Home made baits and other attractants that work for blacktails

[HunterofWA]

So I've been messing around will different ideas for fun recently and I've come up with some "recipes" for attracting black-tails. I obviously can't say that it'll work but I thought it might be fun to see what other people's deer think about it.

I have only tried them once but they were all eaten in the same night so I think that they might work pretty well.

Let me know if you want to try it out how it works for you. This can also be a place to talk about what home made attractants have worked for you as well.
 
Here are the recipes:

Black-tailed Deer attractants:

Winter snack bar:
Peanut butter- 3 tablespoons
Molasses- 1 tablespoons
Sugar- 3 tablespoons
Oats- 3- tablespoons
Cracked corn- ½ cup
Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoon
Salt (Preservative)- 1 teaspoon
Directions:
Mix together, heat in the Microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up if needed, then freeze in a small rectangular tin pan. Remove from the tin when hard and place it out at a well used deer trail and fire up the trail cam.



Strawberry Jam:
Works great!
Directions:
Simply clear a small spot, pour and go!



Energy grain:
Ingredients:
Maple syrup- 1 1/2 cups
Molasses- 1 tablespoon
Oats- ½ cup
Rice- 2 tablespoons
Wheat- 2 tablespoons
Sugar- ½ cup
Vanilla- 1 teaspoon
Strawberry jam- 1 tablespoon
Peanut Butter- 2 tablespoons
Celery seed (Optional)- 1 teaspoon
Salt (Preservative)- 1-2 teaspoons
Directions:
Mix thoroughly, while trying not to breath on it so as to keep it free from human scent, and pour over logs or stumps.


*NOTE* These recipes have not been tested very many times, so the actual guarantee of them working is uncertain. I have experimented with them and have had good results. Anybody willing to experiment with them would be much appreciated, honest experiences with these recipes are gladly welcome, the whole idea is to figure out some fun, cheap attractants that work for anybody.

If you're willing to experiment just reply to this subject and let me know how it goes.

Remember that this is a winter attractant so it might not work as well during summer.

[pope]

Thanks for sharing your secrets. What time of year did you try your concoctions? Also, did you hang a camera over the bait in order to know what ate your snacks? Friends who have put out apples under a camera near where I hunt had bears come in and clean up every time they tried. I tried Black Magic during early archery and had a young bear stop, scratch and sniff. Deer didn't bother.

[Blacktail Sniper]

 

Those have bear written all over them, so covering it with a camera is a must.

Also racoon and possum as well, did you have a camera out when you tried these? 

[HunterofWA]

I don't have a real problem with the coons, they seem to not bother much with them and I have killed several coons over the years.

I have been trying this baits on the edge of battle ground more north of battle ground. I haven't seen any bears were I'm at.

I actually tried this out this week, there still snow and all I saw were deer tracks, deer tracks....

[pope]

OK, sounds like you're on to something. I'll have to try. I would think if they're going to take the bait, winter would be the most likely season.

[HunterofWA]

The jam worked AMAZING. It just sits on top of the dirt and gradually soaks in. I think that will be a great summer attractant. blackberry raspberry strawberry...

[Wetwoodshunter]

Tag

[Seabee Doc]

Hunter, I live a few miles east of Battle Ground, and I caught 2 different bears on cams on my property this fall...  Sure you have them where you're at, I'm probably not that far from you.

[HunterofWA]

I'm right straight west of Yacolt between 503

[Chesapeake]

I could try your Winter snack at my place. Maybe see if they choose it over the sweet feed. Already have the camera up.

Your recipe seems so generalized I'm thinking it might need to be more specific if intending to test deer attracting ability. Deer can be picky.

Peanut butter, creamy, crunchy?
For your "oats" are you talking solid grain oats or rolled oats like in quaker oatmeal?
You running white sugar or brown sugar?
And the salt, Kosher, canning, sea, or iodized?

My molasses is Blackstrap. Cracked corn would be from Purina scratch grains, so has some odd grains mixed in. Can do white or brown sugar, and choice of salt type.

Winter snack bar:
Peanut butter- 3 tablespoons
Molasses- 1 tablespoons
Sugar- 3 tablespoons
Oats- 3- tablespoons
Cracked corn- ½ cup
Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoon
Salt (Preservative)- 1 teaspoon
Directions:
Mix together, heat in the Microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up if needed, then freeze in a small rectangular tin pan. Remove from the tin when hard and place it out at a well used deer trail and fire up the trail cam.

[Eric M]

They sound like tasty recipes.

[HunterofWA]

I could try your Winter snack at my place. Maybe see if they choose it over the sweet feed. Already have the camera up.

Your recipe seems so generalized I'm thinking it might need to be more specific if intending to test deer attracting ability. Deer can be picky.

Peanut butter, creamy, crunchy?
For your "oats" are you talking solid grain oats or rolled oats like in quaker oatmeal?
You running white sugar or brown sugar?
And the salt, Kosher, canning, sea, or iodized?

My molasses is Blackstrap. Cracked corn would be from Purina scratch grains, so has some odd grains mixed in. Can do white or brown sugar, and choice of salt type.

Winter snack bar:
Peanut butter- 3 tablespoons
Molasses- 1 tablespoons
Sugar- 3 tablespoons
Oats- 3- tablespoons
Cracked corn- ½ cup
Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoon
Salt (Preservative)- 1 teaspoon
Directions:
Mix together, heat in the Microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up if needed, then freeze in a small rectangular tin pan. Remove from the tin when hard and place it out at a well used deer trail and fire up the trail cam.

I used rolled oats, rock salt, (i don't think it's that big of deal for the salt) White sugar, I would try brown but we're out at the moment. I used crunchy peanut butter cause that is what we had around I probably wouldn't purposely use that kind though.

One thing I am not sure is how to keep it from molding... That could be a big problem since we are almost in constant deluge here on the wet side.

[HunterofWA]

Keep in mind I really would like any suggestions and and modifications you find helpful!


Here is another idea I found

Usage Tip: Another idea I use with great success is to mix the peanut butter with cheap
pancake syrup, your liquid molasses from above or honey. You can buy staples like this
at the local grocery ‘scratch & dent’ outlet the cheapest. Again, those are the places that
have out of date items or scratch and dent type groceries, but honestly deer don’t care if
it’s a week or a month out of date or if the can or jar is dented in on one side! Anyway,
mix the peanut butter with pancake syrup (I pay $1 for 24oz) until it is pretty thin; then
pour it over a dead fallen tree dispersed in a long line (puts out the scent further) and it
will bring the deer back time and time again to that spot because now it’s got attraction power!

[HunterofWA]

Man I just found this and it's funny his recipes are almost the same as mine!

http://thearkansashuntingandfishingforum.com/InexpensiveDeerAttractantSecrets.pdf

[Chesapeake]

Ok, got one made. Will deploy tomorrow.

[Skyvalhunter]

Good luck can't wait to see the bear pics

[Chesapeake]

We only have 1 bear that frequents our place and I haven't seen it for a month or more. I'm thinking the birds will get to it first. We'll see.

[Blacktail Sniper]

We only have 1 bear that frequents our place and I haven't seen it for a month or more. I'm thinking the birds will get to it first. We'll see.

He is probably...

[HunterofWA]

Yeah let me know how it does  Anybody have any ideas for natural preservatives?

[dreamunelk]

Many of the Carbohydrates that you are feeding deer can kill them. 

[Eric M]

At least you are using Jif and not Skippy. Should be crunchy though.

[Chesapeake]

Many of the Carbohydrates that you are feeding deer can kill them.

This seems like an odd statement. Can you provide proof?

The brown sticky in sweet feed is molasses. So other than the peanut butter and brown sugar all these ingredients are comonly fed to all manner of livestock and deer. The only way I've seen it kill them is when they get shot coming to get some.
Keeping in mind were not talking about replacing a large part of thier diet. This is small volume attractant.

Or are you suggesting simple carbs to be an acute poison to deer?

[HunterofWA]

@Chesapeake, when are you planning to check your cam?

[The scout]

I don't doubt it would work, but seems like a couple deer could eat that in one night, cool idea but a lot of work for how long it would last.

[Chesapeake]

Well, good news and bad news. The good, the block didn't make it 1 night. Bad news, the camera didn't get a pic of the culprit.
I'll make another and retry hoping for dry weather. The camera I have up doesn't do well once the PIR lense is wet.

[BlacktailBowhunter]

I think I would stick with apples.

I've read biologists reports that say a Blacktails system slows down in the winter to digest the woody types of browse and grain can be harmful if consumed in large amounts.

I will say though in these small amounts, I can't imagine them being able to gorge on it enough to hurt them to much.

[garrett89]

Heard anything with strong vanilla scent works well.

[Chesapeake]

Made and put out a second block. Same results, gone in 1 night. Have deer pics but none where you can see the deer eating the block. Seems the deer like them well enough.

[HunterofWA]

Cool, thanks for trying it out.

But others are right, it's a little to much work for something that small that only last a little while.
I think I'll stick to easier and cheaper attractants.
If I find any other things that work for me I'll probably make a post.

[garrett89]

I could try your Winter snack at my place. Maybe see if they choose it over the sweet feed. Already have the camera up.

Your recipe seems so generalized I'm thinking it might need to be more specific if intending to test deer attracting ability. Deer can be picky.

Peanut butter, creamy, crunchy?
For your "oats" are you talking solid grain oats or rolled oats like in quaker oatmeal?
You running white sugar or brown sugar?
And the salt, Kosher, canning, sea, or iodized?

My molasses is Blackstrap. Cracked corn would be from Purina scratch grains, so has some odd grains mixed in. Can do white or brown sugar, and choice of salt type.

Winter snack bar:
Peanut butter- 3 tablespoons
Molasses- 1 tablespoons
Sugar- 3 tablespoons
Oats- 3- tablespoons
Cracked corn- ½ cup
Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoon
Salt (Preservative)- 1 teaspoon
Directions:
Mix together, heat in the Microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up if needed, then freeze in a small rectangular tin pan. Remove from the tin when hard and place it out at a well used deer trail and fire up the trail cam.

I used rolled oats, rock salt, (i don't think it's that big of deal for the salt) White sugar, I would try brown but we're out at the moment. I used crunchy peanut butter cause that is what we had around I probably wouldn't purposely use that kind though.

One thing I am not sure is how to keep it from molding... That could be a big problem since we are almost in constant deluge here on the wet side.

Sounds like a regular snack for me.