating for the first time this year. I just don't find it near as fun or exciting as spot and stalk! just not my cup of tea I guess! Ive had more fun blowing a stalk(which can really be frustrating at times ) then I did killing a deer off a bait pile.... I wonder how much longer baiting will be legal in this state anyways.

Yes....baiting will be under attack the next season setting process.........but if you quote wdfw about probable cause regarding wolves, it should be held as status quo for everything.

If deer harvest drops for 3 consecutive years, then they will do a scientific study to determine the reason.  If it is found the reason is wolves, they will respond in some manner or another....I would think this would/should hold true for baiting.  Only if it has been determined through a scientific study that they say takes three years,  should they be able to adrress it ( baiting ) as an issue.  They will have to be held to their word, their policy, regarding deer....whether its wolves, bear/cat/dog, or bait that impacts herds.  Speculation does not trump science.  They must prove its a problem, rather than address the feelings of the non-hunting community.   

So baiting and hound hunting with dogs hurt the population of bears/cougars, nope it was an initiative that was voted on that did it from uneducated feelings of the non- hunting community .  least we forget.

[jnevs23]

instead of trying to out do the guy baiting next you, I would suggest finding a new area without a guy baiting next to you.  This year I used salt, apples, alfalfa, pumpkins, acorns, gords, squash, cucumbers...anything I could get my hands on.  Baiting doesn't guarantee anything.  I went about 2 months and almost 4000 pics between bucks at one point this summer in an area with a high buck population.  Also late season while hunting the only bucks that came in were very young.  Baiting can work but it usually it goes hand in hand with lots of scouting especially if bow hunting.

[Duffer]

I've been baiting our Colville property (but have yet to hunt it) for pics of the 'livestock'

I always get immediate response when I put out a product available at Big-R called Sweet Cob which is a mix of grains and some molasses. This fall I added a feeder that would keep a bail of alfalfa dry. they were into it within hours also! I've never had serious response to grain blocks or salt blocks. I also just added a timer/feeder filled with a pelleted deer feed that smells like alfalfa but has vitamins & minerals too.

I'm trying to feed more than just bait. It's fun to attract deer to the cameras but I'd like to get them to hang around too!

Let me add tho: The bucks are there somewhere cuz there are fawns popping out, but man are they A LOT more shy than these whitetail does! I'll get thousands of pics of does and maybe a spike or two and a lil forkie. Tooks me 2 years before I finally got a few pics of a legal buck. and he was there for just a few minutes on only one day!

I want to thank 300UM for starting this thread and showing concern for the frustrated masses      

Let's try to stay on the OPs topic. There are plenty of "to bait or not to bait" threads here on HW. If you want to debate that, head on over to one of those threads please. 

I also LOVE the idea of lichen (which I'd never even thought of) or general garden veggies! You want to attract deer? Try growing one and then keeping them out of your garden! 

[DoubleJ]

Duffer, keep in mind that a lot of breeding is done by those younger bucks

http://www.qdma.com/articles/will-dominant-bucks-dominate-the-breeding

[bowhunterforever]

I find it funny people think you just though out bait and kill a 150+ buck, yea um good luck with that

[BKMFR]

Great Thread! Thanks for trying to keep it on subject!
MacIntosh apples (some cut, smashed on trees to get aroma going) and green leafy alfalfa hay, set in an area where the deer are..... colder, more snow the better! Make yourself a feeding station, after season you might just be able to pick up a few sheds right there while helping the deer.....

[300UltraMagShooter]

I find it funny people think you just though out bait and kill a 150+ buck, yea um good luck with that

I have a buddy that moved to WA about 8 years ago.  Before that, he had never shot a buck over 120 inches with his bow.

He now has 3 over 150 and one 170 buck. 

However, I'm not trying to get the new guys to shoot 150 bucks.  Just fill their freezers and keep them hunting.

Thanks everyone. 

[300UltraMagShooter]

If this ends up helping any of the new guys, I hope you'll share your experience.   

[stromdiddily]

Tag soup in WA this year (my first) but always appreciate threads like this

Everything's a learning opportunity with the right mindset

Tapatalk

[300UltraMagShooter]

When baiting, in general, shots are going to be close.  That may sound like a good thing, but if you haven't practiced shooting down at a steep angle, you may be surprised.  Practice before you climb in the stand.... even if it is only a few times.

[stromdiddily]

Completely agree. Downward shots especially when sitting are way different than at the range!

Tapatalk

[weathergirl]

When baiting, in general, shots are going to be close.  That may sound like a good thing, but if you haven't practiced shooting down at a steep angle, you may be surprised.  Practice before you climb in the stand.... even if it is only a few times.

Also noise control is much more critical, you can make a lot more noise drawing a bow at 30 yards than at 10 or less.  I think bait works best when there are not other decent food sources around.

[300UltraMagShooter]

If you are monitoring your bait with cameras, don't over do it on checking the cams. 

Hunt them when they are hot.... meaning when you have deer coming in in DAYLIGHT.

Anyone else got anything?

[300UltraMagShooter]

Today a guy told me a neat trick he uses and I thought I'd share.

He finds a finger ridge and puts his bait on the point of the ridge where he thinks the deer will be working their way off the ridge.  He then gets above the bait and waits for the deer to work past him on the wait to the bait.

 

[300UltraMagShooter]

There are a bunch of whitetails posted this year in the bowhunting area.  I'm sure lots were baited.  Anyway we could get any of you to tell the story?  What you used?  Did you hold out until weather was just right?  ect?

[CAMPMEAT]

When baiting, in general, shots are going to be close.  That may sound like a good thing, but if you haven't practiced shooting down at a steep angle, you may be surprised.  Practice before you climb in the stand.... even if it is only a few times.

Also noise control is much more critical, you can make a lot more noise drawing a bow at 30 yards than at 10 or less.  I think bait works best when there are not other decent food sources around.

That's funny you mention noise control. When I feed ( rebait ) my spot, I make all kinds of noise. I even use my ATV and the deer show up in 15 minutes because they know it's dinner time. I even put my blind about 5 yards from the feed and the deer could of cared less.

[singleshot12]

  And who says deer can't become like cattle?

[deaner]

everybody says apples n cob, but if youre going to bait i really wouldnt put out that stuff until november unless you want a bear party on your hands.  if you want to bait prior to november id stick with alfalfa only.  even then, a bear may come in, but not much of a worry.  ive had one time this year that bears came into one of my cams that was baited with only alfalfa.  they kicked it around for maybe 3 or 4 min then left. 

[4fletch]

I thought one could not bait anymore with with the new law that peta endorsed not feeding wild animals targeting raccoon's

[Nice Racks]

Try screwing the lid of a large plastic peanut butter jar to the underside of a branch. Screw the jar back onto the lid and then cut the very bottem off of the jar. Deer, elk, bear and a lot of other critters will love ya for it. Just don't bear hunt on it.   

[syoungs]

what about baiting elk?

I was thinking of packing a couple bales of alfalfa up where I have seen some cows in the past, during the late archery hunt. would it be a total waste of time to try and fill a freezer this way?

[SERE VG]

Here's my very limited experience FWIW.

I have had cow elk come into my baits, not with enough regularity to count on.

I rarely as in the proverbial once in a blue moon have mature bucks visit the bait during shooting hours.

I am baiting for two reasons; to attract mature bucks on camera for location and selection and to attract does who will hopefully go into estrus and make the nocturnal mature buck temporarily love struck and dumb enough to walk out in front of me during the day.
Bears and deer will both visit the bait. I almost always have a bear or two on cam, but the deer still come in. Bears will camp and even nap on the bait, that will temporarily keep the deer away.

Apples work great, but attract every animal in the forest. I have weirder pics of random animals when I use apple than any other bait. Ravens, bunnies, bears, deer and a coyote all in one day. Yes the raven flew off with an entire apple in its beak. The yote did not partake as far as I could tell.

I tried commercial attractant baits, but Alfalfa and corn seemed to work better. Only tried 3, so maybe they're just picky.

Certified weed free alfalfa is required on federal land, not sure if that applies on all public land?

Locate and area that has good sign first and then locate a spot where the wind, approach and light are in your favor to place the bait.

Still learning, so I appreciate information folks share.


Sent from my mind via apathy.

[deaner]

what about baiting elk?

I was thinking of packing a couple bales of alfalfa up where I have seen some cows in the past, during the late archery hunt. would it be a total waste of time to try and fill a freezer this way?

elk come into bait too.  not that ive ever killed an elk, but heres a small sampling of my photographic evidence from 2013

[Lucky1]

I use apples. Works good. Coyotes like them too. I killed a coyote on my apple pile a couple years ago.

[cryder]

I seriously believe that baiting is a late season tactic,mostly because that's when critters might be changing there feeding habits and be more apt to go for something different or something out of the ordinary.i did a lot of baiting this late archery season,and I can definitely say,snow cover is a very important thing,it will get them thinking more intent on feeding more during the day than at night actually More during both periods,and unfortunately the colder the better,this also gets them more souse about feeding,so cold temps and snow are 2 real good conditions for baiting.and boy o boy can some coyotes ruin things if they start making noise during prime hours get in the truck and go back 2 days later,deer are going no where neer a food plot during the daylight hours,if coyotes are active close by ive seen it first hand and so has my game cam. (WHERE IS SEPTEMBER !! )