Tips & Tactics

Better than Corn?

Better than Corn?

By Jeff Maynard

If you use corn as an attractant for drawing deer to your trail cameras or feeders, sometimes it takes a while for deer to find it. I have a tip for something that brings them in faster than corn. And it will help keep them around longer.

When setting up cameras and feeders in a new area or in pre-season, I pick a few trees nearby to rub down with my favorite super attractant: peanut butter.

I’ve found the aroma of peanut butter is stronger than corn, and the scent will travel quickly across a larger area than corn.

I use a stick to spread peanut butter on the legs and PVC pipe of my feeder, as well as the trunks and low-hanging branches of the trees I have strategically chosen in front of my trail cameras.

Once deer find peanut butter on a feeder, they’ll continue to return for the cache of corn.

Many times, I’ve watched deer stand on their hind legs to reach peanut butter smeared on overhanging branches. They absolutely love it!

A glob of peanut butter spread on tree bark JUST above their reach will also keep them posing in front of the camera longer. You can’t do that with corn.

Later in the season, if baiting is legal in your area, spread peanut butter in the area again to sweeten it up and give the deer something different to keep them interested.

Peanut butter has physical properties that will help deer hang around in front of your trail cameras better than corn. It tends to leave a longer-lasting residue than corn, so whitetails stick around wherever you smear it.

Even when other animals such as birds, possums and raccoons finish cleaning up corn, the odor of peanut butter and the oils found in peanut butter will remain. This is a great way to encourage deer to return to your trail cam setups.

If you have a unique or special tip you’d like to share with Buckmasters fans, please email it to huntingtips@buckmasters.com and, if chosen, we will send you a cap signed by Jackie Bushman, along with a knife!

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