Is it possible to kill big deer not using corn?

I noticed this also, but the bigger bucks were simply checking for does. They would stand back a good ways from the corn and survey the area for a hot doe (early Nov), then leave without even eating a lot of the time. But, when a decent buck would come into the corn all the other deer would be intimidated and back off until the buck got his fill. There is definitely a hierarchy when feeding at these piles!! It was very interesting to watch. I also noticed that the MATURE does ain't no joke when it comes to picking you off!!!!! Every time one would come in she was on super high alert, checking everything out thoroughly before committing to eating the corn. I actually thought the bucks, regardless of maturity, were less cautious than the mature does. At least these were my observations while doing all day sits. Like I said, it was one of the most enjoyable hunts I've been on and I didn't even kill a buck.

 

What about out of state hunters? lol

 

From what I experienced, I'd have to say the turkeys were eating more than their share of corn at the piles too. I saw roughly 75 of them in 4 days of hunting! I saw a flock of about 14 gobblers one day. I never saw so many turkeys in one place in my life. It was really neat!

 

Love it!

 

Nobody comes to Minnesota from other states to hunt there are no decent bucks here.

 

Not killing giant bucks does not mean you're not a good hunter. I'm pretty sure I've been hunting much longer than you have (I'm 60), and I have yet to kill a P&Y buck like you have done. You need to hunt where big bucks live, and where I hunt there are few bucks in the P&Y class. I have now hunted once in Ohio and 5 times in Alberta and still not killed a BIG buck, but I still consider myself a good hunter. I've killed lots of deer with my bow, just no BIG bucks. When you have only a matter of a few days (hunting out of state), or even an entire week to hunt, it makes it more difficult to kill a big buck. It's not like you have the entire season to devote your time to killing a big buck, everything is squeezed into a small window of time which makes it much more of a long shot downing a giant.

 

Yea, I did a great job of picking a career that limits my time in the woods.

 

Yup, I quit saving turkey pics for the most part.

 

I think using bait reduces the chance of bigger mature buck. Most people hunt directly over the bait and the mature bucks learn they just have to wait till after dark to eat up.

 

I have an acquaintance who kills a 4.5 or 5.5 year old deer with a compound bow over bait every fall. So does his bride. His typical set up is a lock-on with sweet potatoes deployed at 20 yards on trails to his food plots.

It's a highly managed property. If you shoot a buck there, you must have it mounted. Over 1,000 acres and there might be four pairs of boots on the land the entire deer season, and he is strict about access for those hunters. My point in mentioning this is if you want to shoot an older buck, you need to hunt where all bucks feel safe. A buck who has grown up around bait without anything scaring him treats corn or sweet potatoes like a naturally occurring mast.

 

Like I mentioned in post #4, the young man who hosted me in Ohio last season has a room full of BIG bucks taken with his bow over corn. He puts the time in and patterns them well during Sept-Oct. He kills a BIG buck almost every year over the corn.

 

Baiting is illegal in Iowa, so apparently it can be done without corn piles.

 

ROFL!

 

That's because Iowa is just one big food plot.

 

It’s just a tool in a toolbox.

Never understood why shooting a deer over bait is “less” of an accomplishment.

There’s years I won’t bait at all, others I will, all depends on the situation.


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In a controlled setting I believe that it could be possible. Setting up between bedding and the pile. I just think it is veryyy unlikely to see a mature deer over the bait during hunting hours.

 

Very unlikely...lol



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I do it where it's legal and don't give a bear-sized bowel movement if anyone else approves. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself for what he allows.

 

at times I have baited with corn for beginners to utilize so they see deer, my benefit is during the seek and chase phase I sit funnels leading towards the bait site--usually aboiut 200 to 300 yards away usually downwind, have done well with nice bucks searching for hot babes

 

As someone that does bait in a state that it is legal and we have a tiny 2 gallon limit I can tell you to be successful over bait takes twice as much work if not 10x the amount of work non baiters do. I also consider food plots bait because they were placed there by people.
So non baiters scout and find "something" that shows them they improve their odds by hunting there, set up shop and either hunt there ALL year (what I see most often) or start over again after a few sits looking for a new spot.
When I bait, I am running cameras all over the place on public land spread out 11 miles north and south and 6-7 miles east to west. Its a 45 minute drive just to get to them and it takes me a solid 4+ hours to check half of my cameras then a 45 min drive home. When I find a good deer I want to hunt I have to move cameras around several times with bait to try to figure out what area he is going to feel comfortable showing up in during daylight. Once I have that spot set up I have to keep bait there 24/7 (usually have to bait every other day) or any pattern he develops goes out the window. I always want him to know there was corn left when he left the bait. Then I have about 3 sits to kill him. If I don't get it done I have to go find another spot and set up for him again because after 3 sits the chances of killing him are VERY slim. So I would say people can say what they want about how I hunt, but its legal and I put more time into it than any non baiters I personally know. I also don't feel any different shooting a big buck over corn as I would under an oak tree. If anything I would feel less of a hunter if I shot a big one off of private land because I feel like I "wouldn't" have done enough work and just got lucky that the deer "came" to me and I wasn't able to go to him. But that's just me and how I feel myself. If you hunt private ground... good for you. I don't think your less of a hunter for doing it. Its just not something I enjoy doing. I worry about me so that I can be successful.