What is "deer bait"?

[Tom7227]

Just about any store you to into right now that sells hunting gear has dozens of products that are obviously designed to attract deer. Are they "bait"?

If it's illegal to use why can they sell the stuff?

[vister]

"bait" is considered to be things like fruits and vegetables, grains, hay, etc. salts and minerals are NOT baits. fruit flavored salt and mineral licks are not bait, unless it contains actual grains and pieces of fruit in it.

[Shack]

Tom7227,

Vister is correct!

Here is the regs right from the manual!

Quote:

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Hunting Method Restri ctions

Bait

• Liquid scents, salt, and minerals are not considered bait, unless they

contain other foods defined below as bait.

• “Bait” is grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, or other food that is capable

of attracting or enticing deer and that has been transported and placed

by a person.

• This restriction

does not apply to foods resulting from normal

or accepted

farming, forest management,

wildlife food plantings, orchard management,

or similar land management

activities.

• The restriction does not apply to a person hunting on their own property,

when the person has not participated in, been involved with, or

agreed to feeding wildlife on adjacent land owned by another person.

• Hunters are not allowed to use bait or hunt in the vicinity of bait that

the hunter knows about or has reason to know about or hunt in the

vicinity where bait has been placed within the previous ten days.

---

[Tom7227]

Do you have to look at or know the contents of the magic material you buy at Gander to know whether you're baiting or not?

The regs :

• “Bait” is grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, or other food that is capable of attracting or enticing deer and that has been transported and placed by a person."

What good are salt and mineral blocks this time of year? Doesn't that stuff have to be in place early in the year to impact antler growth?

Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem to me that if you can't get a deer this year you didn't spend enough time in the woods or you have no clue what you're doing. The TV shows that have more deer in a field than you can count, and the ads that tout these materials, simply foster the idea that everyone is going to succeed and it won't take more than a few minutes - usually 29 with the commercials.

Obviously a lot of people think the stuff works because there are thousands of dollars of it on the shelves in the store. I'm just wondering when it crosses into something that is questionable.

[Shack]

Yes, you have to read and make sure!

Quote:

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• Liquid scents, salt, and minerals are not considered bait, unless they

contain other foods defined below as bait.

---

I have seen liquid and mineral dust draw deer in with in three or four days after applying it to ground! It also helps if it rains, this helps it spread in soil and deer dig and lick at ground!

This stuff works great for trail cams, but for hunting is another story!

I placed a trail cam in an area that had little or no signs of deer cutting threw that I could see. I Sprinkled stuff on ground and with in three days deer where licking area and scrapping ground. This was only does and no bucks. The kicker was it was only at night! So for hunting during the day light hours, this stuff might not work the best! For trail cams, it works great!

[analyzer]

As far as I know, bucks don't really eat during the rut. They're too preoccupied with chasing does...

[Shack]

That thought had crossed my mind, but this is really not eating! If they where eating, it would be illegal.

[vister]

i personally believe salt and mineral blocks are more productive the year after they were placed. by then they had dissolved a bunch and the deer start eating the dirt that has the salt and minerals in it. that way the salt block isn't so salty. breaking them with a hammer or of the liking speeds up the process, just watch your eyes. that salt burns if a chip gets in your eyes.

[shogun]

Quote:

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As far as I know, bucks don't really eat during the rut. They're too preoccupied with chasing does...

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That is true, but the does eat and the bucks are going to be wherever the does are.

[Shack]

I sprinkled Black magic on the log I set up as a stump a couple weeks ago, to see what I could get on my new trail cam. With in three days, I got my first images. They were all does and they love this stump. It seems they lick and have even been pushing it around and off to the side. They have started scrapping where I put the stuff on the ground and there is a hole starting now.

I have not had trail cam out in a week or so, because all I get are does.