Deer have been the subject of man’s hunting, be it survival or sports hunting, for thousands of years. Throughout the years, they have become smarter with avoiding human contact and have learned how to hide from sight. Mankind in turn, have become better hunters by hunting with baits.
They then in turn use different types of bait to attract them to their stands.
Hunting is a seasonal activity and has been regulated this past century for fear of over hunting. This regulation would also let the population increase their number. For this reasons, certain regulations have been passed to protect females and younger ones from hunting.
Hunting with Baits
Bait Hunting
Using bait to attract deer is an age-old technique that some hunters brag about. However, most hunters from regions where bait hunting is not allowed would usually scoff at them for not doing straight up hunting. This hunting would usually involve the ancient techniques of stalking, camouflaging and tracking to spot and kill the best-sized animals you can find.
This does not mean that you should not try out bait hunting. It is a valid hunting technique that can help you bag one quicker. Try this technique and let the heads roll in. Pun intended.
More Information
Bait hunting is a method of hunting, as a means to attract them. The main concept here is to set-up a baited area that has a clear view from the main stand, as well as from the one or more other stands in your area.
The reason that this works is that they are attracted to the smell of the items that they consume. In addition, they would, of course, try to find it. This is especially true during late autumn or winter, sometimes even during early spring, where food is scarce, and these animals have not had foliage to munch on yet.
The bait area is where they would head to, and since you have a clear view from a portable deer blind, you can go ahead and sight them with your scope and fire at will. This works for one or two and three at the most. This is because they do have some form of extra-sensory perception and would know if killing has been done in an area. If you want to bag more than these number, you may want to use the following bait hunting tips and tricks.
Understanding More: Diet
Deer are plant-eaters and would often go for nuts, grains, and fruits. If these food items are scarce, then they sometimes would graze on grass and whatever plant is available.
For the most part, they like to munch on wildflowers, grass and even farmed vegetables like potatoes, beans, and wheat. Most hunters would use a mix of grains, like corn and wheat, some fruits and a lot of vegetables as bait. You can even mix in some grass if you want to.
Check the Wind Direction
Ideally, a bait site should be placed upwind in a clear area, and blinds further upwind or parallel to the bait site. Never place your blinds downwind as this would carry your foul human smell to the noses of the animals and alert them that there are enemies nearby.
Track to Attract the Big Game
If you want to bag a bigger buck than the usual ones that gets shot at near bait sites, then hone your tracking skills and start stalking that mature buck. Yes, they have better evasive skills, that does not mean that these sets don’t get attracted to the bait. Once again, answering the question, how to attract them, is helpful here.
Stalk larger ones and find where they usually would graze or sleep and try to set-up a bait site near these areas without alerting them. Once you’ve set-up the bait feeder site, move away and take cover behind a tree or a mound that is still upwind but must have a clear view of your bait.
Take to the Stands
Most hunting regions would require hunters to remain at the pre-installed hunting stands at all times. This ensures minimal human interaction, and you would not pollute the entire area with your human smell.
Use Multiple Sights and Sites
Setting up a backup stand is also advisable as it gives you the ability to move between trees and provides you with multiple angles to shoot at them If your hunting area is pretty large, you can set-up multiple feeders as well. This gives you more areas to watch out for approaching them.
Cover Your Tracks
This is a standard practice among hunters. Especially for those who know how to stalk and track their prey. What they would do is they would erase signs of their movement around the forest by righting stones and unbending grass and branches, as if nothing passed them at all. This task may seem tedious, but it does trick them into thinking that a human has not gone this way yet.
Some hunters would even go as far as rubbing foliage on themselves to mask the all too human smell. A few hunters have also gone and attached twigs and leaves on their hunting clothes to blend in with the surroundings better.
Clean up the Bait Site
Majority of hunters would set-up their blinds close to trails and fire roads so they would have easy access. This is especially since they would need to move the carcass of what they shot as soon as possible. This helps mask the violence done around the area, and it allows for faster cleanup of the bait site.
Probably the main reason why hunters look down on bait hunting is that they have not tried it. This can be followed by them finding deer is too easy. This is in comparison to the more traditional approach.
Conclusion
But no matter what other hunters say, learning more about how to answer the question, is testing with bait hunting is a valid technique. This has been used for many years and it works. It’s comparable to bait fishing and bear hunting. In other words, you need to learn how to attract deer to your feeder so you can bag them. Not everybody has the time to train and use traditional hunting methods. However, whatever the case may be, do not be afraid to try out hunting with baits.
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