Corn Avoidance

useyourbow

Member
Ok, please lets keep it civil. This is not a debate and those holly than thou guys can just move along.
On my hunting property I like to keep one stand baited with corn just in case I have a guest or a child to take. I just started hunting the property I am on last season and the deer just were not all that interested in the corn. I actually had corn go sour. I have a decent population and tried the corn in different locations with the same disappointing results. I have taken into account natural forage at the time of year, the acorn factor, different vendors of the corn and the other elements that usually effect corn utilization. What am I missing? Has anyone ever had deer not eat corn? Let me rephrase they eat it but don't utilize it on any regular basis. Cameras at both the feed sites and in general vicinity show deer in the area but butkas on the pile/spread.
 
A feeder will help with keeping the corn dry. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive either. A simple wood trough with a roof works in some places. I can't have that type because the coons will eat it all. That said, its not uncommon for deer to avoid bait piles, especially mature deer. Is this in an area that sees frequent human visitation?
 
Are you using a feeder or just putting it on the ground? In our area feeders are not utilized by deer very much due to so many that hunt over them have made the deer relate them to danger but corn put on the ground is quickly eaten if we have no acorn crop...
 
Are you using a feeder or just putting it on the ground? In our area feeders are not utilized by deer very much due to so many that hunt over them have made the deer relate them to danger but corn put on the ground is quickly eaten if we have no acorn crop...

Both. Hurricane Mathew flooded the hardwoods last fall taking the acorn crop with it. I guess I am going to chalk it up to better than average habitat or hippie deer either way no short cuts.
 
In my part of SC, deer won't eat corn because:

1) acorns have dropped
2) the corn is bad
3) they are afraid of the feeder

#1 happens every year, #2 happens every once in a while, #3 happens with every new feeder.
 
Our deer don't utilize feeders that much because there's lots of stuff for them to eat even way into the winter time. They just don't get interested until all that stuff is gone.


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
 
Try to have your local feed store mix some dried molasses in with your corn maybe that will help to get them started then go back to straight corn.
 
Try to have your local feed store mix some dried molasses in with your corn maybe that will help to get them started then go back to straight corn.
That's what I was going to say. We used to call it calf candy. It was a mix of oats, rolled corn, protein, and then coated in molasses.
 
The corn I have bought from the feed store must be put out within a month max, depending on the weather, until it begins to get moldy
 
You used the term "Avoidance": I have seen deer avoid corn, and other types of bait, when it was introduced in locations where they did not feel comfortable consuming it, particularly during daylight hours. The more secure an area is, the most likely deer are to feed in that area. Is it possible you put out corn adjacent to existing stand sites that deer were already leery of, so they avoided the general area.

Another thing is deer, especially mature deer, do NOT like "change". Any kind of change to their environment can cause avoidance, at first.
 
Personally, I think it's just new to them. Especially if you just started hunting the land last year and no one was putting any out before you. Keep putting it out and eventually they'll get used to it.
 
6 years of Camera Survey's here in Missouri in August I can tell you this. Not all bucks will come to corn no matter the lack of pressure, Those bucks will show up at the remote water sources.
 
Maybe they've figured out eating corn equals getting shot??

Several years ago we killed a deer that stomach content had corn, well we don't feed corn but did find out guy down road got a ticket from MDC agent for baiting, so assume it come from their. I think it's more corn equals human contact .
 
Once you get a feed site established they will eat it, certain times of year they hit it harder than others. Having it in some kind of a feeder to keep it dry helps. I'm in a very heavy agricultural area of rotated crops, I feed year round and they eat corn year round...big bucks too day and night.
I have plots/mineral sites/hard and soft mast trees/water/feeders/bedding areas I try and give them everything they could need.
 
Back
Top