Deer Club Baiting Rules

[smallwater]

I'm in a club in the Upstate that allows baiting for deer since it became legal. There was never a real discussion, but the attitude of our president was that it should be allowed because it's legal. He does not personally approve of using bait, and we're now trying to navigate the problems brought about by corn. I agree with him, but the club is about 50/50. There hasn't been any drama or hard feelings.
How do y'all that are in clubs handle this situation? In our club, any part of the property and any stand is open to any hunter, based on signing in. However, I would not want to hunt out of a cornpile stand nor that close to it, so the cornpile stands are essentially "reserving" areas for those hunters. Not to mention the problems that could come because a few of us hunt ducks on the property too. And a myriad of other issues, i.e. attracting hogs, folks getting mad if you kill a deer over or near their corn even though you didn't contribute to the corn financially, etc.
I'd appreciate your advice.

[wiz18]

Go away from “club stands”. Divide the tract up fairly and let each member have his own area. I don’t know why shared areas are still a thing.

If Ray-Bob wants to hunt your power line that’s fine, if he’ll let you hunt his cutover tomorrow. But Ray-Bob can’t tell you how to manage your area.

That’s how I would fix your baiting issue.

[Fireman]

The club can buy the corn, or people can just get over it. That's the only solution I can see.

Take a club vote, majority wins and let them know ahead of time that they might not get the stand they paid for the corn in front of due to club rules. It is their choice.

[MolliesMaster]

Best solution: Become rich and buy your own property. Leave club.

[Coastal Woodie]

Best solution: Become rich and buy your own property. Leave club.

The best club has one member and his name is on the deed.

But seriously I’d rather hunt game management than deal with club members.

[Glenn]

You aren't going to have a policy that will satisfy all members I'm afraid. If you're in a club, there will be constant drama. Either set expectation levels to "drama" and accept it and roll on or punch out and start knockin' on doors. There is no one right answer to your question I'm afraid.

[Civil-Cock]

We went through the same situation as the upstate when I ran a club several years ago. We did the following: Each member had one stand. No hunting by other within 200 yards radius of said stand, basically your own area. This seamed to work out for for the members. Corn it, food plot, want ever your wanted. Number 1 rule for a successfully club is no voting for rules. Club President is in charge. Club was around 1300 acres, membership was 8 to 10 people most years.

[smallwater]

Thanks for all the advice. I agree that a benevolent dictator is best. Our president is great, and so far drama has been nonexistent or very limited. But we can see it coming.

[Duck cutter]

I’m in multiple “clubs”, they each work differently
My big club, Every member provides a minimum of one permanent stand. Bow season through the first two weeks of rifle season, you cannot sit another members stand. You can climb in that general area, but can’t physically be in their stand. After the first two weeks of rifle season, it opens up to everyone. If a member has not signed into “their” stand 30min before shooting light it’s fair game to anyone. First come, first serve in the afternoons. Corn is up to each member, as much or as little as you’d like to put out.

This club has the most acreage, most members and most drama. I really haven’t deer hunted that club much the last few years due to gaining access to some other and better properties I have to myself or with less people. I think the deer hunting would improve down there if they would ease up on the corn but it doesn’t affect me much since I mostly small game and turkey hunt that land these days.

One property I’m in the landowner asked us not to put out any corn starting last year bc of all the pigs. No corn and we saw less pigs last year than previous years so it seemed to work. We don’t even run cameras on that tract. We only hunt two days a week there and try to shoot good bucks. I do get fed up with a few things down there. I’m the only person with a tractor and implements and chainsaws so that stuff falls to me. Two of us hunt very week, two only hunt on occasion. One of the occasional guys doesn’t have a truck, so he usually catches a ride with someone else to and from. It can get a little frustrating if he shoots one and you get stuck looking for a deer late bc you’re the one he rode with and then you’ve got to take him to the processor and take him back home after that. But I don’t pay anything to hunt that property so that makes all those problems a little easier to deal with and it’s where I kill some of my better deer.

I picked up another lease with two other folks this year, one whom is a member here. No real rules, just hunt and have fun. It should be a good time. The main reason we picked it up is bc it back up to family land and my cousin and I wanted to keep other clubs from right up on us.

I have 90 acres tied up right around the house, 50 out the back door and 40 another two minutes up the road. Unless I invite someone there no one else hunting it. Places like that are the best.

[Duck cutter]

I’m in multiple “clubs”, they each work differently
My big club, Every member provides a minimum of one permanent stand. Bow season through the first two weeks of rifle season, you cannot sit another members stand. You can climb in that general area, but can’t physically be in their stand. After the first two weeks of rifle season, it opens up to everyone. If a member has not signed into “their” stand 30min before shooting light it’s fair game to anyone. First come, first serve in the afternoons. Corn is up to each member, as much or as little as you’d like to put out.

This club has the most acreage, most members and most drama. I really haven’t deer hunted that club much the last few years due to gaining access to some other and better properties I have to myself or with less people. I think the deer hunting would improve down there if they would ease up on the corn but it doesn’t affect me much since I mostly small game and turkey hunt that land these days.

One property I’m in the landowner asked us not to put out any corn starting last year bc of all the pigs. No corn and we saw less pigs last year than previous years so it seemed to work. We don’t even run cameras on that tract. We only hunt two days a week there and try to shoot good bucks. I do get fed up with a few things down there. I’m the only person with a tractor and implements and chainsaws so that stuff falls to me. Two of us hunt very week, two only hunt on occasion. One of the occasional guys doesn’t have a truck, so he usually catches a ride with someone else to and from. It can get a little frustrating if he shoots one and you get stuck looking for a deer late bc you’re the one he rode with and then you’ve got to take him to the processor and take him back home after that. But I don’t pay anything to hunt that property so that makes all those problems a little easier to deal with and it’s where I kill some of my better deer.

I picked up another lease with two other folks this year, one whom is a member here. No real rules, just hunt and have fun. It should be a good time. The main reason we picked it up is bc it back up to family land and my cousin and I wanted to keep other clubs from right up on us.

I have 90 acres tied up right around the house, 50 out the back door and 40 another two minutes up the road. Unless I invite someone there no one else hunting it. Places like that are the best.

[smitch320]

Clubs are tough...


We have club corn at most club stands. Often times once the corn is done the first or second round a member might buy a bag or two.

Members are allowed personal stands which they keep up with the feeder and corn should they so desire to use one. Their location is discussed amongst the club to try and keep things spread out.

Most of the grown bucks are not killed in club stands or over corn.

[jwmetz]

We have about 20 corn stands on 2400 acres. Club buys the corn and no other area on the club can be baited. Your out if you do it. Some good bucks seen or killed on those feeders but most are killed in other places. We don’t have drama.

[2thDoc]

i tend to agree with jmetz.
corn the club stands. maybe just particular ones. no corn anywhere else.


i dont like a deer club broken into zones for each member.
but i dont even like people so there's that....

[quack head 11]

I’m in multiple “clubs”, they each work differently
My big club, Every member provides a minimum of one permanent stand. Bow season through the first two weeks of rifle season, you cannot sit another members stand. You can climb in that general area, but can’t physically be in their stand. After the first two weeks of rifle season, it opens up to everyone. If a member has not signed into “their” stand 30min before shooting light it’s fair game to anyone. First come, first serve in the afternoons. Corn is up to each member, as much or as little as you’d like to put out.

This club has the most acreage, most members and most drama. I really haven’t deer hunted that club much the last few years due to gaining access to some other and better properties I have to myself or with less people. I think the deer hunting would improve down there if they would ease up on the corn but it doesn’t affect me much since I mostly small game and turkey hunt that land these days.

One property I’m in the landowner asked us not to put out any corn starting last year bc of all the pigs. No corn and we saw less pigs last year than previous years so it seemed to work. We don’t even run cameras on that tract. We only hunt two days a week there and try to shoot good bucks. I do get fed up with a few things down there. I’m the only person with a tractor and implements and chainsaws so that stuff falls to me. Two of us hunt very week, two only hunt on occasion. One of the occasional guys doesn’t have a truck, so he usually catches a ride with someone else to and from. It can get a little frustrating if he shoots one and you get stuck looking for a deer late bc you’re the one he rode with and then you’ve got to take him to the processor and take him back home after that. But I don’t pay anything to hunt that property so that makes all those problems a little easier to deal with and it’s where I kill some of my better deer.

I picked up another lease with two other folks this year, one whom is a member here. No real rules, just hunt and have fun. It should be a good time. The main reason we picked it up is bc it back up to family land and my cousin and I wanted to keep other clubs from right up on us.

I have 90 acres tied up right around the house, 50 out the back door and 40 another two minutes up the road. Unless I invite someone there no one else hunting it. Places like that are the best.

I know that top club has way too mny members for my liking. I know it keeps cost down but it raises the pressure way too much for my liking

[quack head 11]

I’m in multiple “clubs”, they each work differently
My big club, Every member provides a minimum of one permanent stand. Bow season through the first two weeks of rifle season, you cannot sit another members stand. You can climb in that general area, but can’t physically be in their stand. After the first two weeks of rifle season, it opens up to everyone. If a member has not signed into “their” stand 30min before shooting light it’s fair game to anyone. First come, first serve in the afternoons. Corn is up to each member, as much or as little as you’d like to put out.

This club has the most acreage, most members and most drama. I really haven’t deer hunted that club much the last few years due to gaining access to some other and better properties I have to myself or with less people. I think the deer hunting would improve down there if they would ease up on the corn but it doesn’t affect me much since I mostly small game and turkey hunt that land these days.

One property I’m in the landowner asked us not to put out any corn starting last year bc of all the pigs. No corn and we saw less pigs last year than previous years so it seemed to work. We don’t even run cameras on that tract. We only hunt two days a week there and try to shoot good bucks. I do get fed up with a few things down there. I’m the only person with a tractor and implements and chainsaws so that stuff falls to me. Two of us hunt very week, two only hunt on occasion. One of the occasional guys doesn’t have a truck, so he usually catches a ride with someone else to and from. It can get a little frustrating if he shoots one and you get stuck looking for a deer late bc you’re the one he rode with and then you’ve got to take him to the processor and take him back home after that. But I don’t pay anything to hunt that property so that makes all those problems a little easier to deal with and it’s where I kill some of my better deer.

I picked up another lease with two other folks this year, one whom is a member here. No real rules, just hunt and have fun. It should be a good time. The main reason we picked it up is bc it back up to family land and my cousin and I wanted to keep other clubs from right up on us.

I have 90 acres tied up right around the house, 50 out the back door and 40 another two minutes up the road. Unless I invite someone there no one else hunting it. Places like that are the best.

I know that top club has way too mny members for my liking. I know it keeps cost down but it raises the pressure way too much for my liking

[Duck cutter]

I know that top club has way too mny members for my liking. I know it keeps cost down but it raises the pressure way too much for my liking

Which is why I don’t deer hunt there much.

That place could be awesome but the members need to be cut in half. I’ve told MP that if he ever decides to quit fooling with it as president that I’ll take over the lease but I flat out told him that half the guys in it now wouldn’t be coming back. He talked like as long as his dad was still living he would probably keep things like they are now but said when his dad and a few other old timers couldn’t hunt anymore he would consider to let me handle the leasing side of it and he would return as one of the members.

[jwilliams]

Go away from “club stands”. Divide the tract up fairly and let each member have his own area. I don’t know why shared areas are still a thing.

If Ray-Bob wants to hunt your power line that’s fine, if he’ll let you hunt his cutover tomorrow. But Ray-Bob can’t tell you how to manage your area.

That’s how I would fix your baiting issue.

this..only way to go. that way you don't have ray bob wearing his old spice to your stand. Each member has their own areas. Very. Little. Drama. And a benevolent dictator as someone mentioned above.

[Glenn]

Old Spice?!

Everyone who is successful with the gals knows it's Cubman or nothing.

[Glenn]

Old Spice?!

Everyone who is successful with the gals knows it's Cubman or nothing.

[Rubberhead*]

I'm in a "mixed" club. We've learned to stay out of each other's ways. The baiters usually stay on the edges and open areas mostly in the low quality habitat so that's good. We usually hunt in the woods. There's an occasional dust-up but for the most part, the non-baiters don't want to be anywhere near a feeder so it works. Oh, and they have about 25% of the club where we don't go at all and we've got 25% where they don't go. The 50% is shared. As long as they don't move or add bait stations, we're happy. They're happy as long as we don't hunt near their feeders. It works.