When it comes to attracting deer and getting them near enough to shoot, you’ll want to consider peanut butter! As strange as this may sound at first, it actually is quite effective and has deer coming to you. After I tried it once, I decided to continue doing it when I have the chance (provided that attractants like these are legal in wherever I’m hunting).
Are you wondering about how to attract deer with peanut butter as well? Then read on as I show you what you need to know about deer and peanut butter, as well as attracting them with it!
Do Deer Like Peanut Butter?
Peanut butter is a delicious spread, a staple in many homes. But can you actually use it to attract deer as effectively as people say? Short answer, yes!
Even I was surprised with how deer began licking and enjoying the peanut butter, which is what I’m thankful for after I caught a big buck. It’s probably effective because just like feeds and mineral blocks, peanut butter contains a lot of sugar and salt which deer like. But what makes the spread different from others is that it contains the nutritional value like protein and iron, which may help antler health and growth.
Food plots are the best way to go when luring deer and helping them grow healthier though. BUT, if you want something easy, extra, and a quick fix, you’ll appreciate peanut butter, too. It’s also an economical alternative to the pricier attractants available!
Discover more:
- The Best No-Till Drill For Food Plots: Attract and Help Deer Grow Now!
- When To Plant Buck Forage Oats: What You Need To Know For Healthy Deer
Here’s an interesting experimental video answering the question if deer like peanut butter:
How to Attract Deer With Peanut Butter
Now that you’re familiar with how deer like peanut butter, the question is: How can you attract them with it? There are different methods to follow when doing so:
Make Sure It’s Legal
Before anything else, you have to make sure that baiting deer is legal in the area you’re hunting in. Verify that bait and attractants like peanut butter are allowed for hunting to avoid any trouble with the law.
Smear It On a Tree
This is the simplest method to do since all you need is your jar of peanut butter and a knife. While this isn’t the most effective method, it’s best for those who want to do it quickly and without the need for drilling or mixing.
- Take any peanut butter jar (preferably crunchy) and prepare your location. Make sure that you and the jar (as well as everything else you handle with the peanut butter) are scent-free to prevent the deer from getting suspicious.
- Find your chosen tree to place the peanut butter on, within peripheral sight from where you’ll be hiding (may it be ground blind or tree stand). Make sure that when placing the peanut butter, it’s within the height of the deer, which is around four to five feet tall.
- Take the peanut butter with your knife, getting a very big chunk of it, then rub it on the tree until it sticks well. You can repeat this method with other trees, though I recommend that you only do it on one to not stir suspicion.
Place the Jar On a Tree
This method requires some preparation and tools to do, though not a tedious task. But it’s effective and keeps the peanut butter jar in a good place without fear of it falling or running out.
- Again, make sure that you and the jar of peanut butter are free from any human scent. Using a screw, screw the peanut butter jar lid on your chosen tree, four to five feet off the ground and in a high-traffic deer route where you’ll be hunting in.
- Using a sharp utility knife, cut the bottom off the jar, ensuring that you make a clean cut and that there are no glass shards when slicing it.
- Screw the peanut butter jar back to its lid and let it begin attracting deer!
Create Your Own Feeder and Peanut Butter Mix
This is a pretty fancy method needing preparation. There are two ways on how to serve it to deer when hunting. It takes a bit of time, though it’s quite effective and has deer coming for the attractant when they sense it!
Creating the Mix
Creating the mix is easy. All you need to do is to mix peanut butter, brown sugar, and molasses. There’s no exact measurement, but make sure all of them stick together and have a consistency which is thin to drip in blobs from your spoon, but thick enough that you can’t pour it.
Method 1: The Ground
If the weather is sunny and the ground is dry, this is the easier method to put the peasant butter mix in to. Simply dig a shallow hole, then pour the mixture into it and you’re done!
Method 2: The Air
This is the slightly difficult method, though great during sunny weather and to attract deer well.
- Use a clean coffee can with 3/8-inch holes on its lid. Drill a hole at its bottom, which is big enough to place a wire hanger through.
- Now bend the wire hanger into a circle to fit in the can, then finish the circle by shaping an L on the center.
- Fill the can with the peanut butter mixture, then cover the lid with duct tape. Hang the can on a branch where deer usually travel, under the sun.
Discover more: The 8 Effective Ways on How to Get Deer to Come to Your Stand
Wrapping It Up
Attracting deer doesn’t need to be so costly or with a ton of effort put into it (though doing so can be effective, too!). As long as you’re knowledgeable with what can lure deer to your area, you can start increasing the chances of taking a big buck home soon. Peanut butter, something interesting yet not a well-known attractant, works well and it’s worth a shot!
Hopefully, this article on how to attract deer with peanut butter helped you out. So don’t wait any longer and try it out today.
If you have any questions or want to share your experiences when attracting deer with peanut butter, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated.