Corn

[devildoghawg]

Who is still using corn for feed for whitetail?  I have done it for years, but the more I read online about it, the more it concerns me that I may be doing more harm to my deer than good.  If you aren't using corn, what are you supplementing with (ie. rice bran, oats).  I have acreage to build some large food plots, just haven't had much time this year.

[tophawg19]

food plots are better , just hard to maintain . And they are expensive on the front end cost. corn can cause the spread of disease depending on how you feed it .

[kodiakisland]

I just don't like the idea of feeding deer corn but i don't think the actual corn is what's bad for them.  Deer that live around corn fields eat it when in season and are very healthy.  I think the problem is when they eat in concentrated numbers, spreading diseases and year round when there may be better browse available.  Most deer do just fine on natural browse and don't need the corn or any other suplements except in times of severe drought or harsh winters.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

I don't use corn feeders to supplement their food, its not really very nourishing....just as an attractor to a particular area.  Luckily, we have 3 large planted fields on our lease, that the deer use all fall & winter. Impossible to hunt those fields in the morning. Hunt the woods & the corn feeders in the mornings....fields always PM.

Food plots are much better than corn feeders......just more work & expense.

[devildoghawg]

Ive also been reading that corn can cause some very severe stomach problems for deer, especially if they are consuming large amounts all at once.  So bad that it can kill them.  I guess I need to start working on getting food plots set up.  Do you guys think it is too late in the year to get a food plot going for the November modern gun hunt? Any tips to help it go faster.  I would have to do most of it by hand, I don't have the attachments for the tractor at this point to make it easier.  Ive read that roundup is the best way to start, once everything is dead rake away, then disc it all up and lay down your seeds, should be easy going from there.  I could be completely off though.

[FORTVEGAS]

I have been feeding all-stock sweet feed from tractor supply in gravity feeders, the deer love it and it is good for them.

[deshahawg]

I have been feeding all-stock sweet feed from tractor supply in gravity feeders, the deer love it and it is good for them.

do you have problems with mold or it caking up when it rains

[FORTVEGAS]

No, i don't put the feeder on the ground, i put it up about 3.5ft on the tree and it gets a little moisture but not much. The feed that hits the ground cakes up small animals seem to eat it up.

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[Albert Einswine]

Grow alfalfa plots.

[kodiakisland]

Ive also been reading that corn can cause some very severe stomach problems for deer, especially if they are consuming large amounts all at once.  So bad that it can kill them.  I guess I need to start working on getting food plots set up.  Do you guys think it is too late in the year to get a food plot going for the November modern gun hunt? Any tips to help it go faster.  I would have to do most of it by hand, I don't have the attachments for the tractor at this point to make it easier.  Ive read that roundup is the best way to start, once everything is dead rake away, then disc it all up and lay down your seeds, should be easy going from there.  I could be completely off though.

The problem is feeding a deer corn in the winter if they have not been eating any.  They usually will not have the enzymes in their guts to digest it.  They can have full bellys and still starve to death.  That's pretty extreme though and not very likely.  I mean, what deer isn't eating corn these days?

I still think eating natural browse is much better for them than suplemental feedings.

[tophawg19]

corn is low protein . an animal can literally starve on it if that was all they had . it's really just a filler. it's not the corn but the dirt mixed that spreads disease

[195bc]

corn is low protein . an animal can literally starve on it if that was all they had . it's really just a filler. it's not the corn but the dirt mixed that spreads disease

Not quite. Corn is around 8% protein and full of carbs and small amounts of other nutrients. An animal can sustain itself on corn, it's just not a healthy diet, especially for deer. It's can cause severe digestive problems in deer if that is a large percentage of their diet, and in rare cases can kill them, but it's not because they stave to death. The reason was mentioned in an earlier post - microbial imbalance.
And the disease issue with feeders has little to do with the soil or what you are feeding them, it's the congregation of numerous deer to one tiny spot, eating from the same area. One deer with a disease leaves some saliva on the feeder, on some feed or on the ground and another deer then licks/eats it. Feeders are also know to have serious effects on the social health of the herd because they naturally dont eat that close together and fight over food.
I put out one feeder with a mix of corn, Purina Deer Chow protein pellets, and Purina Deer and Elk Mineral. But I also put the feeder around food plots to spread out "pressure" on the feeder. Plus, it's a timed feeder that only releases about 7 lbs/day.
A South Carolina DNR study also showed that using feeders reduces hunter success because deer tend to become even more nocturnal when feeders are present.

[devildoghawg]

Not quite. Corn is around 8% protein and full of carbs and small amounts of other nutrients. An animal can sustain itself on corn, it's just not a healthy diet, especially for deer. It's can cause severe digestive problems in deer if that is a large percentage of their diet, and in rare cases can kill them, but it's not because they stave to death. The reason was mentioned in an earlier post - microbial imbalance.
And the disease issue with feeders has little to do with the soil or what you are feeding them, it's the congregation of numerous deer to one tiny spot, eating from the same area. One deer with a disease leaves some saliva on the feeder, on some feed or on the ground and another deer then licks/eats it. Feeders are also know to have serious effects on the social health of the herd because they naturally dont eat that close together and fight over food.
I put out one feeder with a mix of corn, Purina Deer Chow protein pellets, and Purina Deer and Elk Mineral. But I also put the feeder around food plots to spread out "pressure" on the feeder. Plus, it's a timed feeder that only releases about 7 lbs/day.
A South Carolina DNR study also showed that using feeders reduces hunter success because deer tend to become even more nocturnal when feeders are present.

I agree with everything you say, except using automated feeders makes deer more nocturnal.  I have literally seen guys that have their deer trained to come out when the feeder spools up.  Matter of fact I killed a 10 point last year and the guy that let me hunt his spot told me the exact time that the deer would be coming out to graze....which was 10 minutes after the feeder went off. 

[pigture perfect]

I feed some corn and some frozen fruit from my dads apple and pear trees that fall on the ground. Even in the winter, most Arkansas afternoons will warm the frozen mush and release the aroma and draw the deer in.

[Virgil]

I use corn at my house which I bow hunt from but I don't use it at my lease.  Mainly because it's too dang expensive.  The only time I'll use it at the lease is during the rut.  If I have a buck running around and he won't seem to slow down for a good shot, I'll put some out the following morning and odds are he'll stop to eat.  Happens very often. You just might be surprised how well it can work. 

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

I agree with everything you say, except using automated feeders makes deer more nocturnal.  I have literally seen guys that have their deer trained to come out when the feeder spools up.  Matter of fact I killed a 10 point last year and the guy that let me hunt his spot told me the exact time that the deer would be coming out to graze....which was 10 minutes after the feeder went off.

Agree totally about the feeders not making deer more nocturnal.  There are exceptions, but timed feeders can usually be set to encourage deer to the feeder during daylight hours.....or some other deer will eat the corn before dark.  If the feeder is only set to go off in the morning, & in a good area that have deer....chances are it will not be on the ground at dark.  Deer get used to the time a feeder spins....& actually associate the sound of a feeder going off. I have seen this many times. if there is a decent deer population, & not constant hunting pressure on the feeder...deer will usually visit feeders. Constant hunting pressure just about anywhere, tends to push many whitetails nocturnal.   Several times, I have seen as many as 6 bucks at a feeder....at the same time... in season & in daylight.  Can't see how that hurts hunter success.  Feeders are just a tool, they need to be placed, hunted & set correctly to be effective. 

[OldCoot]

I agree with everything you say, except using automated feeders makes deer more nocturnal.  I have literally seen guys that have their deer trained to come out when the feeder spools up.  Matter of fact I killed a 10 point last year and the guy that let me hunt his spot told me the exact time that the deer would be coming out to graze....which was 10 minutes after the feeder went off.

I'm all for sporting chance and everything but that doesn't seem very sporting.  Maybe that's just me and I'm over reacting.

There used to be a guy on here who was very knowledgable and had an extensive tutorial on food plots.

[Albert Einswine]

I'm all for sporting chance and everything but that doesn't seem very sporting.  Maybe that's just me and I'm over reacting.

There used to be a guy on here who was very knowledgable and had an extensive tutorial on food plots.

Hunting in Indiana where baiting (food or mineral) is prohibited has made me a better hunter.

I'd love to see baiting outlawed in Arkansas and strictly enforced.

[CPO Hog]

I live 5 hours from where I hunt. I use a timed feeder (morning and evening) with a game camera set up. I do this to determine size and number of deer in the area. The young bucks and doe are on it like clockwork. The larger bucks seldom visit it. Last year from 2 months of pictures (mid sep-mid nov) I got 1 picture of a nice 8 point, and it was late at night. I bagged him about 200 yard from the feeder in heavy cover. I saw another buck in that same area that I didn't have a picture of.

[devildoghawg]

Hunting in Indiana where baiting (food or mineral) is prohibited has made me a better hunter.

I'd love to see baiting outlawed in Arkansas and strictly enforced.

How does it make you a better hunter.  You are still sitting in a stand hoping by chance that a buck walks out in front of you.  All I am doing is decreasing the time that my a** has to be cold in the seat, and more time I can spend back at the fire knocking back beers.

[OldCoot]

How does it make you a better hunter.  You are still sitting in a stand hoping by chance that a buck walks out in front of you.  All I am doing is decreasing the time that my a** has to be cold in the seat, and more time I can spend back at the fire knocking back beers.

Just go on a canned hunt, it's about the same thing.  You aren't really hunting, you are just waiting.

[195bc]

I agree with everything you say, except using automated feeders makes deer more nocturnal.  I have literally seen guys that have their deer trained to come out when the feeder spools up.  Matter of fact I killed a 10 point last year and the guy that let me hunt his spot told me the exact time that the deer would be coming out to graze....which was 10 minutes after the feeder went off. 

Wasn't my opinion, it was a factual statewide study. One of the several studies that have shown feeders tend to make deer more nocturnal. The reason is increased human scent and activity to maintain the feeders makes the deer more wary. But there are always exceptions.

[Albert Einswine]

How does it make you a better hunter.  You are still sitting in a stand hoping by chance that a buck walks out in front of you.  All I am doing is decreasing the time that my a** has to be cold in the seat, and more time I can spend back at the fire knocking back beers.

Well, first off I have to really scout anywhere I hunt here and put patterns on doe groups. I have to identify multiple, optimal stand locations for different conditions and all of this has to be done without the aid of any introduced food or mineral attractants.  The hunt isn't the time you sit on the stand or in the blind, the hunt is when you identify the places to set the stand or blind.

I don't "hope" a buck walks in front of me, I know at some point multiple bucks will walk right underneath me, which is of great importance to a guy like me who hunts with a recurve and cedar arrows. 

I "hope" one of them is a buck I'm willing to use the one tag I get for an antlered deer in this state on.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Wasn't my opinion, it was a factual statewide study. One of the several studies that have shown feeders tend to make deer more nocturnal. The reason is increased human scent and activity to maintain the feeders makes the deer more wary. But there are always exceptions.

Understand the point that the study made about activity around the feeders & human scent.  That is why I only get around mine 1 or 2 times during the season. My feeder will run for 6-7 weeks when full, spinning 2 times per day with the same amount of corn that I have been throwing for 4 years. If I spin it just once a day....it will last all season.  If throwing twice a day, it will be topped off once, or twice at the most during the season.  Then only fill it after the last morning hunt of that particular trip.  That way, it will be a week or more before I am back to hunt that stand again.  Rarely have to do anything else to my feeder after the season starts. 

[devildoghawg]

Well, first off I have to really scout anywhere I hunt here and put patterns on doe groups. I have to identify multiple, optimal stand locations for different conditions and all of this has to be done without the aid of any introduced food or mineral attractants.  The hunt isn't the time you sit on the stand or in the blind, the hunt is when you identify the places to set the stand or blind.

I don't "hope" a buck walks in front of me, I know at some point multiple bucks will walk right underneath me, which is of great importance to a guy like me who hunts with a recurve and cedar arrows. 

I "hope" one of them is a buck I'm willing to use the one tag I get for an antlered deer in this state on.

I do everything that you stated as well.  I don't just go out into a field and say "HMM...THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PLACE TO THROW SOME CORN"...  I just provide an extra level of attractant for the deer so that I can up my chances of filling up my freezer with meat for the following year.

[Albert Einswine]

I do everything that you stated as well.  I don't just go out into a field and say "HMM...THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PLACE TO THROW SOME CORN"...  I just provide an extra level of attractant for the deer so that I can up my chances of filling up my freezer with meat for the following year.

I can't do that here, don't want to do it and don't need to do it and my freezer is full of meat. I read guys in here talking like it has become an arms race back home, one bunch on the adjoining land putting out so much food they've altered the the travel habits making it difficult to take a deer off their property unless they put out a truck load of food.

Piss on that.

[pigture perfect]

I like to hunt different styles. Spot and stalk is fun. still hunting, stand hunting, Hunting with dogs. Just being in nature is fun.

[ifghog]

One positive about corn this year is right now Sept corn is 4.97 a bushel! About half of what we payed last year! 

[devildoghawg]

I can't do that here, don't want to do it and don't need to do it and my freezer is full of meat. I read guys in here talking like it has become an arms race back home, one bunch on the adjoining land putting out so much food they've altered the the travel habits making it difficult to take a deer off their property unless they put out a truck load of food.

Piss on that.

Look, I didn't start this thread trying to get in a pissing match with you.  I actually got on here looking for alternatives.

[Albert Einswine]

I'm not in a pissing match, I'm just talking and if you look up the page I said plant alfalfa, it's more nutritious than corn all the way around.

[OldCoot]

I like to hunt different styles. Spot and stalk is fun. still hunting, stand hunting, Hunting with dogs. Just being in nature is fun.

I have a buddy that walks through the woods and actually kills deer.  I have no idea how, I can't outrun a deer.  Stand hunting is the only way I know how.  Closest we ever got to baiting was putting salt in a sock and burying it.  Don't really know if that actually worked.

[twistitup]

Ive also been reading that corn can cause some very severe stomach problems for deer, especially if they are consuming large amounts all at once.  So bad that it can kill them.  I guess I need to start working on getting food plots set up.  Do you guys think it is too late in the year to get a food plot going for the November modern gun hunt? Any tips to help it go faster.  I would have to do most of it by hand, I don't have the attachments for the tractor at this point to make it easier.  Ive read that roundup is the best way to start, once everything is dead rake away, then disc it all up and lay down your seeds, should be easy going from there.  I could be completely off though.

You don't need roundup. Tarps will do the same....just cover the spot with black plastic or tarp, weight it down w/ rocks or stakes - heat+ no sun will cook grass in a few days.  Break soil up with digging fork, rake it out , seed, water - sun will do work.

Plant in late July/ August for hunting in November. Fall cover crops are in stock at tractor supply now. Just bought a big bag...there are all different types of blends. Def not too late. Just be careful w/ roundup it can create problems in soil where your seed won't germinate well.

[twistitup]

I'm not in a pissing match, I'm just talking and if you look up the page I said plant alfalfa, it's more nutritious than corn all the way around.

Many things are better than corn.... Alfalfa is one, also clover blends , fall cover crop blends, straight turnip greens. If it's green and lush during the fall the deer will be around !

I had a friend crush the deer last year over turnip greens.