Thread: Luring deer to a feeder

Red neck Poachers in the USA used to put a nice red apple on the tip of a shark or butcher hook hanging high enough above a deer trail so that the white tail deer ( or mule deer ?) would have to jump to get the apple.

Originally Posted by Friwi

Red neck Poachers in the USA used to put a nice red apple on the tip of a shark or butcher hook hanging high enough above a deer trail so that the white tail deer ( or mule deer ?) would have to jump to get the apple.

Keen to give apples a try. They may indeed like it from the get-go. What I've found reading around though is that what works on deer in some locations doesn't in others. In some states in the US, citrus is an attractant, others a deterrent. Grapes in some places in the US they're crazy for, others not. Olives the same. It's all based on what they know to be food, as per their region. I guess it's something passed down the generations fading out over time outside of their natural habitats (like here).

Someone in this thread said that once they establish apples as food, they'll keep coming back. I bet it's the same with brassica, turnips. They will even often walk right past maize, because they don't think it's anything they will eat. Deer on my maize feeders are there every day, twice - at least, once I actually get them to take a look!

Seems having to teach them is the ticket. Might be worth using broadleaf as a lure somehow. Mysterious why aniseed of all things 'just works' though. Not like you see wild aniseed growing here.