Crossbow deer hunting from blind..tips needed on bait

USP

USP

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In Ontario, the season is running out in about 2 weeks for Crossbow. I am alittle confused on baitpiles. What can I use? Is there something I can put out the same morning that will be effective? I am in an area with lots of deer and fresh tracks. I have tried multiple blind locations, I have tried all sorts of different ways of sneaking in quietly.

Any thoughts on what I can do here? I have been at it for months with no luck.
 
I use corn coated in molasses.... smell hits the air instantly and it is high sugar high fat and energy for the winter..... only problem is that it is cold tha triggers them to feed and it has been so damned warm!
 
yeah yesterday in the swamp it was 94% RH and warmed up from -1 at 5am to 9 at 10am.

How far would you scatter the bait? How much bait to use? Can I put it out same day? Do I need to use old corn cobs that are partially rotten or fresh ones?
 
I usually get a corn/grain/molasses mix from the Co-Op. I'm not sure on the price as i always get my boss to get it when he goes for grain and he takes it off my pay. don't know about it being same day results but if you get a few warmer days the smell of the molasses will bring them in. placed right you'll have deer hitting the pile within the week. put your blind on the way in as well so not to disturb the bait when you go to hunt it.
 
they like apples, corn, pumpkin, squash, broccoli, beans, and various man made goodies. if you're hunting a pressured area the deer could be strictly nocturnal, so a bait pile could possibly be a waste of time for you.

maybe it's you or your blind that's the problem. bad location? stinky? noisy? a climbing tree stand should be on your list of must haves if it isn't already. i've been so disappointed in blinds that i sold my first one, bought another 2 years later, and sold it after that season. i see 10x more deer (and every other critter) out of my climber than a blind. why? i wish i knew.

i'm still waiting on some snow to get out for my first time this year and do some tracking. fresh snow = dead deer ;)
 
yeah I have tried a variety of locations. One is hard hunted in gun season, but thats over and the other area is hunted by nobody but me.

So whats to be done if the deer are completely nocturnal?
 
Use corn from your local coop in dried kernel form.... or stove corn, not cobs.... if you have a TSC store near you you can buy "deer feed" which is just molasses covered corn.... scatter it so that it is not in a big pile... I usually find this helps.... more natural I guess.... you can use it right away and the smell it gives off will attract them.... I would start by scattering out 5 pounds then replenishing it with 1-2 pounds a day..... always try to replenish in the morning never at night.....
 
TSC deer feed is cheap and easy to use. Ideally you want to put it out regularly to get the deer coming. But use small amounts. Big piles of feed just re enforce to the deer that they can come in the dark to feed and there will be lots there. With only a little feed out, they will likely come earlier in order to get some before it's gone. However, to feed, you are going in and out of your hunting area a lot. Not good.

Ultimately though, with 2 weeks left and the decent weather, feed isn't gonna be a big help for you. Putting some feed out when you do go out is good to try and get the deer in the position you want it to be to shoot.

With warm weather and no snow, there are still lots of food sources available to them that they don't need to hit a bait pile.

My thought is that they may be winding you or have patterned you. Bottomline is that in the vast majority of instances if they smell you, they will not come. This includes getting into your stand. If they smell you going in to your stand, or when you are in your stand, you are probably beat. This goes for hearing you as well. They quickly figure out what's going on.

Added to this is the fact that there have been gun seasons already that have them pressured and spooked making them nocturnal.

Bottomline is this.....you don't want the deer to know you are hunting them. Deer hunting is not a sport, the deer don't want to play.
 
Whats the thoughts on deer decoys? I have seen a few for sale at Bass Pro. Do they work? Say a deer decoy eating a nice pile of molasses covered corn?
 
If you are going into your stand to feed, do so during mid day. Less chance of spooking the deer.

As well, it depends on the area you are hunting. Field edge stands are tough to get to in the morning because the deer are likely already in the field when you go in and you are spooking them, maybe not even knowing.

I try to hunt stands near bedding areas in the morning and stands near feeding areas in the evening. But I hate getting up early, so I mainly hunt evenings.
 
USP said:
Whats the thoughts on deer decoys? I have seen a few for sale at Bass Pro. Do they work? Say a deer decoy eating a nice pile of molasses covered corn?
Click to expand...

Used a doe decoy this year and called in a 7 pt that my gf killed with xbow. Her first. Came from 200 yards to 18 yards putting on a great show.

Sometimes decoys work, sometimes they don't. Usually depends on the individual deer when they see them.
 
Decoys are more meant for the rut.... I would just get the feed out there and put a cam on it.... DOn't worry, once they know it's there they know... and when we get a cold snap.... like Saturday... good chance one might come hit it fo ran energy boost and some stored calories
 
yeah the forecast for the next 2 weeks is looking warm. So I might not get another cold snap. Thanks for the tips guys.

I think I am trying to hunt a bedding area in the morning which might be a problem.

So you think I should avoid the bed area and setup in a forest area for the morning?

I have to pass through the bedding area to get to the forest area though. Thoughts on this?
 
Is ita night time bedding area or day time?.... if it is day time then that is where they are heading in the morning... as long as you get there before they do you are good to go....
 
USP said:
I have tried multiple blind locations, I have tried all sorts of different ways of sneaking in quietly.

Any thoughts on what I can do here? I have been at it for months with no luck.
Click to expand...
What hours are you hunting?

I took my first deer from my camp up north this year (rifle) after I don't know how many man days spent chasing them in the bush over the years. My only suggestion - dress warm, be comfortable, stay quiet and keep putting your time in. When you finally get that deer, it will have been worth every frustrating moment.
 
Patience works , two weeks of hunting is still lots of time . Take days off and on from one tree stand to other depending upon the weather and wind . End of the day it's like beating your mother with cooking . They live there and know every single tig and tweak in their area and you are up against nature. End of the day you are hunting not showing up for cull - Biggs
 
In general, you can say deer bed during the day and feed at night.

So in the morning you want to try and catch them coming back into the bedding area from the feeding area.

Evening hunts are the opposite and easiest to set up for. If you know where they feed, set up there. You can get in and set up before the deer get there, hoping they will show themselves before it gets dark.

With the exception of a very little bit of late late breeding, deer are focused on one thing right now. FOOD.
 
Fall Guy said:
What hours are you hunting?

I took my first deer from my camp up north this year (rifle) after I don't know how many man days spent chasing them in the bush over the years. My only suggestion - dress warm, be comfortable, stay quiet and keep putting your time in. When you finally get that deer, it will have been worth every frustrating moment.
Click to expand...

For morning it is out in the field around 5:30 am now and give up by 9:30-10am.

Afternoon would be 3pm.

I hunt mainly in mornings. Get up at 330am stagger through the sea of empties and try and remember what I forgot this time... :p
 
canadian hunter312 said:
they like apples, corn, pumpkin, squash, broccoli, beans, and various man made goodies. if you're hunting a pressured area the deer could be strictly nocturnal, so a bait pile could possibly be a waste of time for you.

maybe it's you or your blind that's the problem. bad location? stinky? noisy? a climbing tree stand should be on your list of must haves if it isn't already. i've been so disappointed in blinds that i sold my first one, bought another 2 years later, and sold it after that season. i see 10x more deer (and every other critter) out of my climber than a blind. why? i wish i knew.

i'm still waiting on some snow to get out for my first time this year and do some tracking. fresh snow = dead deer ;)
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I'm not disagreeing at all with the climber, but i've shot 2 deer with my xbow from a ground blind, and i've never seen a deer from a tree stand. mind you.. i'm not exactly stuck on heights so i'm usually in the ground blind anyways:D
 
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