Every hunter wants to attract deer to their property or tree stand, and every hunter will also likely argue with you over what makes the best bait for deer. Some will spend forever growing and tilling a food plot, but there may just be a simpler method.
Deer love peanut butter, and as a bonus, it’s easy and cheap to use. Why spend tons of your hard earned cash on commercial deer attractants when a jar of jiffy works just as well? In this article, we’re going to tell you how to start using peanut butter to attract deer, but first.
Is it legal to bait deer where you live?
Different states have various laws regarding using bait or feed to attract animals which you plan to hunt. If baiting is not allowed in your area and you get caught doing this by the game warden then you could be in deep trouble. So, do yourself a favor and make sure it’s legal where you hunt.
If you have your own property, then there may also be separate laws for baiting on your own property. In some cases, you may be able to get away with it on your own property where it’s not allowed in other areas.
In other areas it’s okay to bait deer in certain seasons, but in other locations it’s not allowed at all. So, make sure that you get the facts from your own state’s wildlife regulatory agency before proceeding.
Oh, yeah, and if baiting is illegal in your area, in some cases, planting a food plots is not illegal! Even though you’re still providing food for the deer it is often seen as different than baiting, so that could be an option for you if you can’t put out peanut butter where you live because it’s “bait”.
Peanut Butter Deer Bait How To!
This process can be as easy as just smearing some of your peanut butter deer bait on a tree, but that’s not the best method. It’s actually better to put a little bit of work into it and make a longer lasting bait.
- Get a jar of peanut butter, any kind will do
- Screw the lid into a tree, about 4-5 feet up
- Screw the peanut butter back into the lid
- Cut off the bottom of the lid using a utility knife
Does Peanut Butter Deer Bait Work?
Many people love using this method, and yet other say it doesn’t work at all! So, who’s telling the truth? The fact is, your ability to attract deer will depend on a lot of factors besides peanut butter.
For starters, there need to be deer in the area to begin with to attract! If you live in an area that’s surrounded by houses with little cover, then you’ll be unlikely to attract any deer. The point of this bait is to draw the deer out of the woods and down to where your hiding spot is. It doesn’t just magically make deer appear from nowhere.
If you’d like to make your property more attractive to deer, then we’d recommend focusing on wildlife management. This is the process of taking the land that you have and making it more attractive to deer, turkey, and other wildlife. It focuses on molding your land into an area where these animals want to stay. Try this article for an introduction into wildlife management for your property.
Ps. Check out our best homemade deer attractants article for more tips!
