Baiting BTs

[predatorG]

For a couple months I've had some combination of apples/ COB/ cracked corn / minerals out in the woods With no results. We've seen one doe but it was a while ago. It's all set up next to a rub line. I haven't been out there to check it recently because of elk season but I've got a feeling the results will be the same. Nothing. Anybody got any tips?

[fishnfur]

That's why I quit baiting years ago (for the most part).  Elk and bear love it.  Deer are hit and miss depending on the area.  I believe mineral licks and the like are best when bucks are actively growing bone and does heavily lactating - late spring and early summer.  I can't begin to guess why they don't eat wonderful apples and cob.  Possibly lingering human scent on it?

[lokidog]

Tip, find a place with more deer, or hungrier ones..... 

[Special T]

The wsu research unit inntumwater did a study on bt deer and compared them to pigmy goats. Bt will eat things the goats wont!
Bait is a waste of time. I agree tho that minerals will help the population in the spring and make for some good pre season scouting.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[JDHasty]

Once they are started, they will keep coming... but getting them started is easier said than done.  Pumpkins will sometimes turn the trick if they are broken open, then they will start to paw them open themselves and eat the seeds and guts out. 

Be forewarned, once the rut is on the bucks may just quit eating off your bait pile regardless of how consistent they were all summer.     

[lokidog]

I don't think bait is a waste of time, just have to make sure to put it where the deer are, or want to be.  Sure, theey will eat ferns and salal, but given a choice, I think apples are hard to beat.

[JDHasty]

In my experience, apples are hard to beat.  Once they are going on apples you can get them onto corn and they will continue to come to the corn, but getting them on corn w/o priming the pump w/apples is tough.  Apples, pumpkins, peanut butter have been good for getting them started, carrots and corn have been an effort in futility.  YMMV.   

[croix]

I've been in a tree stand and watched black tail push apples out of the way with their nose to eat an alder leaf that was under it. Now my apples all go to pie
-Croix

[elkboy]

My first deer was a spike blacktail, and his rumen was stuffed with apples from old pioneer orchards scattered through the landscape.  His venison even had a slight taste of apple... pretty good! 

[JDHasty]

I've been in a tree stand and watched black tail push apples out of the way with their nose to eat an alder leaf that was under it. Now my apples all go to pie
-Croix

I have too.  BUT, I have also seen deer come right in and pick up and eat them and then leave or even hang out eating apples for a half hour. 

Mature bucks are not as inclined to show before it is long after legal shooting hours, but around Halloween they can be found hanging back and if you are set up back in the cover, and are able to watch the approaches to the feeding areas, bucks will frequently be watching what the does are doing, patiently waiting for it to get really dark before coming out into the open. 

[croix]

I've been in a tree stand and watched black tail push apples out of the way with their nose to eat an alder leaf that was under it. Now my apples all go to pie
-Croix

I have too.  BUT, I have also seen deer come right in and pick up and eat them and then leave or even hang out eating apples for a half hour. 

Mature bucks are not as inclined to show before it is long after legal shooting hours, but around Halloween they can be found hanging back and if you are set up back in the cover, and are able to watch the approaches to the feeding areas, bucks will frequently be watching what the does are doing, patiently waiting for it to get really dark before coming out into the open.

I understand all of that, but did you see the part about PIE! 

[lokidog]

I've been in a tree stand and watched black tail push apples out of the way with their nose to eat an alder leaf that was under it. Now my apples all go to pie
-Croix

I have too.  BUT, I have also seen deer come right in and pick up and eat them and then leave or even hang out eating apples for a half hour. 

Mature bucks are not as inclined to show before it is long after legal shooting hours, but around Halloween they can be found hanging back and if you are set up back in the cover, and are able to watch the approaches to the feeding areas, bucks will frequently be watching what the does are doing, patiently waiting for it to get really dark before coming out into the open.

I understand all of that, but did you see the part about PIE! 

Plenty of apples to share....   

[predatorG]

Yes! I went out again today to check it and all the apples were gone! The COB had sprouted but there were deer prints all over. It seems like they don't eat the sprouted grains.

[TheHunt]

Yes! I went out again today to check it and all the apples were gone! The COB had sprouted but there were deer prints all over. It seems like they don't eat the sprouted grains.

Check your PM

[fishnfur]

I've got the remnants of an old orchard in my back yard.  There are still 5 apple trees there.  Occasionally, a deer will eat half and apple, leaving the other half on the ground.   I've got endless trailcam videos of deer eating the dandelions right next to the apples on the ground and leaving the apples lie.  You can't train a deer to eat apples when they refuse them all autumn long.  I tried deer chow with cob during winter right next to the apple trees.  No takers on that either.

What they do love is apple leaves (and cherry, pear, peach).  They prune each tree's leaves to 5 feet from the ground all summer long.  Come winter, they eat the remaining twigs.

[huntingbaldguy]

Like others have said, apples are hard to beat.  I've gotten bt to eat corn but if there's no apples they won't stay long.  Now if i could just get them to be there in the daylight.

[Skyvalhunter]

That is if you can keep the bears from eating them first..

[predatorG]

That is if you can keep the bears from eating them first..

For some reason I haven't seen any bears. We saw a massive one out behind our house like 4 years ago. Probably around 500 pounds. We were both on the ground though and could see only his head. No shot. I see poop in other areas of the woods but none where I am.

[treeclimber2852]

Any tips on tracking down apples?  I'm on the west side near Sumner. 

[predatorG]

I found some at my family property, but those are used up by now. So I've got the same problem you do. I would just ask around. Go into a local feed store and see if they have some cheap apples. Or ask if they know any orchards in the area. Then ask the orchards for all their bad or wormy apples. That's what I'm gonna do.