Feeder not showing deer??

[Zhunter]

First post to this forum. Just moved to Ashville, Alabama. I have 50 acres, with plenty of hunting grouns surrounding my farm. This past January, I spotted plenty of deer movement and plan to start some food plots for this season.

In the meantime, I put out a corn feeder with a trail cam in the same spot that a large amount of rubs, first and secondary trails and tracks were found this past January. I have had the corn out for two weeks, but yet not one deer has shown on my tral cam and corn is sitting in abudance under the feeder. Shouldn't they have found it by now?

My plan was to move the feeder every couple weeks until deer season, in hopes to keep more deer around my property and bring in some new deer.

Any suggestions?

Z

[Bowhunters]

Welcome to the DHC forum.

Deer prefer green tender grasses and other green foods that are more palatable over hard dried grains, even in the winter deer will feed in a green winter wheat field in areas where that crop is grown over feeding on a dried food source so this time of the year in your area its probably safe to assume they have plenty of green things to eat (grass, crops like soybeans, etc) and they can find it easy to ignore your dried corn.

I assume its legal to bait in your area or state by your putting out a feeder, I would suggest shutting off the feeder during the summers in your area and save the corn for use in the winter.

I would find a well used deer trail on your land and set the camera up to cover that and perhaps place a powdered mineral or block near by (some mineral blocks have molasses) that deer like or perhaps some type of deer food or deer chow type attractant that is made for deer that has a scent attractant like 'Buck Grub or Cmere deer', those two brand deer feeds have an attractive aroma that the wind can carry and sweet taste that deer like to eat even in the summer.

Another thing that could keep deer out is if there are dogs running that land freely as some dogs allowed to run the woods learn to chase deer so if you see dogs in the area that could explain it or if you or someone else is walking those woods frequently leaving scent, even though you may be tempted to check your camera every few days you should only enter the woods to check your camera once every 2-3 weeks.

Good Luck

[Zhunter]

It is mostly woods around, so I am guessing they are finding plants, grass and maybe nuts? As far as I know, you can bait for deer, but cannot hunt over it. Thank you as you are saving me on summer corn! I will put the money towards Cmer Deer (heard a lot about it, but never used it)

As far as finding a well used deer trail, am I looking for trails well-beaten down mostly?

As far as dogs, my neighbor, 100 acres away has some beatles (6) that will frequent the hunting land between our properties (50 acres). Not much I can do about his dogs, as he leases my land for cattle and I wouldn't feel right about asking him to lock up his dogs. Now, there are coyotes around. Do you suggest I start trapping now to thin the coyotes out?

Thanks for the help. My neighbor (same one from above) is going to help dig up the ground for foodplots on my 50 acres, but suggests I wait until mid August, since it is so dry here. Can you give me the best suggestion for an "easy" foodplot, since this will be my first?

Thank you for the answers to the above three DEER questions!

[Bowhunters]

Your welcome on the help, all the members here try to help anyone that comes here with questions.
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Even though there are woods around your immediate area the deer will travel a few miles to feed if its good quality and quantity and they have water and cover for safety to hide in nearby, if there are corn or soybean fields a mile or two away that might be where the deer have gone and why you don't see many right now. Deer will nibble on the new fresh leaves on crop plants as well as on grasses, etc.

Nuts/Mast are gone soon after they fall from the tree's in the fall, deer, squirrels, turkeys, etc. gobble those up quickly so its very doubtfull the deer are eating any nuts now.
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On deer trails the more beaten down the better as it means a lot of deer traveling that area and if its rained and you see fresh tracks that tells you its recent movement.

If your land has cattle on it then it might be difficult to see deer tracks as the cows will create trails that deer will also use but the cows hooves will often cover up most of the deer hoove marks.
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Yeah on the beagles if he doesn't keep them penned up and they run both his land they are probably on yours as well and they will very likely chase any deer they find, that will likely hurt you on getting a number of deer on your land to hunt. If he has dog pen's or run's to keep the dogs in maybe you could talk him into leaving them there during deer season or until you get your deer. Dogs don't know about property lines. LOL
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Food plots could definitely help bring deer into your area, it may not keep them there all the time but they may come to them every few days as deer like to go around and hit different foods and different places.

One of the other mods here (NYBuckHunter) has tried a fairly new plot mix made by 'Whitetail Institute', its called (Secret Spot) which he said has worked very well for him with minimal ground preparation.

It's best to plant 2-4 very small (bedroom or living room) sized plots where you can use a garden/rotor tiller to clear a few room sized spots in different areas of your land, you want to pick spots cleared of some trees where the plot will get some sunlight and a place that gets some drainage (not a swamp). Just rotortill the ground, maybe till it twice a few days apart if there are a lot of weeds to kill and then hand cast or use a hand crank seed caster and maybe throw down some fertilizer and then take a rake and lightly cover the seed.

If you aren't familiar with the Whitetail Institute just do a google search on it, they give away a small sample of their seed that will be enough to try on one decent sized or two very small plots so you can try it by just paying for shipping.

One of our Admins here put together this thread on food plots that has some websites that will help you even more as at least one is for plots down south.
http://www.deerhuntingchat.com/viewtopic.php?t=5587

Good Luck

[DocHolladay]

I would suggest moving the feeder. You probably found a travel route they use during the rut/hunting season(jan). I know around here, once warmer weather comes, they change patterns and travel routes because of different food sources. If I were you, I would walk the property and see if I could find the trail they are using now and set the feeder up on it. Deer and other animals will always go for corn, it doesnt matter what time of year it is. A buddy of mine has had a feeder out since mid january and it is getting hit pretty hard.

[Zhunter]

This information on the food plots will probably prove to be most useful in my first few food plots. And, the idea of some room-sized plots will work perfect on my 50 acres, as it is rolling hills that create 4-5 open areas. If I didn't mention before, a year-round creek runs the length of our rectangular land, so the water is there, pines are around (some 20 years old, others cut by the tree company 5 years ago and the above 4-5 open areas are next to the creek. Again, my main goal right now is to prepare to start my food plots before August ends, then scout for deer trails from edges to deep woods.

[DocHolladay]

I would scout now. You can see the trails that are being used. This will allow you to set up some early season stands. It will also allow you to look for old rutting sign and possibly have a heads up on the deer when the rut is starting to kick in.

Hunting is a year round thing, not just before season opens. The best time to look for rutting sign and such for the following fall is right after season ends(jan/feb) and all the sign is still fresh. ou can still find this sign now, but it doesnt pop out at you like it does right after the deer(ie, bucks) have made it. I work at an outdoor store and we have very few hunters that come in throughout the year for seed and minerals. Most wait until a few weeks before season opens and then come in wanting minerals and seed. Food plots and minerals, especially minerals, should be out year round. The deer get more benefit from it all year than just a few months of the year. Doe that eat it give birth to bigger, healthier fawns. The fawns continue to benefit as they drink their mothers milk. The doe use the minerals for their health also.Bucks use it for strong bones, biger muscles and bigger antlers. When the deer get more benefits from it, you will too in the end.

[Zhunter]

When you speak of rutting signs to be seen now, what signs are you looking for? I am guessing rubs and secondary trails, but am I missing something?

I know one are inparticular that was covered with rubs, along side our creek and next to pines. I did some tracking after a rain a couple days ago, but didn't see any tracks where I KNOW there were tracks last January (the first month I viewed this property). If you agree, my plan is to walk the woods, creek and old four-wheeler trails. I have an immediate 100 acres to cover, then can go up the back hills for another 100 acres. By the way, still no pics of deer at the feeder. The feeder is set up where tons of last year's rubs were. I suppose they are feeding elsewhere right now, but hopefully (If I do my first food plots correctly in mid-August), I will bring the deer and keep them around.

Thank for the 'signs"

[DocHolladay]

Old sign that I am looking for is rubs and rub lines and trails that dont look like they have been used in a few months or very lightly. I would hunt this closer to the rut and during it. I would also look for trails now that they are using for early season stand placement. As for your feeder being among all of the rubs, I would move it. It needs to be somewhere that the deer are using daily. Possibly somewhere by the creek if there is a heavily used crossing.

[DouglasSpear]

Sounds to me you found the spot they go to during the rut. Deer don't travel the same spot all year round. During the spring and summer they typically just eat foliage (plants and grass) and then once the rut comes, the bucks go their own way and stop traveling together. If you found rubs, chances are, it's where they go during the rut. The only way to bring them back that way during the thick warm summer is to use an attractant to bring them back to the area. Otherwise, they will continue about their way. I'd bet if you put your tree stand or blind near that area this fall and winter during hunting season that you will be seeing quite a show. Anyway, you might want to try something like Deer Cane or Deer Cravin' which will give off scent trails as well as mineral nutrition which deer love. That might being them around.