When/Where to move feeder for deer season ?

[amboy49]

I've had a deer feeder filled with corn over the winter and into the summer in my hunting area. Archery deer season opens October 1st in Indiana. Realizing my feeder must be taken down/removed 30 days in advance I pulled it from the woods today. The raccoons will undoubtedly remove the kernels of corn in short order.

The question becomes: Where can I relocate the feeder to that will be sufficient distance a game warden can't site me for "baiting ?" How far away from my stand(s) ? My historic interaction with the DNR hasn't been very amiable. I've never been cited for any offenses nor do I wish to be. However, my experience is that game wardens employ a LOT of their own set of rules to interpret proximity or travel pattern(s) which might or might not be illegal. My concern is that an overzealous game warden may decide, in his judgement, that my feeder is too close - regardless of the distance.

And to really start an argument - why is it permissible to plant any number of food plots and hunt directly over it - but any feeder/mineral or other attractant not allowed ? How is it different ?

 

[cg21]

I've had a deer feeder filled with corn over the winter and into the summer in my hunting area. Archery deer season opens October 1st in Indiana. Realizing my feeder must be taken down/removed 30 days in advance I pulled it from the woods today. The raccoons will undoubtedly remove the kernels of corn in short order.

The question becomes: Where can I relocate the feeder to that will be sufficient distance a game warden can't site me for "baiting ?" How far away from my stand(s) ? My historic interaction with the DNR hasn't been very amiable. I've never been cited for any offenses nor do I wish to be. However, my experience is that game wardens employ a LOT of their own set of rules to interpret proximity or travel pattern(s) which might or might not be illegal. My concern is that an overzealous game warden may decide, in his judgement, that my feeder is too close - regardless of the distance.

And to really start an argument - why is it permissible to plant any number of food plots and hunt directly over it - but any feeder/mineral or other attractant not allowed ? How is it different ?

I remove the feeders completely during season because I have a smaller property and I like to hunt it all. But if you had a “sanctuary“ type sacrifice area I wouldn’t see throwing it over there to be an issue. but As it is with law in general it is vague where they want it vague.

and as for plot vs bait…… if there is no difference why dont you plant a food plot???

 

[Hoosier Carry]

Feeders are for pet deer

 

[cg21]

Feeders are for pet deer

Well……. I live on a farm…. We eat all of the pets

 

[HuntMeister]

I would contact your local CO and ask what would be acceptable.

 

[patience0830]

I'd remove the feeder until after the season. Has to be ten days b4 and you have to remove affected dirt as well if you had a mineral lick. I won't risk my hunting privileges by taking any chances.

 

[two70]

Just stop filling the feeder until after hunting season ends. There's no reason to move it if you're not using it to feed.

 

[Michigan Slim]

They don't need your corn. Just pull it. In Michigan I feed all year but it's only to see them in the yard. I will dump it heavy in the winter though. I don't bait my stands.

 

[phylodog]

I would contact your local CO and ask what would be acceptable.

This is the best approach. The code leaves much up to the individual CO to apply as he/she sees fit. We typically feed in July and August just to get an idea of what deer we've got on the farm and stop putting any corn out come September when we plant the fall plots.

We've always maintained a mineral site or two on our farms. We try to locate them where we won't be hunting anywhere near them but we've also asked several COs over the years to take a look at our setup and make sure we're doing what we should to avoid any problems.

 

[amboy49]

Feeders are for pet deer

Please advise how feeders are different from planting a food plot ?

 

[two70]

Please advise how feeders are different from planting a food plot ?

Try and plant a food plot the size of your bait pile and you will find out pretty quick how they are different.

 

[Creedmoor]

Please advise how feeders are different from planting a food plot ?

They are not, its one of those feel good laws in some States. We can hunt deer over bait in Maryland.
Its been stopped in a few counties over the last 10 years or so for a bit over Cronic Waste problems.
Unless you're hunting at or after dusk, odds are you're not going to bag a deer on my familys farm while they are munching on corn and molasses.

Im a firm believer in having the best food plots in the valley.

 

[Hoosier Carry]

Please advise how feeders are different from planting a food plot ?

I was just ribbing you amboy.

To answer your question,
A feeder or baited site will draw the deer to an exact spot whereas the plot opens up a bigger area not allowing you to set up an easy 20 yard chip shot. You are right that they both essentially the same thing.
You’re spending money to better your odds.

It’s why I feel youth see hunting as a money sport because that’s what most everybody does now. Instead of tracking, reading deer sign, and knowing how to set up on deer, they know the basic is to get food out and hunt over it. Thankfully I’ve never had the bug to do foodplots or corn piles. My Down fall is having too many stands as I like to move around a lot.

 

[greg]

They are not, its one of those feel good laws in some States. We can hunt deer over bait in Maryland.
Its been stopped in a few counties over the last 10 years or so for a bit over Cronic Waste problems.
Unless you're hunting at or after dusk, odds are you're not going to bag a deer on my familys farm while they are munching on corn and molasses.

Im a firm believer in having the best food plots in the valley.

Try growing a food plot in the woods next to a tree stand…. Or take a bag of corn and dump it out next to stand!

You’re soon learn the difference…. The are far from being the same.

 

[phylodog]

I was just ribbing you amboy.

To answer your question,
A feeder or baited site will draw the deer to an exact spot whereas the plot opens up a bigger area not allowing you to set up an easy 20 yard chip shot. You are right that they both essentially the same thing.
You’re spending money to better your odds.

It’s why I feel youth see hunting as a money sport because that’s what most everybody does now. Instead of tracking, reading deer sign, and knowing how to set up on deer, they know the basic is to get food out and hunt over it. Thankfully I’ve never had the bug to do foodplots or corn piles. My Down fall is having too many stands as I like to move around a lot.

We plant a lot of food for the deer but have rarely killed over it. I don't enjoy hunting over food plots but we put them in to bring and hold deer on the property. The presence of a good food source (other than corn/beans if you're in ag country) can have a dramatic affect on the number of deer visiting or living on a particular piece of ground. We've had a good bit of success using small plots to turn otherwise deer barren areas into good hunting locations.

 

[Hoosier Carry]

We plant a lot of food for the deer but have rarely killed over it. I don't enjoy hunting over food plots but we put them in to bring and hold deer on the property. The presence of a good food source (other than corn/beans if you're in ag country) can have a dramatic affect on the number of deer visiting or living on a particular piece of ground. We've had a good bit of success using small plots to turn otherwise deer barren areas into good hunting locations.

I agree with you on your reason for food plots attracting deer, but I enjoy prime bedding over the desire to plant food. I think deer do well with the food we grow ag wise.
Granted it doesn’t provide the boom growth of antlers but like you stated you rarely shoot over plots anyways. Thick bedding has always proved to be good holding power plus allows more shot opportunities than open fields. You may see them in the fields but that doesn’t do much when they aren’t close. Plus bedding is the gold when the rut is going on. IMO bedding is what I would focus on building. Figuring out how to hunt close to bedding without pushing deer away is the most successful opportunity you can do.

 

[Creedmoor]

We plant a lot of food for the deer but have rarely killed over it. I don't enjoy hunting over food plots but we put them in to bring and hold deer on the property. The presence of a good food source (other than corn/beans if you're in ag country) can have a dramatic affect on the number of deer visiting or living on a particular piece of ground. We've had a good bit of success using small plots to turn otherwise deer barren areas into good hunting locations.

Exactly.

 

[Creedmoor]

Try growing a food plot in the woods next to a tree stand…. Or take a bag of corn and dump it out next to stand!

You’re soon learn the difference…. The are far from being the same.

I know the difference my friend, I grew up in a State that you can bait, did you?
Now shooting outside of legal hunting hours and that bait pile will win.
In the last 10 to 50+ years of hunting my brother, my sons and myself have killed very few deer over bait piles of corn and molasses, very few.

 

[greg]

I know the difference my friend, I grew up in a State that you can bait, did you?
Now shooting outside of legal hunting hours and that bait pile will win.
In the last 10 to 50+ years of hunting my brother, my sons and myself have killed very few deer over bait piles of corn and molasses, very few.

You don’t have to grow up baiting to understand the difference…. Baiting is a hit or miss but it can be King!

 

[phylodog]

I think there's a misconception out there that deer will come to a bait pile and hang out all day. Aside from a couple of does over the years who have bedded down within a few feet a corn pile they don't seem to linger at them any longer than they do any other food source. They wander up, munch a few bites and continue on their way. They spend significantly more time on a food plot than a pile but they're constantly moving.

That's been my experience here in Indiana. I did a little bit of hunting in central Texas back in the mid 90's and killed my first deer over a feeder. They don't have the food down there like they do up here and as I sat in that blind and watched the gently sloping hillside scattered with cedar bushes, cactus and rocks I figured someone was playing a joke on me because there was no way deer could survive in any numbers in that environment. Then the feeder kicked on and started spittin corn out and I swear I thought the deer and goats were coming up out of holes in the ground. They knew exactly what that sound was and exactly what time it was going to go off.

Hunted a small patch of ground down near College Station many times as well. The owner would bring apples and throw them on the ground a day or two before we'd come down (he wanted us to kill as many as we could lawfully). I never once saw a deer walk over to those apples.

I don't have strong feelings about it either way. I won't hunt bait in Indiana if/when they make it legal. I am very blessed to spend most every day between Halloween and Thanksgiving in the woods so I'm in no rush and a tag sandwich isn't difficult for me to swallow. If I'm paying hundreds, if not thousands to hunt a couple of days for a crack at a nice velvet or during the rut in Kentucky I'll gladly take the slight advantage it may provide.