Buck Jam vs Deer Cane vs Homemade Stuff

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Kachok

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OK yall deer (rifle) season starts in 4 more days here, and I am trying to get some keepers into range hunting this mile long feild. When I was living in TX we just used feed corn, sometimes we did not need anything at all, so I have no experence with deer cane, buck jam, black magic......ect What works for you or do you make your own deer stuff? BTW no oak trees or fruit trees on my friends farm so natural food plots are kinna out the question. There are a few half dead pecan trees just not enough pecans to be worth mentioning.
 
I've used Buck Jam, flavored mineral blocks, mollasses, buck'ola pellets, and some other stuff I can't even remember.. oh that Hog Heaven crap...

The ONLY feed additive/attractant that seems to work so far, for North FLorida deer, was Buck'ola. It's got a sweet, rich smell to it, kind of like horse feed with chocolate. It brought in deer, squirrels, and black bear. Had a small herd of deer staying in the area, so I have to guess they liked it. The Buck jam and the gloopy stump topper stuff was just a waste, IME. And BTW, Hog Heaven doesn't attract anything, including hogs..just to clear confusion of it being used for deer, they didn't like it either.

Although they seem to like oatmeal too if you want to take the home-made route. a little brown suger and some salt seems to get attention, too.
 
Sadly I cannot use any kind of feed pellets or corn in Alabama, liquid stuff that soaks into the ground is somthing else entirly.
 
First off Kachok, What state are you in now? Not all states allow baiting like Texas does. Secondly, If the state you are in allows baiting, I have found Sweet Feed that you give to Cattle and Horses works really well for deer. If there are horses or cattle around the area that you are hunting, it will be a familiar scent to them. Spread a little here and there leading up to a pile where you want the deer to be just like you do on a scendaro in Texas.
 
Ah ok you posted that as I was writing. Bama doesnt allow anything that is a nutrition food source to be used. You are going to be limited to scents only. Buck Jam works ok in some areas, not in others. Kind of a toss up on most of them actually. Good luck.
 
I could suggest TRYING a liquid attractant.... I've never tried this but I think it might work.

Dissolve some salt, and lots of it 4-5 cups per gallon(experiment), in water by boiling and pour it on the ground, topped with granular salt and sort of churn the soil a bit to mix it in lightly. Try this in a known deer travel area. Deer, like all hooved animals, like salt and sweetsies, so I think this might be the equivilent of making a mock mineral lick area.

Again, I haven't tried this, but I think it's a sound theory.

Ok, I missed the part about alabama not allowing naything of nutritional value to lure in deer... but if anyone else can use this idea, let us know if it works.
 
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I've not had luck with nutrition blocks, vanilla scents, buck jam, buck lickers, or deer cane. I think most of that stuff is more designed to attract your wallet than deer. I have had lots of luck with plain old acorns though. I've also drawn a lot of deer into trail cam range with corn too, though where I'm at it's illegal to hunt over it or even place it out a month before bow season.

b
 
Ive had luck digging a hole a foot deep or so, pouring boiled molasses, the sweet smelling brown mineral salt and jello in the hole. Fill the whole back up and deer will dig it up. Comer' deer smells good but I licked a bit of it and its pretty salty. So salt and minerals is definitely effective.
 
I wont use ANY attractant other than scents for deer. It is TOO EASY to run afoul of Alabama's baiting law(Section 9-11-244 of the Code of Alabama)
 
It is kinna loop holy ain't it. I would not even put deer scents out on public land least one of the game wardens smell some kind of menrial in my deer piss LOL I am hunting way out in the middle of nowhere on private land.
 
Last time I checked Deer Cane is illegal in the state of Alabama, because it is not just salt. Which it would probably not do much for you now anyways, deer mostly use those in the hot months for energy sources. YMMV.

With that being said I have had great results with deer cane, we have a hole that has been dug about 3 feet or so deep and about a 6 foot diameter over the last 3 or 4 years by deer. But we do not use during hunting season.
 
Last time I checked Deer Cane is illegal in the state of Alabama,
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I think so too but cant find a cite to prove it . I typically use mock scrapes,tarsal glands and does scent. Antler rattling works all season long(mid November through January).
 
I just use corn, available around here cleaned for feeders even at service stations during deer season. Walmart and Academy have the best prices, normally, but I was getting 50 lb bags at a local Exxon Speedy Stop for the price of a 40 lb bag at Wallyworld a few years back. Last year, my farmer buddy gave me a bunch of corn. He offered this year, but I couldn't drag my trailer up there.
 
If buck jam and deer cane are illigal here you could have fooled me, it is for sale everywhere, Walmart has a huge display set up, I wounder if the game warden is watching the check out counter LOL
 
Walmart has a huge display set up, I wounder if the game warden is watching the check out counter LOL
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It isn't illegal to buy sell or even put out(same for corn). It is however illegal to hunt over it.
 
persimmons also, eating and apple when you first get to your stand and then tossing the core isn't illegal... it's just lunch.
 
If buck jam and deer cane are illigal here you could have fooled me, it is for sale everywhere, Walmart has a huge display set up, I wounder if the game warden is watching the check out counter LOL
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Still does not make it legal. :)

All the walmart's around here sell corn throughout hunting season(and sell a ton of it at that), but the people just haven't got caught YET.
 
Corn prices can be nuts. Back in 2005 they were about 3 bucks a bag, in 2008 they were about 8 bucks per bag. You can imagine my anger when hogs tipped over my feeder.
 
Go to Tractor Supply and look for the apple flavored horse treats. They almost look like big dog biscuits. They're the only thing the deer in my area will stop and eat. Everything else they just pass up and I've tried everything.
 
no oak trees or fruit trees on my friends farm so natural food plots are kinna out the question.
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Actually, the lack of mast is better for planting green fields. Even a very small area of green in the middle of winter is a big attractant for deer.
 
This year I tried some of the jam stuff and it seems to work pretty well. It is nice and thick and seems to stay put. It does taste bad... lol

That said, the deer seem to like it and I have a couple really nice spots going after about a month. Acorns are always good too.
 
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