Deer Corn?

[turf08]

Over the past few years we have always feed deer corn in the off season to help attract more deer and to put more protein into our current deer population. During the months of June-August we would have a ton of huge bucks coming to the corn. However about the end of August they all would disappear. We have several acres of food plots, mineral licks, white oak ridges loaded down, on top of the corn and they would still disappear. We would have roughly 10 cameras on each farm not just sitting over a food source, but bedding areas as well and we would get zero pictures of them. This year we have not put out a drop of corn. We are gonna try and see if they show up without it and see if they stay around if so. Anyone else have this issue.

 

[TheLBLman]

Over the past few years we have always feed deer corn in the off season to help attract more deer and to put more protein into our current deer population.

There is essentially no protein in corn. You're feeding the deer carbs.

IMO, feeding corn during the spring & summer months is a particularly bad idea for several reasons.
But most notably regarding your stated reasons, you would be causing the deer to get LESS protein in their diet, simply because their eating corn (low protein) shifts them away from the many higher protein food sources they would otherwise be eating more. It's kinda like giving a child a big box of chocolate right before a healthy dinner of grilled chicken & vegetables.

 

[Deer Assassin]

IMO

a lot of bucks hang out in one place in the summer and move to others in fall

 

[TheLBLman]

During the months of June-August we would have a ton of huge bucks coming to the corn. However about the end of August they all would disappear. . . . . We would have roughly 10 cameras on each farm not just sitting over a food source, but bedding areas as well and we would get zero pictures of them. This year we have not put out a drop of corn. We are gonna try and see if they show up without it and see if they stay around if so.

I doubt you see much difference to the extent of how much the deer hang around or not come Fall. You may get fewer pics, but you'll likely get all the same bucks which were using the corn still using the salt licks in the same general areas.

IMO, older deer become much more sensitive to any human disturbance as Summer is transitioning into Fall. By not feeding corn, you may actually "disturb" them less. However, after the late-summer antler velvet shedding, it's normal for most of the bucks to begin dispersing from their summer bachelor groups. Plus, older deer have a natural tendency to gravitate to the areas where they are disturbed least.

Several years ago I stopped feeding corn when I came to believe it overall did more harm than good, and this is especially the case if you value your turkey and quail populations. I had a single batch of corn develop aflatoxin during February, and from that one feeder, a large flock of turkeys died of aflatoxin poisoning in a matter of days. I suspect many of the complaints I'm hearing about turkey populations being down in lots of areas is related to aflatoxin poisoning (caused by feeding corn).

 

[chebuck]

Your bucks are leaving when they loose their velvet. Its common. Bucks will get a surge of testosterone then and will look to start finding a territory to call his own.

 

[landman]

Y'all keep spending all ur spare time in the
woods spring/summer, it truly helps us
with low pressure land

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

Y'all keep spending all ur spare time in the
woods spring/summer, it truly helps us
with low pressure land

He's got it figured out....I feel deer corn should be banned for sale except maybe during the months of January-March.....I don't use it because I don't need corn to figure deer out.. I can see it helping deer through the winter but not of any nutritionAL value outside of that

 

[breston]

What is the best product to put in your feeder if not corn?

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Y'all keep spending all ur spare time in the
woods spring/summer, it truly helps us
with low pressure land

Don't worry I will, I like em so used to me I can almost pet them before I kill em

 

[redblood]

Over the past few years we have always feed deer corn in the off season to help attract more deer and to put more protein into our current deer population. During the months of June-August we would have a ton of huge bucks coming to the corn. However about the end of August they all would disappear. We have several acres of food plots, mineral licks, white oak ridges loaded down, on top of the corn and they would still disappear. We would have roughly 10 cameras on each farm not just sitting over a food source, but bedding areas as well and we would get zero pictures of them. This year we have not put out a drop of corn. We are gonna try and see if they show up without it and see if they stay around if so. Anyone else have this issue.

set the table for the does. leave them alone till rut. The bucks will show up then

 

[gator-n-buck]

I have seen the same in the past and lots of good answers.

 

[Apple1982]

I use corn in my feeders as well as Trophy Rocks for good photos! Good luck

 

[Bone Collector]

Over the past few years we have always feed deer corn in the off season to help attract more deer and to put more protein into our current deer population. During the months of June-August we would have a ton of huge bucks coming to the corn. However about the end of August they all would disappear. We have several acres of food plots, mineral licks, white oak ridges loaded down, on top of the corn and they would still disappear. We would have roughly 10 cameras on each farm not just sitting over a food source, but bedding areas as well and we would get zero pictures of them. This year we have not put out a drop of corn. We are gonna try and see if they show up without it and see if they stay around if so. Anyone else have this issue.

yes it happens every year at my place, whether i put corn out or not. About Aug. 15 they disappear. corn seems to get them back in early Sept. but then you have to stop and then it s a crap shoot as to what they do.

 

[ZachMarkus]

Y'all keep spending all ur spare time in the
woods spring/summer, it truly helps us
with low pressure land

He's got it figured out....I feel deer corn should be banned for sale except maybe during the months of January-March.....I don't use it because I don't need corn to figure deer out.. I can see it helping deer through the winter but not of any nutritionAL value outside of that

I don't feed corn to help me figure deer out. I rarely hunt any where close to my cameras, I feed it because that's what the bucks on my place prefer over anything else Ive tried, I like seeing what bucks I have hanging around and what bucks made it from last year and what the bucks I let walk last year turned into, basically I just love looking at deer pictures, corn is the only thing I can feed that will get the deer to visit regularly, if I just put out salt I might be lucky to get 200 pics a week from each cam and the bucks might not even show up but if I put corn out with the salt I'll get close to 1000 pics in a week from each cam and the bucks will visit just about every day.

 

[csi-tech]

I put corn out, always have. I see 31/2-41/2 year old deer most years and they vanish in September but show back up in November. We have shot #1 on the list every year, usually around muzzleloader.