Keeping effective bait in stock is a good way to ensure hunters frequent your business. They might plan ahead to fill feeders and spread attractant, but there will be many times they rush through your doors hoping you have something in stock. And while you certainly cannot keep every attractant known to man in stock, it helps to have a selection of products you know work.
Before we get into the list of the best baits and attractants for deer season, let’s hit pause to cover terminology. It might seem trivial, but using the correct words to describe products helps you and your team guide customers and establish yourselves as experts. Here’s a quick breakdown:
• Bait is the word commonly used when talking about solid, dry products used in greater quantities to keep deer coming in to eat. It covers corn, grains, pellets and a variety of feeds typically bought in bulk.
• Attractants are often liquid but also offered as powders and solids. Apple and molasses are common scents, with specific composition and additives varying by brand.
• Blocks are generally mineral blends or salt, although some blocks are made by compressing sweet feed and nutrients into a portable shape. These are used to provide a greater level of nutrition and supplementation to wildlife, often year-round. Blocks also last longer and are less likely to be eaten be pests and varmints, unlike baits.
When explaining bait and related products to customers, remember to keep local laws in mind. Baiting isn’t legal in all counties or states, and the product that is considered bait can also vary.
What Does the Customer Need?
Most customers will walk in knowing what they need to keep deer, hogs, and/or bear coming to a predictable spot on their property. Bait is typically used to fill feeders that are either gravity-activated or have electronic spinners attached to distribute food at timed intervals. If a customer wants an extra layer of scent to attract animals from a greater distance — or to a newly established location — attractants are useful. As for blocks, they’re not usually used alone but are used as a nutrient source at an existing feeding spot.
The top answer to what your hunting customer needs is bait, but don’t discount the effectiveness of including attractants and blocks. This is especially true when it’s been a good year and food isn’t scarce, because attractants encourage game to visit the hunter’s spot rather than ignoring it in favor of natural food sources.
Bait to Keep in Stock
Triple cleaned corn
Plain, unflavored corn is the one product with enough regional brand variation that it’s best to include generically. Which brand of zero-additives corn you order pallets of will depend on where your brick-and-mortar store is located. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t certain guidelines to consider.
Lower-priced deer corn is great for bringing in customers looking to fill big feeders or dump a pile for feral hogs. But if it’s so cheap it’s full of random junk that clogs feeders, it isn’t really worth it. Consider offering triple-cleaned corn in 40- or 50-pound bags, and let your customers know why they’re paying a few more dollars for it. The cheaper corn on the market contains rocks, sticks, and even hunks of plastic and string. It isn’t fun finding out your feeder quit dispersing corn thanks to a clog created by dirty corn (not to mention that in some circumstances, it can break the spinner). Get properly cleaned bags of corn. Hunters with feeders will thank you.
Boss Buck Deer Candy
Like many supplemental feeds, Boss Buck Deer Candy offers the benefits of bait and attractants. Deer Candy is available in 40-pound bags and contains a special blend of corn, roasted peanuts, and bran. Boss Buck then adds their secret Sweet Berry Treats to keep deer coming back for more.
Boss Buck Deer Candy is a bait that’s most likely going to be used on a smaller scale than clean corn. Gravity feeders are a common way to make it available to deer. Consider recommending customers purchase a bag of Deer Candy to use in addition to their larger corn feeder, although it can be used on its own as well. In fact, the strong smell of this product makes it ideal for bringing deer to new spots or getting them going when hunters first start baiting for the season. Hunters after feral hogs will also see a noticeable increase in animal activity when using Deer Candy.
MSRP $29.99
Visit www.bossbuck.com
Antler King Kitchen Sink
Hunters looking for a truly comprehensive feed will love Antler King Kitchen Sink. The name says it all, because this blend really does contain a little bit of everything deer love. This blend includes oats, wheat, corn, barley, peanuts, milo, black oil sunflower seeds, roasted soy beans, shredded sugar beets, and cotton seed. Protein pellets are also used for a concentrated boost. It’s best used in gravity feeders or on the ground, but Antler King states it’s compatible with spin-cast feeders as well. Hunters who spend deer season in warmer or humid areas, like Texas, might want to avoid spinners due to potential swelling of protein pellets.
The varied ingredients in Kitchen Sink aren’t just for show; this feed encourages growth. Deer and elk will benefit from improved antler growth, while all game will experience gains in overall health, energy and coat quality. Let customers know this also helps them grow deer for future seasons by providing a stellar nutritional base for fawns and yearlings.
Customers who lean toward shoulder mounts or like to tan hides with the hair on will be pleased with the results of using Kitchen Sink consistently. It’s worth the investment to grow a beautiful deer population.
MSRP $34.99
Visit www.antlerking.com
Attractants
Buck Bourbon 110 Proof
Protein-rich sweet feed like Buck Bourbon 110 Proof is an excellent way for hunters to add a little oomph to their bait area. It’s great for deer but also an effective attractant for elk, bear, hogs, antelope and exotics. Buck Bourbon 110 Proof contains processed grain byproducts, a variety of minerals, mineral oil and natural anise.
It’s not uncommon for protein feeds to require the addition of an attractant to encourage deer to eat them, but Buck Bourbon specifically designed 110 Proof to perform on its own. The smell is strong enough to attract deer, and the flavor is ideal to bring them back for more. That gives customers additional value for their dollar, because 110 Proof can be used on its own to draw in big bucks and meat does.
MSRP $12.99-24.99
Visit www.buckbourbon.com
C’Mere Deer X-Treme Corn Coat
Sometimes, customers just want a quick grab-and-go product that doesn’t require a lot of lifting or additional feeders (and that’s understandable). C’Mere Deer X-Treme Corn Coat is a deer attractant that comes in a handy 24-ounce bottle, making transporting and dispensing easy. This powder is designed to be used in addition to corn, or really any bait or feed that requires something extra to get the animals coming in.
X-Treme Corn Coat is formulated to boost deer health through antioxidants and other nutrients. It’s a blend designed to increase blood flow for impressive antler growth, boost the immune system, and encourage a healthy digestive system. C’Mere Deer states it’s specially enhanced with FX600 formula for reproductive and overall herd health.
Let customers know this single 24-ounce bottle can be used on up to 300 pounds of corn. It’s meant to be used in a ratio of 4 ounces per 50 pounds of corn with even product distribution for complete coating. Ideally, customers will add X-Treme Corn Coat to their corn and mix it thoroughly. It’s cost-effective, serves as an effective attractant, and adds nutrients to solid feeds.
MSRP $18.99
Visit www.floutdoors.com
Big Tine Happy Hour
Big Tine is known for manufacturing products to both attract and grow deer, and Happy Hour is a nice example of their dedication to results. Happy Hour is a liquid attractant created to give deer the essential minerals they require with the happy addition of a scent that gets deer coming in. A mega-dose of Big Tine’s Cherry Rush scent is utilized to give this liquid a sharp, clear smell that deer, hogs, and other animals love.
Customers can apply Happy Hour using various methods. It’s a great product to pour over a pile of bait, but it can also be used on decaying stumps, fence lines, and the bare ground. When it’s used on its own, the deer will still lick or chew at it, and the scent will linger for some time. Happy Hour is a good way for customers to add an alluring smell to trees or a fence without leaving a pile of corn other animals will eat before the deer arrive.
Happy Hour is available in one-gallon jugs topped with a molded carry handle. Areas where the attractant is spread should be replenished every two to four weeks depending on weather and terrain. Let customers know Happy Hour is especially great for bringing deer to cameras (and consider having good trail cameras in stock as well).
MSRP $11.99
Visit www.bigtine.com
Blocks and Minerals
Jurassic Rock Mineral Rock
Jurassic Rock is somewhat unique in that they offer minerals to attract and nourish wildlife, but they come in the form of crushed mineral rock rather than a solid block. Just dump the crushed rock on the ground to establish a mineral site. Throughout a few rain cycles, the product will disappear, soaking into the earth creating a mineral lick. Continue to refresh through the year as needed. The crushed rock is especially effective when used to jump-start a long-lasting mineral site in conjunction with the company’s 15-pound mineral rock, which is more like a traditional block.
The minerals come in 6-pound, 20-pound and 30-pound bags, 50-pound buckets, 2 ½-pound growlers or larger bulk orders. The mineral supplements come with different flavorings, like apple and pumpkin, and they boast a blend of 17 essential prehistoric minerals, ensuring your customers’ property becomes a haven for thriving wildlife year-round. This crushed mineral rock is a potent source of vital nutrients, featuring aluminum, boron, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfur, and zinc. Each component is naturally selected to support optimal health and growth in your local wildlife population.
Price varies by product, but try the easy-to-handle 20-pound bag of apple spiced minerals, which retails for $19.99.
Visit www.jurassicrock.com
Wildgame Innovations Hangtime Hard Candy Block
Not all customers will want a block that’s simply tossed on the ground and left behind, and that’s where hanging blocks come in. Wildgame Innovations’ Hangtime Hard Candy Block allows hunters to hang solid attractants from trees and fences with no muss, no fuss. The block weighs 3.5 pounds and features a sturdy rope in its center for quick setup.
What makes Hangtime a great attractant is the scent — it’s made in either acorn or apple — but there’s more to it than just a strong smell. It’s made with minerals and enzymes meant to keep deer healthy and growing. Not only that, but it also aids in proper digestion, which can be more vital than many hunters realize.
Customers who prefer a set-it-and-forget-it attractant will love Hangtime Hard Candy. It lasts for quite awhile, all while exuding an irresistible scent. Because it can be hung at greater heights, it’s less likely to be eaten by pests such as feral hogs. In addition, hanging it in the right location gives hunters an opportunity at a cleaner shot at a standing deer with their head up and neck extended.
MSRP $11.99
Visit www.wildgameinnovations.com
Whitetail Institute
30-06 Mineral Block
Whitetail Institute is known for its specially formulated products, and the 30-06 Mineral Block is a prime example. It’s not just a fancy salt lick — it’s a high-quality supplement. Minerals and vitamins help keep your local deer herd healthy while encouraging bucks to reach their full potential for antler growth. According to Whitetail Institute, this block is also formulated to meet the needs of pregnant and lactating does.
This block is a good fit for customers who want to boost the health of deer on their property while simultaneously drawing them in with attractants. The 30-06 Mineral Block is made with an appealing scent as well as flavor enhancers. The smell brings game in, while the essential macro and trace nutrients keep them growing. This block weighs 20 pounds and can simply be placed on the ground.
MSRP $29.99
Visit www.whitetailinstitute.com
