Rescue44
Old Mossy Horns
Has anyone ever wondered if mature smart bucks may have learned to associate corn that's been put out with danger? Had an incident late one season that made think about this.
Corn and mature buck question
- Thread starter Rescue44
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Deerhuntr
Ten Pointer
I think it’s more of a human scent issue around corn and camera locations. Some folks tend to get careless when baiting and checking cards.
bowhuntingrook
Old Mossy Horns
In order to put the corn out your putting your scent in the area. They don't like your scent and they're going to approach it downwind knowing your scent is always around it or they will avoid it all together, maybe visit it at night. A bunch of guys are going to post exceptions to this, but they never saw the smart ones that skirted their cornpile.
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Downeast
Twelve Pointer
If you ever look at a deer skull and compare the braincase with the size of their muzzle and eye sockets they are almost the same size. That should tell you something about what their brains compare and analyze. Basically four legged robots. Smell danger, freeze and run away. See danger, freeze and run away. Hear danger, freeze and run away. If you have ever played around with a captive ("tame") deer you quickly realize that they ain't very bright.
nchawkeye
Old Mossy Horns
A few years back, one of my buddies told us this story one morning at breakfast...All summer he had been feeding deer a half a 5 gallon bucket of corn in a field behind his home each afternoon...So, over Thanksgiving his grandson comes over to hunt and he takes him on the back of his 4wheeler, puts him in the stand and goes back to the house...He gets back, cuts off the 4wheeler and starts into the home, his grandson shoots....He calls on the radio and tells grandpa he just shot a buck, so he goes back in his 4wheeler, loads the buck on the 4wheeler and starts back to the house....He had no sooner gotten back and was starting on skinning then the boy shoots again, another nice buck!!!
So, yes, bucks can associate feeding with humans....
So, yes, bucks can associate feeding with humans....
Buxndiverdux
Old Mossy Horns
Big old bucks don’t come to corn in daylight. Everyone knows that.
Ol Copper
Twelve Pointer
My FIL has set some cameras back a ways from a corn pile this year. He has consistently captured pics of a mature buck watching a corn pile from about 85-90 yds away.
He will not come to the corn unless there are other deer already there.
If you only had a cam on that pile you'd never know that buck existed...unless you knew how to find him in other ways besides just sitting there guarding that corn.
He will not come to the corn unless there are other deer already there.
If you only had a cam on that pile you'd never know that buck existed...unless you knew how to find him in other ways besides just sitting there guarding that corn.
perfectroadglide
Ten Pointer
I have spikes, yearlings, and occasional does in corn, but rarely ever mature bucks. I sometimes have pictures of big bucks in the back ground, but I believe their just checking does.
Hunterreed
Twelve Pointer
I have put cameras on scrapes that got pictures of bucks that never come to corn every year for as long as trail cameras have been affordable to me. Some older bucks may visit a baited area a few times while bucks are hanging together over the summer but that's rare here. There is always one or two that never get close,and they are always the largest bucks I see. I'm talking about corn and baited areas spread over 600 plus acres so it's not because of where the bait is placed and has been the same result for decades. It's got to be learned behavior because these bucks had to have fed on corn the first few years of life and I almost never shoot deer at baited locations. The old does don't have a problem coming to corn but bucks are different, they become individual animals that act on their own instincts instead of behaving like herd animals. Animals don't have brain capacity to reason why something happens but they can have learned behavior over time
dobber
Old Mossy Horns
The majority of bucks that have been shot on my place have been passing through or checking the bait area, there have only been a handful that actually fed at the bait.
Typically anything bigger than a 150" won't stop off at the bait till well after the rut and worn down, but like everything else there is no stopping a deer doing whatever it wants to do
Typically anything bigger than a 150" won't stop off at the bait till well after the rut and worn down, but like everything else there is no stopping a deer doing whatever it wants to do
BOWHUNTER137
Six Pointer
Bucks come to corn when your not there look at the time
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
if mature bucks did not come to corn; carolina sportsman magazine would have no tales and central zone taxidermists would starve.
do they waltz in when they smell you?
Do they exercise caution once they pick you off guarding the pile?
usually not but a doe in heat even trumps that sometimes.
easy way to not worry about them avoiding corn, cheap too.
Hunt without it.
Everybody guarding a cornpile isnt doing it for chew toys for the dog. It is THE way most mature bucks get killed in central NC.
do they waltz in when they smell you?
Do they exercise caution once they pick you off guarding the pile?
usually not but a doe in heat even trumps that sometimes.
easy way to not worry about them avoiding corn, cheap too.
Hunt without it.
Everybody guarding a cornpile isnt doing it for chew toys for the dog. It is THE way most mature bucks get killed in central NC.
I 100% agree with this. I’d wager that most mature bucks these days fall to corn and I believe it’s more now than it used to be. I don’t know about others areas, but I know of 6 bait piles within 1000 yards of my core hunting area and it has been that way for years. This means that those mature bucks don’t know anything different in this core area. I’d say this is true of most heavily hunted areas.
I’ve killed some nice bucks eating corn, but it’s always been within 5 minutes of legal shooting light. My best bucks have come from 300 yards or so away from a bait pile skirting really thick cover. My favorite way to hunt bait is to have a pile in standing timber that’s bordering a swamp or cutover. I’ll have 2-3 access points for multiple winds and I’ll hunt the thick areas while still being able to see the corn 100-300 yards away. I’ve taken many this way that would’ve never made it to corn in daylight.
I also don’t believe it’s the chess match the YouTube warriors would lead you to believe. A bait pile in a good unpressured area is somewhere a deer wants to be. If you hunt with wind in your face in that area enough hours, you’ll kill a mature buck there routinely. Just don’t bait and check cards every 5 days, be smart about your scent.
Very rare unless they are chasing tail.
How frequently have you seen this buck at the pile during daylight?
We keep our feeder loaded with corn year round on a drip (1x daily for 30 sec) to minimize trips into area. I typically see the mature bucks hit the corn once every week or two during daylight (rare) unless they are after more than corn! Now they are there every night at 12a or early in morning at 4:30-5....agree with a lot of comments - it’s all about scent control
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
well we can tell you what the problem is.
they dont like feeders in NC. that's been established here many times.
I am only quoting those folks here that weighed in on that discussion. I have never used a feeder.
UncleFester
Old Mossy Horns
The outfitter I go to in Kentucky told me that he believes the deer are more disturbed by odd patterns more than anything. He's constantly year round putting out corn/minerals/supplements and riding around on UTV's. He says he sees mature deer standing around looking at him often. Even though I didn't shoot my KY buck this year at the corn pile there were several pictures of him at it during the day. I just took the one of him at night because I liked the look of the picture better. I think he was sorta mature. I tend to agree with Francis...
Helium
Old Mossy Horns
Bucks no better than to think corn grows in middle of woods... BUT I agree it’s a hunting pressure type thing.
We supplement feed during off season in VA (only time it’s legal)... and have big bucks visiting free choice feeders with no problem..
I’d say it would be a different story during hunting season
Bean
Eight Pointer
Maybe it’s your feeder?! I don’t hunt over a feeder but have plenty of nice bucks on camera with the feeder 10 feet away.well we can tell you what the problem is.
they dont like feeders in NC. that's been established here many times.
I am only quoting those folks here that weighed in on that discussion. I have never used a feeder.
I used to believe that a fully mature buck was too smart to come to corn. In putting out the bait we leave our scent, no way around that. Being extra careful with how you do it can reduce that scent and can increase the chance that a mature buck will come in daylight. I had the chance to see with my eyes the response of a mature buck when it smelled my scent several years ago. I had wounded a 4 1/2 year old buck on opening day of the bow season with my poorly shot arrow in 2007. That deer never returned to my baited area the whole hunting season and I did not get any photos from my trail cameras. The next year I was baiting a place near where I wounded the buck and I would walk down a fence line in a grazed pasture and throw the corn across into the rough border. My thinking was he would never cross the open pasture to get to the corn so would not detect my presence. It was just a couple of weeks till the bow season and one day I was running late.... my rubber boots were elsewhere so I went in my tennis shoes down the fence line throwing the corn. That afternoon I climbed into a stand about 75 yards away- an observation stand that I used to watch the area. As luck would have it, the buck did come across the open pasture and when he hit my stinking trail he went ballistic and whirled around- ran back the way he had come from and I never saw him that whole season again, never got another photo on my cameras that year. 2009 I killed that buck on opening day of the bow season, coming to corn that was intensely and carefully placed - he was 6 1/2 years old. I think bait can work on any deer but it has to be put in a place that he feels comfortable in daylight. That's a tough order to fill. In the right place and put there in the most careful way a mature buck is as easy to kill as any doe BUT everything has to be just right. Simply baiting a spot that you hope to kill a deer most times will not work on a mature buck.
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Couldn’t agree more. I don’t have a feeder to hunt over...more so to hold deer on the property; along with several food plots.
georgeeebuck
Ten Pointer
Some years I put out a little corn but most years I don't. Most daytime sitings of older bucks eating corn seem to come in areas where I have hand corned an area by scarring it out real thin over a larger area as opposed to a feeder or in a pile. This seems to work best when put out before bow season to try and get a group of bucks using it before they break up from their summer groups or a week or so before full rut to get as many does as possible using in the area. By scarring it out thin deer seem more at ease and take more time picking at it .This gives more shots at calm bucks and more scent on the ground from the does. At my place almost all my neighbors will have a corn and apple pile. I have had good success in hunting trails first thing in the morning with bucks coming back to my place for the thick cover from my neighbors piles. This always tickles me.
Deerhuntr
Ten Pointer
The best way I’ve found to put out corn is to put out 8-10 bags at a time spread over an area. The reason is so you are not making frequent trips into the area and I only bait in the middle of the day. This has worked better for me and I get daytime pictures every year of mature bucks but I have limited time to hunt so I’m usually not the one that gets lucky enough to pull the trigger.
MJ74
Old Mossy Horns
I normally only put corn in front of my cameras in easy to get to spots just to see whats around, not necessarily to try and pattern deer.
I have some mature bucks on the corn but just about always at night, but the areas I feed are normally field edges and most all deer movement is night anyway. I have the occasional daytime pic.
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I have some mature bucks on the corn but just about always at night, but the areas I feed are normally field edges and most all deer movement is night anyway. I have the occasional daytime pic.
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I like the mid day trips to check cards and/or top off feeders, etc.
Always have a few cameras on scrapes. Tend to catch big bucks visiting them quite frequently.
The last two big bucks I have killed have had the nose in the corn. Prior to those two, I had never seen it happen. Not saying they are huge, but large and mature for the area. 130s deer and both over 4 years old. Both were shot from a stand over 100 yds from the corn and I only hunted when the wind was right.
Prior to those two, I had never seen a nice buck on corn. I had even a sparse few when I decided to hunt random spots.
I still say other tools besides corn are more efficient to find big bucks. Major travel areas, scrape/rub lines. Field edges. A few yards inside the wood lines around cutovers or a field.
I don’t think they like coming out in the open much at all.
All that being said, I haven’t seen any evidence of big ones this year in person or on camera. Haven’t seen big tracks either.
Prior to those two, I had never seen a nice buck on corn. I had even a sparse few when I decided to hunt random spots.
I still say other tools besides corn are more efficient to find big bucks. Major travel areas, scrape/rub lines. Field edges. A few yards inside the wood lines around cutovers or a field.
I don’t think they like coming out in the open much at all.
All that being said, I haven’t seen any evidence of big ones this year in person or on camera. Haven’t seen big tracks either.
kilerhamilton
Old Mossy Horns
Let me add my two cent.
Corn is a tool.
Learn to use your tools.
If you don’t know how to use your tools don’t expect your tools to work.
I could write a book on my opinion but I’m not. [emoji23]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Corn is a tool.
Learn to use your tools.
If you don’t know how to use your tools don’t expect your tools to work.
I could write a book on my opinion but I’m not. [emoji23]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk