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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: TwoRs]
#1245676
01/29/15 01:31 PM
01/29/15 01:31 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,218 Auburn University
Steve Ditchkoff
8 point
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8 point
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,218
Auburn University
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How about studies that use an electronic feeder or feeders set to go off at mid day? We don't have data on that, although there could be studies that have been done elsewhere. But, I guess I would caution against assuming what they will do to deer movement. I've been wrong in my assumptions of deer movement more often than I care to admit, and know this because I've had the luxury of seeing deer movement data in detail. My guess would be that they do influence movement in some fashion, but I can't say to what extent, or in what manner.
*************** Steve Ditchkoff School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University ***************
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: Steve Ditchkoff]
#1245681
01/29/15 01:38 PM
01/29/15 01:38 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,910 Cullman
CKyleC
(Can't Keep It Up...)
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(Can't Keep It Up...)
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,910
Cullman
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Unfortunately, I saw this coming. We have data on radio-collared bucks in South Carolina, where baiting is legal. The very large property where we are doing the research used to spread corn out in 75-yard piles near some of their stands (LOTS of corn). What we saw with deer movement was that a lot of our bucks would begin moving just before dark while staying in thick cover. After sunset they would trek across the property to these areas with huge amounts of corn...feed...and then return before sunrise. Some of these bucks were making nightly movements of up to two miles one way. This year they quit doing that and hunting success went way up.
The fact is that the more food you supply the deer herd, the less hungry they are, and the less need they have to move during risky hours. So it's a difficult balance. You want to supply resources for your deer (whether it be habitat enhancement, food plots, or supplemental feed) to improve condition and gain all the benefits of that. But, the more you do so, the less likely you are to see them during daylight hours...because they aren't that hungry.
I don't think the feeders do anything to "hold deer on your property"...contrary to popular opinion. Rather, they just make them less hungry, and the deer don't move as much before dark, no matter whose property they choose to bed on. If your neighbor is feeding, there's nothing you can do about it. But, if you choose to feed to "level the playing field", you're just exacerbating the situation. That is interesting. In your professional opinion does a food plot have the same effect as the corn piles that were studied?
"In Alabama, we prefer to kill small bucks on big properties"-Turkey247
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: getoutdoors]
#1245685
01/29/15 01:41 PM
01/29/15 01:41 PM
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Matt Brock
Unregistered
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Matt Brock
Unregistered
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I posted a link to another South Carolina study on here a few days ago. Hunter satisfaction and success was much higher on public land without feed than on managed private land with feed. I've been preaching this for years. Glad to see newer research is backing that data.
The costs of feeding and unintended consequences are not worth it.
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: CKyleC]
#1245688
01/29/15 01:43 PM
01/29/15 01:43 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,218 Auburn University
Steve Ditchkoff
8 point
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8 point
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,218
Auburn University
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In my opinion...yes. But, I don't have data to support it.
I believe that food plots can be great tools for hunting...in addition to providing supplemental nutrition. But, I believe that most hunters don't use the tool very wisely (at least many that i am familiar with). We tend to hunt them frequently (walking to and from and always leaving as trail of scent) and deer quickly realize that this general area is bad news. So...they become more nocturnal. My philosophy is to hunt food plots very infrequently (2-5 times a year) so that the deer don't look at these areas as having high human activity. Then, when I do hunt them, there will be lots of deer on them. Of course, I believe this is true for any hunting location. The difference with food plots is that we commonly have a big fancy hunting blind that we have put a lot of time and energy into...so we tend to hunt it more because of convenience and comfort.
Take a look at the QDMA article by Clint McCoy (this article ewas voted the number one article of 2014 by QDMA readers I believe), my graduate student that did the South Carolina research. He found that stands that were hunted had a significant decrease in deer usage of these areas during daylight hours for at least a few days.
*************** Steve Ditchkoff School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University ***************
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: CKyleC]
#1245689
01/29/15 01:44 PM
01/29/15 01:44 PM
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Matt Brock
Unregistered
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Matt Brock
Unregistered
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Unfortunately, I saw this coming. We have data on radio-collared bucks in South Carolina, where baiting is legal. The very large property where we are doing the research used to spread corn out in 75-yard piles near some of their stands (LOTS of corn). What we saw with deer movement was that a lot of our bucks would begin moving just before dark while staying in thick cover. After sunset they would trek across the property to these areas with huge amounts of corn...feed...and then return before sunrise. Some of these bucks were making nightly movements of up to two miles one way. This year they quit doing that and hunting success went way up.
The fact is that the more food you supply the deer herd, the less hungry they are, and the less need they have to move during risky hours. So it's a difficult balance. You want to supply resources for your deer (whether it be habitat enhancement, food plots, or supplemental feed) to improve condition and gain all the benefits of that. But, the more you do so, the less likely you are to see them during daylight hours...because they aren't that hungry.
I don't think the feeders do anything to "hold deer on your property"...contrary to popular opinion. Rather, they just make them less hungry, and the deer don't move as much before dark, no matter whose property they choose to bed on. If your neighbor is feeding, there's nothing you can do about it. But, if you choose to feed to "level the playing field", you're just exacerbating the situation. That is interesting. In your professional opinion does a food plot have the same effect as the corn piles that were studied? My opinion is no. Corn provides needed carbs and energy during peak stress periods making it highly desired and able to pack on weight and provide temporary energy. Food plots don't provide the same thing.
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: Steve Ditchkoff]
#1245697
01/29/15 01:53 PM
01/29/15 01:53 PM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,828 Elmore County
Frankie
Old Mossy Horns
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Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,828
Elmore County
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How about studies that use an electronic feeder or feeders set to go off at mid day? We don't have data on that, although there could be studies that have been done elsewhere. But, I guess I would caution against assuming what they will do to deer movement. I've been wrong in my assumptions of deer movement more often than I care to admit, and know this because I've had the luxury of seeing deer movement data in detail. My guess would be that they do influence movement in some fashion, but I can't say to what extent, or in what manner. would be nice to know what effect of pile verses timed feeders . you hear these stories about , the spreader goes off and the bucks come running . i always figured the deer didn't care they knew it would be there that night .
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: getoutdoors]
#1245738
01/29/15 02:38 PM
01/29/15 02:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,074 Glendale, FL
WhiteCityHunter
6 point
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6 point
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,074
Glendale, FL
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Corn has been legal here in Florida forever. You're not gonna draw in bucks with corn, not in the daylight anyway. You'll draw does, yearlings and you might get a buck over it at first light or right at dark during the rut but that's about it. I don't use it at my lease, but I do in my backyard cuz I like seeing deer. However I'm in my house looking out. If I had to walk in to a stand b4 daylight I'm gonna run the deer off it b4 I can get in my stand. Also if you're putting corn in the woods you're stinking up the place extra on top of what you're already doing when you hunt. Corn is vastly overrated. Out of all the deer sightings I've had at my house, and it's A LOT, maybe 10% of those included bucks.
Last edited by WhiteCityHunter; 01/29/15 02:40 PM.
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: Frankie]
#1245745
01/29/15 02:43 PM
01/29/15 02:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,074 Glendale, FL
WhiteCityHunter
6 point
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6 point
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,074
Glendale, FL
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How about studies that use an electronic feeder or feeders set to go off at mid day? We don't have data on that, although there could be studies that have been done elsewhere. But, I guess I would caution against assuming what they will do to deer movement. I've been wrong in my assumptions of deer movement more often than I care to admit, and know this because I've had the luxury of seeing deer movement data in detail. My guess would be that they do influence movement in some fashion, but I can't say to what extent, or in what manner. would be nice to know what effect of pile verses timed feeders . you hear these stories about , the spreader goes off and the bucks come running . i always figured the deer didn't care they knew it would be there that night . Maybe on a very controlled access property with very little pressure would you see 'bucks running to a feeder', lol. That ain't happening on the vast majority of properties in the southeast. I think some people watch too many of those fairy tale hunting shows and think that's how it works.
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: getoutdoors]
#1245780
01/29/15 03:12 PM
01/29/15 03:12 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,578 Tuscaloosa Co.
N2TRKYS
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,578
Tuscaloosa Co.
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We are seeing a different result than the South Carolina study, Dr D. The timber/habitat type or pressure may be different? Can you pm me a link to that study? I'd like to read up on it? Thanks in advance.
83% of all statistics are made up.
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: N2TRKYS]
#1245976
01/29/15 04:52 PM
01/29/15 04:52 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,218 Auburn University
Steve Ditchkoff
8 point
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8 point
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,218
Auburn University
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We are seeing a different result than the South Carolina study, Dr D. The timber/habitat type or pressure may be different? Can you pm me a link to that study? I'd like to read up on it? Thanks in advance. I'm sorry, but I don't have a link for it. I never read it when it was online because I read it before it was published. Sorry. I'm sure the habitat and pressure are different between your property and the property where the study was done.
*************** Steve Ditchkoff School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University ***************
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: Steve Ditchkoff]
#1245980
01/29/15 04:55 PM
01/29/15 04:55 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,578 Tuscaloosa Co.
N2TRKYS
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,578
Tuscaloosa Co.
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We are seeing a different result than the South Carolina study, Dr D. The timber/habitat type or pressure may be different? Can you pm me a link to that study? I'd like to read up on it? Thanks in advance. I'm sorry, but I don't have a link for it. I never read it when it was online because I read it before it was published. Sorry. I'm sure the habitat and pressure are different between your property and the property where the study was done. Thanks for the reply. I understand.
83% of all statistics are made up.
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: getoutdoors]
#1246451
01/30/15 05:40 AM
01/30/15 05:40 AM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 8,030 Central Alabama
muzziehead
14 point
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14 point
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 8,030
Central Alabama
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I haven't done a deer study but I can confirm this:
We have 7 electronic feeders stationed in legal areas throughout our property of 1250 acres. We have cameras on every feeder. They were originally set to activate at 7am and 4pm through Dec 31, for 8 seconds intervals. We were getting several pictures of deer, both doe and bucks at the feeder locations the first two weeks, during daylight and dark hours. After a few weeks, the bucks completely stopped visiting the feeders during the daytime hours. In an effort to save oorn, we adjusted the feeders to activate at NOON each day. The bucks continued to visit the feeder locations during dark hours, typically after midnight and continue to do so. Our sightings of bucks on our food plots have dropped considerably since we began using the feeders. In January we have started to see younger bucks in the plots but they are just cruising, looking for doe. The pictures of bucks at the feeders these last two weeks of January have dropped off to almost ZERO, as they are no longer focused on eating but locating doe.
Based on our findings, we will not be setting up any feeders next season and should save our club between $1000 and $1500 a year, which will be used to build new shooting houses.
"Don't cling to Mistake, just because you spent a lot of time making it."
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Re: Corn impact on deer behavior
[Re: muzziehead]
#1246531
01/30/15 06:31 AM
01/30/15 06:31 AM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,242 just south of the Tennesse riv...
roadkill
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,242
just south of the Tennesse riv...
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Lord knows (and everyone else) that I don't know anything about deer except how to hunt and cook them and I'm not too great at that. You cannot convince me that providing a large wild grazing animal that has free range capabilities with a new food source outside of its normal parameters isn't going to drastically affect its behavior. I'm thinking Ethiopians. They have been living forever on not much of anything and have got pretty good at getting by or they would have died out. So they know where the food is and how to get enough of it to survive and reproduce. Now all of a sudden we go and add a Golden Corral in their village. And its free. You don't think that their behavior will change?
Last edited by roadkill; 01/30/15 07:36 AM.
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