I put two black bear baits out today. I hung up two trail camera each facing the swamp bait pile and I hung up one trail camera

[Gary Devine]

I put two black bear baits out today. I hung up two trail camera each facing the swamp bait pile and I hung up one trail camera facing the mountain top bait pile. I used five giant bags of dry dog food and two large bags of corn coated with molasses. I poured the following over each bait pile. A bottle syrup, a bottle of honey and a gallon jug of caramel molasses. I have two questions would deer eat dry dog food and would deer eat at a bait pile knowing that bears are using it? This past spring the only other animals that came into my three bear bait piles were bobcats and coyotes.

[Gary Devine]

I failed to mention that raccoons and opossums were also hitting my 3 spring bear baits at night.

[jhjimbo]

I think the scavengers will be in first, then the bears, then if anything is left, which there will not be, the deer would come in. They may still come in to paw the earth for the syrup.

[stephanieperreault]

I put dog food out one time just to see if deer would eat it and it was gone just as fast as bagged corn so yeah they eat it at least here in Missouri.

[steve182]

I'd be surprised if they eat the dogfood, but I guess if it's covered in molasses and caramel maybe. The corn they will pick from the pile, i'd think.

[jhjimbo]

I brought some sugar beets back from a Michigan hunt to S.Ohio and the deer took three night to figure out what they were. A nibble the first night, more on the second, and by the third they ate the whole thing.

[Gary Devine]

The reason I asked this question, is my mountain bear bait pile is surrounded by buck rubs and active buck scrapes.

Steve182, I agree with you that the deer would pick out the corn kernels.

Jhjimbo, good point and deer do have sweet tooth.

KadenSmith, I always wonder about deer eating dry dog food. Most dry dog food is beef, liver, bacon or chicken flavored. Deer are vegetarians so I though those favors wouldn’t be appalling to them.
Hey, but if your Missouri deer eat it maybe the Jersey deer will because I did soak it in honey, syrup and molasses.

Thank you guys, +1 for all.

[Gary Devine]

typo mistakes,

1. thought not though

2. would be appalling, not wouldn't

sorry

[Gary Devine]

Jhjimbo, the deer will nipple on your sugar beets because they are too big.
Most sugar beets are longer then a person's hand, similar to small footballs.

I use my machete or hatchet and chop them up.
The deer will then eat them.
Try it you will have better results at the bait pile!

[steve182]

Although dogfood is meat flavored, the main ingredient is usually grain of some sort,... wheat, rice, corn or soy. -If a vegetarian deer will eat it, it shows you how little meat is actually in dogfood.

[Gary Devine]

Steve182, I never knew about dry dog.
Thanks

[chuckles]

Gary we never get pictures of deer on our baits despite having watermelon, apples, corn and oats as part of the mix. I think the smell of multiple predators and the decaying meat puts them off.
We got on photo this year of a wolf treeing a bear at the bait. Not the kind of place a deer would linger. My guess is they might eat it if they were desperate but they are not going to hang out if bears and coyotes are around.

[Gary Devine]

Chuckles, great points!
Bears like watermelons? Hmmm
I will have to try that one. thanks

[chuckles]

Bears love watermelons!

[stephanieperreault]

Some one posted on the forums here a while back that deer can get a parasite from eating dog food i dont know if this is true because they didnt have anything to back it up but they said it can wipe out an entire deer herd