Guessing there will be a drop in whitatail archers

[OutHouse]

I enjoyed getting pictures of deer by putting out salt and/or bait. However, I've never seen a bruiser whitetail near a bait site. It sounds to me that the CWD excuse is a subterfuge for another agenda. So is bait per se illegal regardless of intent? What if you are baiting solely to get pictures? Is that off the table or only if it is related to hunting?

then there wasnt a bruiser buck in the vicinity of your sites. I call a bruiser is 160 plus and I couldnt even begin to count all the bucks Ive gotten on cam. Then to multiply that by all my friends who are diehard whitetail guys and I could post hundreds of big buck photos at salt or bait.

I am not so sure about that as applied to the area I hunt. I cam a quarter mile up the mountain would have really nice bucks, many like the ones you kill, but they don't seem to come down to the bait.   

another thing with mature bucks is 200 yards could make all the difference in cam pics or none. People think you just dump something and whamo a huge whitetail just strolls in. In 30 plus years of hunting whitetails and what I call big bucks I have yet to kill or hunt a giant in the same area ever. The rarity of a 160 + buck in this region is hard to find and you gotta cover alot of ground to turn 1 up. I have access to some primo private ground 1k acres. In 10 years with extensive glassing, cams and hunting 1 buck in that time frame woulda grossed around 160 or so and that buck was last year. Every year there is 140-150 buck around,but its that next level that really is a needle in a haystack

That's really interesting. And it makes sense because one year we found a buck that was really nice and it appeared to us that his core area was actually a thicket in between two other core areas that smaller bucks used. We only found out about him by cutting through his area because we were in a hurry to get back but we would always bypass his area because it was hard to get through. Seeing the size of his bed compared to others was pretty cool too.

[hunter399]

I enjoyed getting pictures of deer by putting out salt and/or bait. However, I've never seen a bruiser whitetail near a bait site. It sounds to me that the CWD excuse is a subterfuge for another agenda. So is bait per se illegal regardless of intent? What if you are baiting solely to get pictures? Is that off the table or only if it is related to hunting?

then there wasnt a bruiser buck in the vicinity of your sites. I call a bruiser is 160 plus and I couldnt even begin to count all the bucks Ive gotten on cam. Then to multiply that by all my friends who are diehard whitetail guys and I could post hundreds of big buck photos at salt or bait.

I am not so sure about that as applied to the area I hunt. I cam a quarter mile up the mountain would have really nice bucks, many like the ones you kill, but they don't seem to come down to the bait.   

another thing with mature bucks is 200 yards could make all the difference in cam pics or none. People think you just dump something and whamo a huge whitetail just strolls in. In 30 plus years of hunting whitetails and what I call big bucks I have yet to kill or hunt a giant in the same area ever. The rarity of a 160 + buck in this region is hard to find and you gotta cover alot of ground to turn 1 up. I have access to some primo private ground 1k acres. In 10 years with extensive glassing, cams and hunting 1 buck in that time frame woulda grossed around 160 or so and that buck was last year. Every year there is 140-150 buck around,but its that next level that really is a needle in a haystack

That's really interesting. And it makes sense because one year we found a buck that was really nice and it appeared to us that his core area was actually a thicket in between two other core areas that smaller bucks used. We only found out about him by cutting through his area because we were in a hurry to get back but we would always bypass his area because it was hard to get through. Seeing the size of his bed compared to others was pretty cool too.

Camera location,using different attractant for different seasons was always my go to.
It makes a difference.
I had many spots,that a big buck would only show up a few times a year for the whole year. So my cam location was definitely not his core area. But the attractant was enough to make him show at least a few times.

[Ghost Hunter]

My meadow and alfalfa food plot should be good.  Going to start looking for something I can plant in the fall for extra spring growth.  And something that might grow amongst the fir trees I'm finishing thinning.  Left a few cameras out over the winter.  Didn't have any big bucks show last year, and I can't wait to see what I have for predators on camera.

[kodiak06]

My meadow and alfalfa food plot should be good.  Going to start looking for something I can plant in the fall for extra spring growth.  And something that might grow amongst the fir trees I'm finishing thinning.  Left a few cameras out over the winter.  Didn't have any big bucks show last year, and I can't wait to see what I have for predators on camera.

Growing bedding and browse areas would hold more deer than a plot depending on acreage. That's especially true if it's in an area covered in snow.

[hunter399]

My meadow and alfalfa food plot should be good.  Going to start looking for something I can plant in the fall for extra spring growth.  And something that might grow amongst the fir trees I'm finishing thinning.  Left a few cameras out over the winter.  Didn't have any big bucks show last year, and I can't wait to see what I have for predators on camera.

Hoping that the food plots thing works for you all.👍🤞

[Ridgeratt]

Red top turnips are a quick source of protein. They use them as a cover crop. And there is a ton of turnip seed in a pound.
There are approximately 220,000 turnip seeds to a pound. Even if half of them grow you should have more than you need.

[hunter399]

Gotta give you food plots guys a thumbs up 👍.
That's a lot of work,Every Archery hunter I've talked too.
Had no plans of changing weapons .

[jasnt]

I stopped using bait last year when I noticed my target bucks wouldn’t approach the corn

[kodiak06]

I stopped using bait last year when I noticed my target bucks wouldn’t approach the corn
[/quote

No cover was the first problem, guessing pressure next.

[Ghost Hunter]

Never had much luck with corn, brings the crows mostly.  Rabbits get most of the COB.  Meadow and alfalfa/food plot get most of the traffic.  Oats in food plot were a big hit for everything from turkeys to deer.  Turnips weren't that big a big hit the one year I tried.  Deer hit them some, but so many, most rotted away.  Ducks love the pond and geese love the new grass.  Generally only knew they raise a brood when I catch them on camera.  Bears love the clover, grasses, and new alfalfa in the spring.  Meadow and food plot draws the grasshoppers which draw the turkeys.  Mostly hens with their broods.  Coyotes and skunks cruise thru for voles and bugs.  Raptors patrol from the sky.  Herons fish the pond and cruise the meadow periodically.  The small birds even spend time at salt licks.  An occasional moose will wander thru and enjoy some pond time.  Elk will show up periodically, nothing you can set your clock by.  Only bruiser buck I've caught on camera in the food plot was late season, late night in the fog, on alfalfa pile.  And of course, the predators are as regular as the rest.  I have as much fun watching all the wildlife that uses and hunts the meadow throughout the year. 

Hunting tactics will change some, but archery will still be my main focus.  Too old to use climbing stands, I can still climb a ladder to the platform stands.  Fresh snow can be quiet but only for a brief moment.  It's generally announcing your presence to the world in my neck of the woods.   Might have to stack on the cold weather gear because I love hunting the late seasons. 

[jasnt]

I stopped using bait last year when I noticed my target bucks wouldn’t approach the corn
[/quote

No cover was the first problem, guessing pressure next.

🤣 you see a tiny glimpse of my setup and assume wrong. 

[kodiak06]

I stopped using bait last year when I noticed my target bucks wouldn’t approach the corn
[/quote

No cover was the first problem, guessing pressure next.

🤣 you see a tiny glimpse of my setup and assume wrong.

LOL, whatever,  mature bucks are all over the internet including this forum in NE WA standing in bait pile, some only corn... Maybe pick a better photo when ya try to get a point across and no one will assume.

[hunter399]

My biggest gripe is fawn season.
I always figured the trace mineral salt helped out in the spring.
I'd been more happy with a ban just during the season.
September - December.
I feel more of a need to bait in the spring vs the fall.
I don't need to hunt over it,I want to do my part. Help the herd .
Little pre-season scouting.
So that's the bummer for me.
Always loved those fawn pics,deer putting on that healthy buck skin coat quick after winter.

Couple of my recipes for deer attractant. I was thinking of bagging it and selling it. That thought ended quickly.
I was gonna bag it in gallon ziplock and sell it.
That dream is gone.

[jasnt]

I stopped using bait last year when I noticed my target bucks wouldn’t approach the corn
[/quote

No cover was the first problem, guessing pressure next.

🤣 you see a tiny glimpse of my setup and assume wrong.

LOL, whatever,  mature bucks are all over the internet including this forum in NE WA standing in bait pile, some only corn... Maybe pick a better photo when ya try to get a point across and no one will assume.

for the record I’m 100% against the bait ban.  I stopped using it because I realized it wasn’t helping me with my goals.  I’d still prefer to be able to supplement the deer with feed and minerals for heard health.  It’s of my opinion that cwd has always been here and always will be.  We only “found“ because we tested for it. 
It’s been my experience that yes mature bucks will hit bait in the dark.  Rarely in shooting light

[finnman]

When ranchers graze on public land don’t they use mineral blocks for their cattle? What is preventing you from hunting it? What would they say if you added to the cattle blocks? What if you dropped your own mineral blocks for cattle? After all cows lives matter too.