Mule deer attractants

[tcinkgm]

I'm looking for some feedback on what people have used to attract mule deer. Both liquids and if anyone has had success using an eastern style whitetail feeder. Not looking to hunt over it as it is now illegal here and not really looking for a moral argument. I've tried corn, COB, sweet feed and oats with no consistent success, just wondering if anyone has had any luck elsewhere.

 

[tx_packmule]

>I'm looking for some feedback on
>what people have used to
>attract mule deer. Both
>liquids and if anyone has
>had success using an eastern
>style whitetail feeder. Not
>looking to hunt over it
>as it is now illegal
>here and not really looking
>for a moral argument.
>I've tried corn, COB, sweet
>feed and oats with no
>consistent success, just wondering if
>anyone has had any luck
>elsewhere.

MD formulated protein in gravity feeders, cotton seed, alfalfa, rice bran...keep it all dry.

 

[jainoon]

My last hunt I watched a pickup go up the mountain loaded with alfalfa bales 5 days before season. Watched same pickup come down with two nice bucks opening day. Alfalfa bales apparently work!

 

[BIGJOHNT]

I have tried the sweet feed in a electronic feeder . The birds and squirrels like it better then the deer and elk. Had a trophy rock in the view of the camera. They would hit the trophy rock . Didn't even seem to be going after the feed. Alfalfa cubes work good, the elk hit them hard along w/the trophy rocks. I have tried deer cane, all of the buck jams and whatever. They work ok just never enough of it to stay long enough for me. Put the jam on a stump and the will eat the stump. But I have licks with trophy rocks that have been hit steady for over five years or more. The other's just don't seem to last. Although I did make a lick w/ liquid deer cane. But I put a rock on it after that.

 

[Gator]

Make a salt lick with a 50 lb salt bag dig a hole lay the bag in and cut the bag open lengthwise then pour 5 gallons of water on it and cover it up with dirt the bag will turn to a huge block of salt, The deer, elk and cattle will find and use it as they need.
Never hurts to put crushed up trophy rock in the mix.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[BIGJOHNT]

They sell trophy rock at Inter Mountain Farmers (IFA) in a bag. Most farm supply have it in a powder form . At least here in Utah.Heck for that matter, my Mom picked up some from a health food store. You put a little water in a glass bottle with a little piece of trophy rock. Then take a spoon full a day. No joke. >Make a salt lick with a
>50 lb salt bag dig
>a hole lay the bag
>in and cut the bag
>open lengthwise then pour 5
>gallons of water on it
>and cover it up with
>dirt the bag will turn
>to a huge block of
>salt, The deer, elk and
>cattle will find and use
>it as they need.
>Never hurts to put crushed up
>trophy rock in the mix.
>
>
>"I have found if you go
>the extra mile it's Never
>crowded".
>>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[WoodsD9]

My personal opinion is nothing will work as good on mule deer as it does on whitetails. Mule deer habits are completely different and I have personally tried several different methods during the summer to get trail cam pics of the big bucks on our property with no real success. The does, fawns and young bucks would eat anything I put down but the bigs bucks never once bothered with any of it. Just my experience though.

 

[Castnshoot]

Baiting Mulies in spring and early summer kills a lot of fawns.

 

[tcinkgm]

Cast, is that from predation? I have been trying to find something for the property owner to have a place to take guests to see deer, similar to what works in Texas. Big bucks aren't really a concern, more novelty. Thanks for the input.

 

[LongRangeBangin]

Salt. The other white drug. Speaking from experience here. White feed salt is the best, poured on the ground an water poured on top to harden like a block. If you get it started in the ground this year, you'll have animals on it this year. If you continue to keep salt on THAT spot all year an before weather perhaps keeps you outta the area, get it back on it the next spring ASAP. You'll have 10 fold the animals the second year. I've experimented once with the little 3-5 pound blocks. I used both a red an a white block. Mule Deer an elk both preferred the white block over the red one in my experiment.
Things that will determine the amount of animals coming to your spot will be of course the amount of animals in your area an how much salt is available. I started salt licks in remote areas where as that was the only salt within miles (that I knew of) I sure the hell didn't make other licks all over the mountain. You can't be in more then one place at a given time. You can't dictate what others do but you can definitely limit what your doing. I also preferred mine near a water source (spring).
Won't be long an you'll be posting trail cam pics of deer an elk with their tongues sticking out! Hope this helps.

 

[Castnshoot]

"Cast, is that from predation?"

That is right. Archery hunters and guys who just like to use trail cams have really got into baiting all over the west.

Sweet baits are the worst. Deer really get hooked on them.

Baits like apples attract Mice, Rats, Rabbits, Squirrls, Birds, Deer and all kinds of animals.

That in turn attracks Coyotes, Bobcats, Bears and Lions.

Mule deer get hooked real quick on sweet baits. Does come right into the bait, throwing caution to the wind.

They drag there fawns right in with them.

Just think of how a kid thinks about a drink of water as opposed to how he thinks about a peice of candy. Same thing with a deer.

With thousands of baiting sites out there preditors have learned
that those sites are easy pickings.

Just look at all the trail cam photos you see with some sort of preditor lurking in the shadows behind the bait.

A lot more people are starting to relize that baiting in the west
is not cool.

You will see plenty of deer using boot leather and glass.

 

[nebo]

Corn works very well.

 

[utarchery]

>"Cast, is that from predation?"
>
>That is right. Archery hunters and
>guys who just like to
>use trail cams have really
>got into baiting all over
>the west.
>
>Sweet baits are the worst. Deer
>really get hooked on them.
>
>
>Baits like apples attract Mice,
>Rats, Rabbits, Squirrls, Birds, Deer
>and all kinds of animals.
>
>
>That in turn attracks Coyotes, Bobcats,
>Bears and Lions.
>
>Mule deer get hooked real quick
>on sweet baits. Does come
>right into the bait, throwing
>caution to the wind.
>
>They drag there fawns right in
>with them.
>
>Just think of how a kid
>thinks about a drink of
>water as opposed to how
>he thinks about a peice
>of candy. Same thing with
>a deer.
>
>With thousands of baiting sites out
>there preditors have learned
>that those sites are easy pickings.
>
>
>Just look at all the trail
>cam photos you see with
>some sort of preditor lurking
>in the shadows behind the
>bait.
>
>A lot more people are starting
>to relize that baiting in
>the west
>is not cool.
>
>You will see plenty of deer
>using boot leather and glass.
>
>
>
>


and all the natural springs and water holes dont?