Noob needs help, considering bait setups

[emelizabeth]

I've been shooting year round for four years, gone hunting four years with more effort in some than others. On top of the challenges everybody faces, my career takes me to a new state just about every year so I never get to know a place and I am the only hunter/angler in my family so I don't have a lifetime or oral knowledge to draw upon. I am more interested in meat and time spent in the woods than antlers (tho of course they are pretty on a wall) but I would like to start to experience some success. Last season I only saw one doe, crashing thru the brush because something else spooked her about 60 yards away. On top of generally reading/listening/asking more questions this year, I have scheduled more scouting time/map studying time. But I am also considering baiting.

The property I have access to backs up to a medium sized woodlot with a pretty large pond on it, with a fair amount of deer sign all around. I want to put up a salt lick and/or bait near the edge of the woods this year. I have no idea what I am doing and can't afford that much (tho I have an extra $300 that I WAS going to spend on multi season deer and elk).

Anybody have general pointers/advanced tips? The main thing that concerns me is that I want them to visit the site during shooting hours (duh). I know there are some timed bait droppers out there ($$$) but does anybody have any other tips for getting them to visit with out disturbing the site too much? (As in dropping bait every predawn/ covering and uncovering salt every day?)

Thanks for your input

[Hunting7mm]

I have 5 camera's set up on my family's 20 acre piece of property close to the river.  I put out a couple deer blocks that have the corn and such in them.  I get a few deer but mostly elk licking them. I mainly set up my cameras on the game trails and thats where I get better pics.  Right now we've been clearing about 10acres of it and were adding ten apple tree's to start and another ten next year. 

[bobcat]

What part of the state and what species of deer? If blacktails, salt must likely won't work at all. Apples might be the best choice, although in one area I've baited, the deer don't seem to care for apples. But usually they do work pretty well. But of course, as you're already aware, most often they will only visit your bait at night.

My only suggestion would be to put your bait in a location where they might feel safer, so instead of in the open, put it in an area with brush and trees, and try to put it as far as possible from where deer normally encounter humans (roads, trails, etc.) Also a tree stand would be best, so that your scent will hopefully stay above ground level. If you're like me and don't like climbing trees, a ladder stand might be the best option.

Oh, and you might also mention when you plan on hunting. That can make a big difference too.

[grundy53]

Blacktails seem to like salt where I use it.

[Hunting7mm]

Blacktails seem to like salt where I use it.

I didn't get much activity when I used the salt mineral licks but that may be just my area.  I had better luck with the deer blocks.

[emelizabeth]

I'm in mason county after black tails, very few elk in this immediate area. Since I didn't get the multi season tags (either one) I am up in the air about what season to buy, tho I will be hunting archery method. Thanks for your input. Planning on some scouting to see what part of the property they use the most, they definitely come into the mowed area near the sheep fence most of the year, and disappear during deer season.

[jasnt]

My experience with baiting is only whitetails. I bait about ten mouths a year and have food plots and mineral sites and salt sites. Best bait I have found is corn! I've tried it all and many different baits at the same time. The corn is always eaten first!
I think I'm learning to get more daylight visits. My daily presance has not seemed to affect them at all. They seem to accociate my scent with food. What I do is bait pretty much everyday with enough corn to still have a little left each morning. As the season starts to draw near I bait a little less each day till the bait is gone with in a few hours(confirmed by trail cam) that way they start showing up earlier and earlier to get there before it's gone. Place bait in the morning and hunt the evening. Sofar all the bucks harvested on my property have been in the last 15-20 min of shooting light

[BOWHUNTER45]

Hopefully this tread doesn't become extinct after this year 

[PA BEN]

Find a place where the deer/elk pass through. Put out bait, wind directions should be considered on where to sit. Treestand or ground blind for archery or sit a 100yds away for riffle. You put it out, they will come. I use game cameras w/a small mineral lick starting in July to find out what's around. About mid. August I know where I will bait. Apples, cob, crushed corn, the apple flavored corn from walmart works real well. BTW, when I lived on the wet side I baited BT's the same. Deer are deer if they like what you are putting out they will come back.