So I dumbed corn on Jan first. Check cam on the 3rd. Had one small four on Jan third around seven fourth five am. Then had antlerless buck on same day at 245pm. I checked cam at 315. So I was at home. Undressed. And debating to go or not with my bone dog. Finally, I couldn't take it so said let's go bone dog. We were out about half an hour and I said blade if u ain't gonna find em, then I'm gonna. No joke minute later I see a down tree they been hammering. Blade heads north and I turn to east to check out the tree. I walk along it focusing hard on my right into the tree. Once I get to the end I turn around and see tines and wow a base and more tines. Set laying on the other side of the trail. If u look closely I damn near stepped on it. So I call blade over and wrap him up tight and get a picture because now he is drolling to get to em. He is crazy good and out found me 36 to 15 last year. I'll put pics in multiple posts. Thanks
Duluth Minnesota. This spot always has early drops. Three years ago I put a camera out on Jan 5th and had two antlerless bucks. Found one side off each on Jan 14th. And the next year found one on December 21st
I'm expecting bucks to start dropping early as well with the fairly hard start to the winter here in Northern WI. I have three different fork horns that are all missing one side. It might be a crazy coincidence, but it looks like all three might just be busted off right at the base of their skull. Hopefully I can grab a few by the end of the month!
So I give you 10 points for the creative title but I am docking you 5 for misspelling "dumped" as dumbed...
Is this a good idea? I keep reading that dumping corn at this time of year will kill deer that haven't eaten corn in a while. I'm assuming your deer in Duluth haven't had corn in a while unless a non hunter was feeding them it (for out of state people baiting is illegal here and our season ended Dec 31st). We've had snow for a while and not too many cornfields up in the Duluth area. I put out a salt block the other day in front of a camera instead of corn for this reason. I'm curious if you do this every year and how much corn you supply and for how long? If the same deer return every year than that would be interesting. The Do Don't Feed the Deer: How Corn Can Be a Killer | Field & Stream Feeding corn to deer could be death sentence - Farm and Dairy "Digestion problems The problem is that deer digestion is a finely tuned physiological process. Just the right combination of microorganisms, enzymes, and pH enable deer to digest a normal winter diet of woody vegetation. When offered a sudden supply of corn, a deer’s digestive system doesn’t have time to adjust to a high carbohydrate diet. The result can be acute acidosis followed by death within 72 hours. At the time of death these individuals can appear normal and well fed. It’s just that they cannot digest the corn. Within six hours, corn alters the environment in the rumen. It turns the rumen acidic and destroys the microbes needed for normal digestion. Not all deer die immediately from acidosis. Its effects vary with the age and health of the individual. Some may simply slow down, get clumsy, and become easy prey to speeding traffic and hungry coyotes. It takes deer two to four weeks of feeding on a new food source to establish populations of microbes necessary to digest the new food. It can’t happen in just a few days during a snowstorm. And healthy individuals that might survive in the short term often succumb to complications weeks later." Thoughts anyone?
I am still feeding em. A seven and eight still showing up. The situation with negatives and positives with feeding deer is an interesting debate. I believe right now when we have little snow, there is very little affect to the deer. They have ample food supply. I believe the issue where feeding deer corn could be a poor idea would be in areas deer normally don't winter. What I mean by this let's say u have a large herd of deer wintering in a certain area and u feed them. They winter there because that's where the food source is. Now if u start feeding them I highly doubt it has a negative impact. I believe the largest problem is people who start feeding deer in early December or late November in areas they don't winter. There is no browse or cover. I think that's a bad idea. Unless they really feed an extreme amount that can support their herd. So even given my beliefs, if feeding deer can be harmful or as studies claim are harmful, then why would the dnr give out free corn and encourage the feeding of deer four years ago when we had all that snow? Sure seems odds that they tell you not to feed deer and then encourage it during a hard winter. Anyhow, I usually feed once a week in a popular area they get plenty of browse in and I'm would venture to guess it has a minimal effect on their health positive or negative. Oh and in the deep snow years I don't feed cause I'm not walking through it lol
I'm sure the local media said the DNR was just dumping out corn during that snowy winter a few years ago but it was actually a mixture of ingredients that deer can handle in the winter. Feed deer? Minnesota DNR will, with a sigh – Twin Cities "A pellet mixture will be used that winter forest- feeding deer can handle. (Deer stomachs accustomed to woody food can’t handle a sudden diet of corn; it can kill them.)" DNR to allow emergency deer feeding in northern Minnesota - StarTribune.com "A special pellet mix that can be easily digested by deer is expected to be used. Straight corn, wildlife officials say, is too "hot" and could cause whitetails to bloat and die." If the deer you're feeding haven't had corn in a while and all of a sudden are eating lot's of corn for their meals you could be doing them unintentianal harm, according to numerous on-line articles some of which I've included in my previous post. I'm sure there are places in your area that you could buy the corn/pellet mixture they can safely digest.
Ok u need to calm down. The deer are fine. There is an inch of snow. No deer are starving or gonna die from corn. Lol
