My corn REEKS!!

[fmrleatherneck]

OK, so now my corn TOTALLY REEKS!! Is that a "good thing" or a "bad thing"?

I hadn't been able to get out from Saturday the 21st 'til last Saturday, the 28th. (More "back" nonsense, and now they want to cut me up a bit more!) On the 21st I had a pretty good pile still, but by the 28th it was all gone. I added more this morning and discovered (by stirring it up...) the tiny bit that was left really reeks... Has a pretty sour smell to it. I found it a bit "hardened" when I stirred it, too, but not moldy looking. Is that ok or should I do something like leave that site alone and make a new pile a ways away or what? The next most convenient spot for me would be further around to my left 75 or more yards or so from me. Everything is still so wet out there even the "dry" areas are spongy under foot. (It's coming down in buckets again, even as I speak here!) I'd be out of business without that 4 wheeler, for sure! And that machine would be out of business without 4 wheel drive!!

My first experience baiting, so I have no idea! Give me a clue, guys!

I've been putting out about 3/4 worth of a 3 gallon bucket of shelled every 4, maybe 5 days or so. I keep adding it to the pile and the pile has been growing a bit, but over last week, they went through most of what was there. Just deer tracks around the area when I was out there today. That little bear didn't come back.

A couple of good things about missing the past week; LOTS more leaves and weeds down (come on FROST!), and, I picked up a new, bigish, deer track using the same track I've been using to get out to my stand! I think I can even make out dewclaws in the mud from him!

[buckhunter]

my corn pile was doing the same thing!old corn,the deer in that area are not eating it like i'm use to in the other places i hunt[100lb bag a night].i went to hunt that stand the other evening and it was all gone though,so i added more back to the same place on the ground rite beside where the other was.personally i just keep dumping it in the same spot or as close to it as possible,they know it is/was there and you do not have to wait for them to find it again.

[RenegadeRN]

I may be way off base here...but have been told that is kinda the start to some 'Sour Mash' in a way. LOL! But yes, if left in piles or in bags and it gets wet it does sour and smells rather pungent. I've not heard one way tor the other if it is good or bad. I dunno how others do it? But I put shelled corn in a timed feeder of which you can make on your own. And the cobbed corn goes on the ground where are wanting the deer to show up and stand still. Most the guys on my lease do it this way. (Remember that placing it on the ground opens the feeding up to all manner of critters including the deer. So disappearance may be due to squirrels and birds and turkeys, etc.)

So....you go directly to your local sporting goods store or online wishing place and look for the least inexpensive motor/spreader and you basically just mount it to the bottom of anything from a 5gallon bucket to a pickle barrel you can find at many stores to include Onslow Feed and Grain. Let you mind wander and build till your hearts desire as fancy or as basic a feeder as you need...AND the corn will not get wet and sour!

[buckhunter]

i believe mine soured as quick as it did because it is a mix of last years and this years corn.i noticed one of the bags the other day had some molded corn in it but that is all i can get here locally.

[fmrleatherneck]

Great, thanks, guys. I wasn't sure if I'd messed up my spot (or what I should've done differently...). At this point, I'm just going to add some more (if I can get out this afternoon, I'll do it then, otherwise, tomorrow) at the same place.

Renegade: I would love to build a feeder, but don't you need timers and such, too? I'm kind of reluctant to leave stuff out due to past losses. (I used to run an Archery Club and lost all kinds of stuff. I even lost targets I had mounted to two upside down "U" bolts bent and sunk in a 5 gallon bucket of cement each! I still don't know how they got those out of there!!) I haven't lost anything here (knock-on-wood) or even seen boot tracks, but I do hear, and sometimes see, dogs, and I definitely see dog tracks. Pretty cheap to build one? Anything to be found here in town? (I'm actually in Beulaville, too, just off of S41.)

I know I've got beau coup squirrels and song birds, but they won't haul off THAT much, will they? Haven't seen any wild turkey tracks... I hear turkeys, of course, but I'd bet there are from the farms.

BTW: I overheard someone in town saying they soaked their corn in salt water... Would that be legal? Would it be beneficial? Would it limit "souring"? I guess we're undecided whether "sour" is better or worse... drunk deer might be "better"!!

[RenegadeRN]

Buckhunter? Where are you getting your corn that it's molded? I've always had wonderful luck with corn from both Onslow Feed and Grain and while maybe almost out...from Eastern Outfitters. Onslow Feed and Grain in Richlands carries shelled corn throughout the year. And while I don't go real often...I'd bet one of the Southern States, Big Blue, or Tractor Supply might have something.

Fmrleatherneck? I dunno if the spot is messed up, but I have found that by spreading the shelled corn out on the ground vice a mound works well. And it's all gonna be in the weather. Yes, you need a timer...but Wally World sometimes has timers left over after the year as does Dicks or Eastern Outfitters or even online stores. I personally have not lost anything in the woods out here. Not saying you couldn't....Since you live in Beulaville ya might look at places like Big Blue in Clinton or Kinston or Tractor Supply or maybe even Southern States for buckets. You can use bascilly anything from a 5gal bucket to a pickle barrel. (Be wary since squirrels will chew through thick plastic). Mount the motor/spreader on the bottom then come back and cut the hole and you have an inexpensive feeder. The 5gal bucket feeder hangs from a tree pretty easy. I sunk a 16ft 4x4 in the ground 4 feet after bolting an angle bracket at the top with a pulley and tied to a boat winch to pull up my bucket that holds 250lbs of corn. (Saves going to the woods all the time to feed in off season). Another way to make a real inexpensive feeder is to take some 6" corregated plastic flexibile plastic pipe and anchor it to something with the mouth about an inch off the ground and cap the top to keep weather out. Bout 6ft long gives you plenty of feed and keeps it out of the weather.

Tracks? You sure not coyote tracks? Hmm... LOL! I dunno if soaking in salt water works. Never heard of it before. And YES, YES birds, squirrels, etc. will haul off that much and before you know it. And I am sure deer are feeding as well.

[fmrleatherneck]

Renegade: I'm SURE I have coyote tracks mixed in, (they were just howling like crazy out there about 6pm when I was coming in the house from getting my gear away. They must LOVE that moon tonight!), it's just that with the dogs that I know are around me, maybe lost, maybe just loose, I figure it won't be long before I see a set of boot tracks going through, too. Would probably just be a innocent "pass through", but you never know, any gear I left out there could walk out with him... (or is that my paranoia showing again? lol) I don't really know; do dog hunters chase after their dogs? How do they recover them once they've turned them loose on deer?

I like the idea of sinking a big post, and may have to do that, but just with a 5 gallon bucket or so for a feeder. I like the idea of year round feeding, too, but think "250 pounds" would be nice but too much for me to get full. (How do you fill yours once you drop it down?) I don't really have any decent trees left in the area that I'm at (a fire went through a few years ago and it's all brush and high weeds now), so a post would work best. Maybe I can rig a couple of 5 gallon buckets together...

I'm sure I'm keeping the squirrels busy, too!

[buckhunter]

renegade-there is an old man in verona that sells corn,been buying from him for a couple years now.it is on my way to or from the landfill and j'ville so i am not going out of my way.about everytime i would go to eastern to get some in years past they were usually sold out and i really do not think about going out that way to often,they have to many things sitting on the shelf out there that i would like to put on my shelf.loli know about the mill there to richlands and the other places on my way to clinton and most of the time my buddy in snow hill gives me all the corn i need for nothing,i just haven't been able to get away this year and go to those places.the major problem i'm having here is there is not the population of deer here that i am use to,i'm use to putting out 1-4 100lb bags at a time and have it eat up in 1-2 days!!that and the deer still are not moving around to good during shooting hours in my book!put corn out on sunday,put potatoes out monday afternoon,half of the corn was gone.sat in that stand yesterday evening till dark and never seen a deer,yet the corn was gone!feeding at night with the moon up i guess.maybe this evening will be different if it isn't pouring down rain,i like those slow drizzles and misty rain myself.

[SongDoghunter]

I always scatter my shelled corn well in order to stop the molding and souring. Also, I've found that it is best to scatter over as wide an area as possible to force the deer to forage for it as opposed to making the ground yellow with it. It appears more natural to them and they also have to move around offering a better broad side opportunity for a shot. It seems to me that sometimes if the corn is too obvious, the deer will shy away for a few days until they adjust. When I dump 100 lbs, it is hardly noticeable amongst the pine straw and leaves if properly scattered.

[fmrleatherneck]

Doghunter: That's a little eye opening to me! Again, I don't know what I'm doing, so what should I expect?!

I think I saw pics on line or a video or something of corn in 3 - 4' tall piles (cob) and never thought to actually ask... Duh! Makes sense to me now to have them forage a bit for shelled. I never thought about it at all. What about the amount of water I've got out there, though? I sure can't throw it around in the water and the grassy spots are really soggy. (You don't touch your corn with your bare hand, do you?) It is draining SOOO SLOWLY out there right now... And more heavy rain stuff being dumped on me right now! About the only area that I THINK is "dry" is out where the brush and weeds (mostly weeds) are 6' tall or more. It seems to be maybe a foot higher ground. I know that area is full of burned out stumps and dropped/burnt trees from what little I can see into it. The most dense underbrush/thorny stuff/piney areas are a bit higher, too, but I haven't even tried to get into there. I know I'll just monkey it up if I was to try crawling around in there now.

buckhunter: Potatoes? I've seen a few signs around for "Deer Sweet Potatoes"; that must be what you're talking about. Are they grown in the area you hunt? I don't think they are around me anywhere. Soybeans, corn, and a little cotton is all I've seen. Do you think deer would come to something that isn't local to them / familiar? Do you just pile them up 100 pounds at a time or what? Do you have to do anything to them like cutting them to make them easier for them to smell or what?

I've been staying away from my corn except when I can see the "hump" in my little pile is down. (Think I'll have to set a "schedule" now that I'm going to scatter it around...) It sounds like you are at your pile site everyday, or just about, for one thing or another. The deer don't get bothered by that? You're sure going through A LOT MORE bait than I would've imagined! I'm used to so called "Big Woods" hunting over "scrapes" or "rub lines" in funnels where I wouldn't think of getting too near the spot I expect deer to show up. Here, I don't have the topography (or mobility for the topography, anymore!), so, it's like I'm a fish out of water, kind of. I love being able to get out there again, but it's almost like it's all new to me, too! BTW: I just love hunting in the misty/drizzling rain, too! The wrong tree can get slippery for a "climber", though!! (You don't have to ask me how I know... WHOO-HOO!! What a surprise, too!)

Thanks to you guys, I think I'm getting a bit of a clue; at least I'm seeing deer just about every time I'm out now, even if I've only gotten to the trigger once (so far)!

[buckhunter]

sounds like you're hunting a place like i had at one time,went from a deer stand to a phenonamal woodduck honey hole overnight! lol i didn't know about the creek flooding the area that bad back then.as for dumping sweet potatoes i have dumped as small as a bucket full to as much as a tandem axle dump trailer full[over 12,000lbs] of potatoes at a time!as for how i spread things out it all depends on where or how my setup is.for instance=gas line=2 bags on a four wheeler,open one bag going down the lane the other coming out,corn is in 2 narrow paths about 100yds long.the stands i am currently hunting now=narrow lane 40yds long,corn is in a pile about 6'x6' with about 100lbs of potatoes in a pile in front of it.the couple times i dumped mega loads of potatoes i either backed the trailer to where i wanted them,pulled the leaver,and spread them out about 2' deepx 8'wide buy about 20'long,that was a nice potatoe pile!!!each stand has a different way that it needs to be baited,you just have to figure out what works best for you.i just need the deer to read the script and do there part the way i wrote it out!lol

[fmrleatherneck]

You're sure right on about that; ducks would LOVE it in there right now! Wasn't always like this, though, even from my short experience. My neighbor JUST (a couple of months ago) filled in a "stagnant" pond and ditch on the edge of his property. Apparently, it wasn't quite so "stagnant"!

As for the potatoes and such: WOW!! I really am having a hard time figuring out what I want to ask... That is so far beyond my perception of this "baiting" game... Tell me the truth: just how hard did you laugh when I said I was putting out about 3/4 of a three gallon bucket of shelled once or twice a week? You MUST have been rolling!!

I think I'm hearing I would have even more traffic around if I had more stuff out. I can't consider "truck loads", obviously, ("boat loads", maybe... lol), but I should probably pursue "renegade's" timer options more immediately than just "thinking about" doing it. The hiccup comes in finding a dry enough spot to have a spreader throw shelled onto! Especially after today's rains! I didn't even go out today it was coming down in such sheets!

I'm still curious: what do you think about putting out sweet potatoes (or anything else) that the deer are NOT likely to find growing in the immediate area? Do you find sweet potatoes to be "irresistible" to deer, or what? Back to my "Big Woods" experiences; most of their natural attracting feed sources would be beech nuts or acorns, if you could find a productive wild apple tree, you found a DEER MAGNET! The few wild trees I knew of, I would go in to them in the spring and prune them up so they'd be most productive in the fall. ("Baiting" is NOT legal up there, but "pruning" was...!) I haven't seen a source for apples here, outside of "Piggly Wiggley"!! LOL

Do you think "Sweet Potatoes", are "Apples" to ENC deer?

[fmrleatherneck]

It is clear to me now that, like "buckhunter", "Doghunter", and "RenegadeRN", have all told me; I've got to start spreading my stuff out, that's for sure. Just how and just where are a couple of points I've still got to figure out.

[buckhunter]

leatherneck-do not be afraid to put out some sweet potatoes or apples[where you from anyway,thats a northern trick=no offense].around here it is easier and cheaper to get potatoes rather than apples,potatoes were $10/1000lb a while back but i heard they run out of them and now the only ones they have are "good"potatoes for $40/1000lb,which is still cheap.i have put out everything you can possibly imagine=watermelons,cantaloupes,pumpkins,squash,co rn,soybeans,sweet potatoes,crabapples,apples,molasses coated horse feed,molasses coated corn[got the idea from the horse feed]peanuts,peanut butter,i've even poured some of the peanut butter"buck jam"on a new corn pile for smell and they eat it up,and acorns[yes i have even raked acorns up out of yards and put them out].all of these the deer eat,of course some beeter than others.the easiest thing to get ahold of is of course corn and potatoes.the few things i can say that i never seen a deer eat were an onion,bell pepper and a bag of the "buck grub",do not waste your money on that junk you're better off to buy corn or potatoes with that money.[my experince with the buck grub=deer were eating corn like crazy in clinton,i got a bag of this stuff because i had run out of corn,put it out and watched deer basically walk thru it and never even put there heads down to try it,the only thing i ever seen eat it was a grey fox!junk in my boook=i'll buy corn or potatoes] as for putting out your corn or potatoes,put out what you want to put out,a buddy of mine baits his stand about once a week,he takes a galvanized peck bucket about 2/3 full of corn and then scatters it with his bare hand like he's feeding chickens!works for him.i usually put out as much as i do because it is a 1 1/2 hour ride wether i go to clinton or snow hill,and if i can not get back for a week or so i want a lil something still on the ground when i get there.1 more thing,if the water is an issue don't be afraid to take a pair of lopping shears and cut you a lil hole in the brush to give you a new place to dump your corn,just keep it relatively close to where it was,they'll find it.

[fmrleatherneck]

buckhunter:

Definitely not offended. You busted me! Transplanted from Adirondack Mountains, Upstate New York. Long story very short; Broke my back about 9 years ago, just getting my feet back under me in about the last year or so. I was in this area off and on (if you know what I mean.. lol) in the late '60's early '70's (MC, obviously), loved the area and always thought I'd be back long before this, but, finally, I am. Bought our place about 2 years ago, but couldn't actually relocate to it 'til just this past April. This is the first I've been able to get back out hunting at all since 9 years ago... Similar game, much different rules.

Much as I'd love to try sweet potatoes out there, 1000 pounds would be way more than I could (physically) handle! 100 pounds would be a challenge, but I'll try that much, if I can find them.

You don't think I'll mess stuff up cutting some brush now? I think that's what I'm going to have to do, then. I couldn't get out again today, but I'm hoping for tomorrow and, if I'm lucky, Saturday, too. (Saturday is when I hear them running dogs around my area from 7:30 am on.) Doubt that I could have a crack at a running deer, but it piques my interest to know all those other guys are in the neighborhood!! Hopefully, it will be a tiny bit dryer, too. Plus it's supposed to get a bit colder; that could be a help!

I can understand your strategy on feeding them enough to still have some "leftovers" when you can finally get to your stand! Would be an awful lot of work to have them feeding somewhere else once you could get in there!!

I can second your opinion on what they "won't eat", too. My wife tried to put out a garden with about 3 plantings since April (she can be persistent!); they ate EVERYTHING except her onions and bell peppers! Next year she wants an electric fence around her gardening area!!

[fmrleatherneck]

Doghunter, buckhunter, & Renegade:

Finally got back out there this afternoon!! Was out Saturday, cut a bit of brush and spread some fresh corn around...

Didn't plan on a 5 day break... The 3 gallons I put out Saturday wasn't enough! ALL GONE!! Even more water out there, but everywhere I threw corn was ALL trampled down, sign everywhere including browsing on the very ends of the brush right there. Lots of "skipper" tracks, but some good ones, too. I'm glad I brought more corn out today! Gonna try to make it out tomorrow and Saturday, too. I better bring some corn both days!

Didn't see any deer today... Or I should say "Live" deer. There is a carcass lying about 100 yards or more out into the bean field that is past my line. Can't tell what it is, but I can see ribs and flesh through my binocs. Probably hasn't been there more than a day or so. I'm anxious to see if turns into "coyote bait" by tomorrow! (I think it probably already is!!)

[buckhunter]

i didn't see anything yesterday evening either.maybe this evening or tomorrow will work out with the temps dropping like they did.i think they said the low for the morning is 24[don't quote me on that] maybe they'll do "rite" and "play" along

[fmrleatherneck]

buckhunter: Yeah, I heard about the same thing for temps... Didn't make any difference to the deer here, though! No deer seen again tonight! Looks like they were into the corn I threw around yesterday pretty good. Threw more around tonight. New BIG tracks in my 4 wheeler tracks from last night!

I did have a fox come through about 75 yards away. He was in "gray phase", red around the head and legs, dark gray body and tail with black at the ends of the hairs. He looked pretty healthy. Not in a real hurry, but moved right through.

Squirrels were quiet until sunset, probably because of the fox, then they started chattering some.

I was kind of surprised to see that carcass from yesterday was GONE! I couldn't even see a bone, just what looked like a kind of a grease spot and maybe some hair. The beans were trampled down a bit, but even that wasn't as much as I would have expected.

[fmrleatherneck]

Exciting day out there for me today!

Went out about 2ish, right to my pile to spread some more corn; jumped one out of there as I got off the 4 wheeler!! (One way or another, sure seems like I'm ALWAYS getting caught with my pants down!!) So, all I could do about that one was throw up my hands and pretend! (Dropped her in her tracks, BTW!! [In my mind!]) Sign that they are pawing up the ground to get to the "sour" stuff. Guess they don't care if "MY CORN REEKS" or not!! They're eating the fresh stuff, too. Tossed a little more corn around (another 3 gallons...) and got back to my stand.

SOOO much water out there... As long as they are NOT up to their knees, it's legal, right? Just got to watch where they are standing, then... (Yeah, right!! I'll pay attention to that!)

As soon as I got up in my stand, I look across the weed and brush field, out 75 yards or so, ... "What the ...?" In the middle of the downed burnt trees and stumps (where I can't get to...!) are at least three partially deflated blue and yellow helium balloons in a bunch, waving away in the breeze!!!! Is that just NUTS or what? Where'd THEY come from?

Made me stop and think for a moment.... Should I climb back down, TRY to get out there and retrieve them, then have to climb back up here again? I'm going to make a heck of a racket if I use this .270 to pop some balloons! Not reasonable.. The balloons can't be too alarming 'cause that is the general direction that doe just took when she jumped off. I couldn't see them from ground level... They probably can't either. As the air cools, they'll slump even more and be even less visible... I can't hear if they are making any noise... Probably some and it'll be an "unusual" noise, at that... Decided they'll have to be ok 'til tomorrow when I'll bring out a .22 and take care of them. Best I could do for now.

Beans were cut down today... Think I can still see the spot where that carcass was a couple of days ago. Can't say for sure that I can see bones or anything, though. Don't know if the beans being cut will help me or not. Lots of crows out there all afternoon. Expected to see deer come out, but didn't see any. (Seems like a much bigger field now...)

Kept hearing noises in the brush, but nothing to see until it was getting close to sundown when I saw this dark animal crossing about 100+ yards away in a dark spot. Right away I was pretty sure it was the fox I saw Friday afternoon. Got my binocs up and on it and immediately knew how wrong I was!! CLEARLY a coyote! Not very big, but no doubt about it. Black as black, too!

Anyway, the animal (because of it's size, I think it was a female, but what do I know?) looked back over its shoulder, a trick I seem to KEEP falling for! So I swung the binocs in that direction; following quicker was a MUCH bigger coyote, also black! I quickly tried to switch and get my rifle up. Gun came up right to his shoulder, but he was slipping into the brush... I should've popped him, but I couldn't be 100% sure of the shot; too much brush already and there was only the one split second to decide, so he walked! Next time! Hopefully there will BE a next time. At least I've confirmed that they ARE right there AND I didn't spook or educate them at all, not that they don't know I'm around or anything, but they're not alarmed by that, it seems.

A couple of pretty exciting moments for me!

[manxxcatt]

Exciting day out there for me today!



Sounds like a fine day in the Carolinas to me! I went out Monday morning and din't see doodley squat. Well, not true, saw some really pretty turkeys, called one in from way out just for a hoot. Then found some nice Bobcat tracks...so, all in all, not a bad day.

[buckhunter]

thats pretty cool and you have done something i never have!i've never seen a coyote while deer hunting,unless running dogs on lejeune years ago.coyote and bear are on my no see um list.

[msanford]

I have done both doghunter tried the pile thing i didnt have to much luck with the piles so i started just throwing it around and started to have alot more luck. The corn didnt seem to sour as fast BUT with all the rain we have been having hard to keep any corn from souring, Plus by not putting it in a pile the deer seem to stick around alittle longer while eating with the pile they get a mouth full and leave. I would always recommend ear corn to bait with but this late in the season it gets hard to find.

[SongDoghunter]

Exciting day out there for me today!



Sounds like a fine day in the Carolinas to me! I went out Monday morning and din't see doodley squat. Well, not true, saw some really pretty turkeys, called one in from way out just for a hoot. Then found some nice Bobcat tracks...so, all in all, not a bad day.


Shame on you Catt! You'll be wondering why you can't do anything with that bird next spring! :mrgreen:

[manxxcatt]

Shame on you Catt! You'll be wondering why you can't do anything with that bird next spring!


Hehe...nah, plenty of time after Jan 1 to May. I do miss the fall turkey season this year though. Wonder why they canc'd the fall season...