Can’t figure this out…. Please help

SpellNC9

Six Pointer
Back in June I as given permission to hunt a customers property, a small piece of 4 acres but surrounding woods. Enough for two stands. We started to put out corn and 2 cameras to see what was there. For about a month we hd a spike and 3 does constantly at the corn. I would get 800-1000 pictures a week . Finally at week 6 we hd 3 shooters come to the camera.
we’ll soon after this I get pictures of a guy walking through my set up. I send the pictures to the owner and she calls the police. Now she is had 3-4 break ins at her house. She lives here part to me and part time at her fathers house taking care of him.
Apparently the guy was “looking for his dog” …. Which we have never heard a bark from his direction but whatever.

well this is where it gets interesting. Soon after that my corn pile is practically abandoned by all wildlife. No deer, no birds, no squirrels, no raccoons…nothing.
For the past 3 weeks I have had ZERO pictures. Nothing. How does a bait pile go from being so active to absolutely nothing and now growing mold on it?
Did this guy throw something on the bait? What else could be the answer?
 

buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
Back in June I as given permission to hunt a customers property, a small piece of 4 acres but surrounding woods. Enough for two stands. We started to put out corn and 2 cameras to see what was there. For about a month we hd a spike and 3 does constantly at the corn. I would get 800-1000 pictures a week . Finally at week 6 we hd 3 shooters come to the camera.
we’ll soon after this I get pictures of a guy walking through my set up. I send the pictures to the owner and she calls the police. Now she is had 3-4 break ins at her house. She lives here part to me and part time at her fathers house taking care of him.
Apparently the guy was “looking for his dog” …. Which we have never heard a bark from his direction but whatever.

well this is where it gets interesting. Soon after that my corn pile is practically abandoned by all wildlife. No deer, no birds, no squirrels, no raccoons…nothing.
For the past 3 weeks I have had ZERO pictures. Nothing. How does a bait pile go from being so active to absolutely nothing and now growing mold on it?
Did this guy throw something on the bait? What else could be the answer?
The answer to your question could be a variety of things.

The guy "looking for his dog" woul dnt be my first choice though.

There could be another food source that those deer have found that they prefer
over corn. That's more than likely your issue.

Give it some time ( a couple weeks ) keep your camera going to see if there's any other human activity coming and going.
 

TobyScreams

Twelve Pointer
My first thought is mast. They abandoned my camera sites abruptly two weeks ago and haven’t been back. Where I am they are eating soft mast (mostly persimmons) and acorns. They also quit eating on the standing corn nearby. I wouldn’t think your visitor did something but I wouldn’t move that camera either if it were me. Especially if he didn’t see it.
 

SpellNC9

Six Pointer
The camera works, I have pictures of when I set it up and coming in to check the card.
Acorns are everywhere there too, tons of oak trees.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The acorns are falling.....
Hunt where the deer are, not where you want them to be.
When you have 4 acres, that's called poaching.

That's an oft-repeated axiom, but the truth is the majority of private land NC hunters don't have access to hunt "where the deer are", when they want them to be there. A hunter may be on 20, 50, or 100 acres, but he often still doesn't have access to the prime bedding area or preferred food source. A hunter has to figure out how and why deer use the property he does have access to and figure out a game plan to take advantage of that. Not just in space but in time also.

The saying is true, but the reality for most is that options are limited. On 4 acres, you're just hoping to get lucky.
 

GUP

Eight Pointer
The camera works, I have pictures of when I set it up and coming in to check the card.
Acorns are everywhere there too, tons of oak trees.
If that’s the case that may be part of the problem. When you have that many oaks and acorns falling it can be hard to pin point the exact area they are feeding in. Look for fresh acorns on the ground as well as a bunch of craps laying around. Deer will pop the acorn out of the cap. If you find that mother tree with a bunch of fresh deer crap around it and it’s on your 4 acres. That’s where you need to hunt.
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Good info...thank you!!
I have plenty of acorns dropping here. I put out a corn/roasted almond and peanut mix. Deer come thru and ate the roasted nuts and left the corn. I’ve put out a crap ton of pumpkins and cut them in half and they’ve been loving them, even when I place them under oak trees dropping acorns
 
You cant hold deer on 4 acres. Most likely one of your nieghbors has a bigger corn pile or they are feeding on a natural food source. I think looking for my dog is BS by the way but I dont think he messed with the bait. Keep your camera out and if you get more pics of him call the law.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
walmart corn? It has a bad rep. Seriously i have thrown out corn that never got ate- next bags scarfed right up.
It seems that you @SpellNC9 think the trespasser tainted the site.
If your camera still works wouldnt you be able to see him in action? Throwing something on the bait?
I think we all would be curious what someone could throw on the corn that would cause them to avoid a place for three weeks.
I have some down slope trails that stymie me that i would use the stuff on.
I hope you figure it out and get some productive sits in your new spot. and i hope it's not a s...... neighbor issue.
Life is too short to have to mess with those.
 

SpellNC9

Six Pointer
I have plenty of acorns dropping here. I put out a corn/roasted almond and peanut mix. Deer come thru and ate the roasted nuts and left the corn. I’ve put out a crap ton of pumpkins and cut them in half and they’ve been loving them, even when I place them under oak trees dropping acorns
What kind of pumpkins? Sugar ones or regular?
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
The deer I can see completely leaving but not The coons even with other food source they will still wander by for bite if you were getting regular coon pics then nothing for 3 weeks something is off a week possibly but not 3 something sounding fishy there
 

stilker

Old Mossy Horns
The deer I can see completely leaving but not The coons even with other food source they will still wander by for bite if you were getting regular coon pics then nothing for 3 weeks something is off a week possibly but not 3 something sounding fishy there
Yeah I can see deer leaving for acorns but coons or squirrels will stay til it’s all gone
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
What kind of pumpkins? Sugar ones or regular?
Wish I could tell you lol. A guy was selling em outta the back of his truck . I’d like to assume they were sugar but I have no dang idea. Might be a mix of both bc they seem to look like 2 different types.
 
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