Corn conversation.

[13pt]

Here's a new one I started this year in February. No stump available, but about 20 yards from a small creek. Also, always make sure you have a good trail camera tree nearby, and preferably where the camera is facing away from the direction of the sun. You can see in this picture the shadow of my trail camera tree…just perfect. I checked this one in late April and they had already dug a crater about 2 ft x 2 ft. I'll hang a camera there in a couple of weeks.

 

[Monk74]

The last corn I purchased a couple weeks ago was $8.95 for 50 lb bag at my farm supply store (like a Co-op). About 6 months ago is was $5.90...over 50% increase...OMG!! Just like everything else right now, but if you have a Co-op that's likely your best bet. I run a corn feeder in the edge of the woods across the field in front of the house 365 days a year and have for about 12 years, and NOT to hunt around! It's for two purposes...1) It keeps the turkeys around the house and they keep the snakes run away and, 2) We enjoy watching the variety of wildlife every day right out the front window. I tend to agree with the harm corn can do during warmer weather when left on the ground for a while, but fortunately when my feeder goes off the corn is always gone within a few hours, so I'm hoping no harm done. Anyway, after 12 years of running this feeder I've learned a few things. I have a mineral lick about 250 yards from the corn feeder. I run cameras on both. I very rarely have a mature buck visit the corn feeder, and I mean very rarely; however, they will visit my mineral lick (Redmond mineral salt mixed with Trophy Rock Four65) on a regular basis. I've taken two trophies on my property (142" and 132") just across the hollow from my corn feeder and neither of those bucks ever set foot at my corn feeder, but they both visited my mineral lick often. My point being, invest your money in a high quality mineral lick and forgo the corn feeding. Not only has it become expensive, but it's just going to be a magnet for does and small bucks...which are neat to watch from the front window. If you must use a corn feeder, then private message me and I'll share with you what model I use...after years of trial and error and dealing with varmints eating holes in the feeder and spinning the wheel to keep getting corn until they're full. I have the model that solved it all.

Best explanation I've heard so far. My hats off to ya.

 

[T. J. Mercer]

Agreed.
I think corn is like a government stimulus package.
Very effective in the short run, potentially harmful in the long run.
So I'll pour corn right on top of trophy rocks to sweeten the deal (scents).
The mineral rocks keeps 'em coming back.
I like to get em hooked.

 

[rem270]

My brother called me last night and said a 50 lb bag at Walfarts was like $10.95 now. I usually buy 6-8 bags from Walfarts but come shelling season I usually buy from a farmer for much cheaper.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Long read....but the topic of feeding corn in the mid south was discussed in detail recently in another thread.... allot of information to consider.

Mineral and Corn

Usually I put out some corn mixed with molasses and some minerals. With CWD becoming a problem what are your thoughts on this. I live in middle Tennessee, Clarksville Montgomery county area. Has far has I know we haven't had a problem with CWD but at the same time I don't want to contribute...

www.tndeer.com

 

[Ski]

Big Tine with cherry is expensive but it's by far & above the best attractant I've personally experienced, noticeably better than corn alone.

 

[Headhunter]

why mix the redmond and trophy rock? Doesn't make sense to me. Aren't they the same thing?

 

[larry ipock]

Put out corn here in scott county, you'll get bears as well, and the deer probably won't show.

 

[Hookem]

I prefer protein pellets to corn. Better nutrition for the deer in general and antler growth. Coop is a good source.

 

[BSK]

I prefer protein pellets to corn. Better nutrition for the deer in general and antler growth. Coop is a good source.

Big problem is, deer generally don't like the taste of just protein pellets. Usually something has to be added to get them to eat them, at least at first. Most of my clients who feed protein (and I don't recommend they do, but that's another story), have to add corn to the mix until deer get used to the protein pellets.

 

[Hookem]

My deer never seemed to get the message that they were not supposed to like them. They go through 100s of lbs every month.

 

[BSK]

My deer never seemed to get the message that they were not supposed to like them. They go through 100s of lbs every month.

You're lucky. I've seen some really frustrated managers spend God-only-knows on protein feeds only to have the deer ignore it.

 

[RobDooley]

Big & J BB2...is the best. I mix it with corn...they love it.

 

[Tnshooter15]

I have never had any luck with the pellets

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

I have seen this situation a few times, even on my own property. Now I've run plenty of camera censuses over corn in the summer and gotten mature bucks on cam. But in some areas, older bucks avoid corn piles like the plague. As an experiment, on my own place I ran two censuses at the same time. One on six mineral sites, and the other on six corn piles. Two of the corn piles were nowhere near a salt lick. Two were close but not adjacent. Two were adjacent to salt licks. Looking at the data after the census, the only bucks older than 2 1/2 we got at the corn sites were bucks just passing by on their way to the salt. Not one buck 3 1/2+ ever ate at the corn piles. However, they all used salt licks.

And after all these years

I'm still the exact opposite. 16 salt licks and very few mature buck pictures in them.

put corn out in mid August 100 yards from established licks and bam, there they are.

I'm still jealous

but does is a different story

 

[rodeojoe]

A guy from JC once told me years ago, that they call them yellow acorns over there.

 

[ttf909]

Grew my own and let it stand