Trail Cams and Baits

[Firstblood]

Howdy gang, Hope everybody is having a great May twofer weekend and and getting outside but as I sort my garage out I found my trail cams which have not been used in a few moons. It got me thinking about placement of cameras and attractants. I will be putting out my cams this year over attractants (after bear season ends of course) looking to find a big whitetail buck that eluded me last season. In Ontario when I had cams, game trails and deer were predictable and pattern able but I have never had much luck out here in BC. I know people use supplements or attractants and wanted to know what you guys would recommend. Salt/mineral blocks, bags of salt, bags of feed corn? or the laughter inducing "DEER CANE" " BUCK JAM" or "DONKEY BUTTER" all available at billy bass pro. What time of year do you start putting these out?

[BCHunterFSJ]

Salt/mineral blocks in the summer.
Grains like barley /oats (peas work great too) in the Fall and during the hunting season.

[358mag]

Howdy gang, Hope everybody is having a great May twofer weekend and and getting outside but as I sort my garage out I found my trail cams which have not been used in a few moons. It got me thinking about placement of cameras and attractants. I will be putting out my cams this year over attractants (after bear season ends of course) looking to find a big whitetail buck that eluded me last season. In Ontario when I had cams, game trails and deer were predictable and pattern able but I have never had much luck out here in BC. I know people use supplements or attractants and wanted to know what you guys would recommend. Salt/mineral blocks, bags of salt, bags of feed corn? or the laughter inducing "DEER CANE" " BUCK JAM" or "DONKEY BUTTER" all available at billy bass pro. What time of year do you start putting these out?
If you have any cattle in your area they love salt / mineral blocks they will find them.
In the fall if you have any bears in the area and you put down corn , oats ,peas etc they will find them and live on your bait pile till its gone .
If you have any light fingered dishonest hunters < and there seems to be more + more of them every year> in your area ,make sure you lock down your camera !!!
Good luck .

[caddisguy]

I like water softener salt. You can buy 20kg bags for $5. I have tried putting out various expensive bricks marketed for deer but not much action on those.

I used to put my cameras 20 yards or so off major trails so people wouldn't find them but I'd smear a tiny bit of peanut butter around to help the deer find the salt. Once found the salt, they all found it. Problem I had was the deer would stop hitting the salt by late August. Finally just accepted the risk of people finding the cams and started putting them on major trails. No people seem to have found them so far and I see deer all the way into November.

[Firstblood]

Ive spent the afternoon reading up and most people seem to agree regular salt works best. Peavey mart has regular salt blocks no mineral additives. I might star with both a block and a bag spread around under a tree to keep it from washing away and see what gets action. The spot in question has no cattle, not particularly a busy area but it will be locked, and the bears seem to disappear from the area after early spring. Ive had bears eat cameras in the past but not too much to do about that. `

[Rhyno]

Loose colbalt blue salt from the feed store. I am willing to pay the $10 a 20kg bag for something that is meant for critters rather than softener salt (possible additives, anti coagulators etc.). I go with cracked corn for deer in the late archery season.

[.264winmag]

Water softener, livestock salt block (blue ones) and COB works fine for me. Don't start the cob until week prior to opener.
Cheers

[CanadianMulie]

Yep the blue stock salt works. Or at least here in Sask.

CM

[buckhunter76]

Loose blue salt from the feed store for me to, I dig some into the ground lay a bunch of rocks ontop and sprinkle some on top. Then I fill a panty hose with it and tie it up above the rocks 10 feet in the air, when it rains it drips on the rocks, seems to work well for me, and it’s cheap

[Firstblood]

The blue ones eh, Ive seen many in the woods but not too many deer tracks around them but always in a grazing area with big ol land cows, maybe the cows keep the deer away. Both blue and redish salt blocks available at peavey mart, 20kg for 10 bucks or so. Good to know, Ill post the results or lack there of.

[mrtires24]

The blue ones eh, Ive seen many in the woods but not too many deer tracks around them but always in a grazing area with big ol land cows, maybe the cows keep the deer away. Both blue and redish salt blocks available at peavey mart, 20kg for 10 bucks or so. Good to know, Ill post the results or lack there of.

from my experience, deer are scarce where cattle are.

[barry1974w]

Reddish/brown ones are probably supplemented with trace minerals. I put out both, they always use up the blue one first. But I’m hoping the minerals help more with their general health.