Fact checked by Steven Lines, lifelong Hunter and Outdoorsman
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Elk are big animals that need to eat a lot of food in one day in order to survive. This is why hunters love to use their hunger in order to attract them by using different foods as bait. We know that animals like deer love to eat strange things like peanut butter, but that also begs the question: do elk like peanut butter?
Although elk prefer to eat more natural foods, they love to eat substances such as peanut butter when given the opportunity. Too much of various foods like peanut butter can be bad for the health of an elk, but that does not stop them from eating at any chance that they get.
Peanut butter may not be the healthiest food for an elk, but they do consider it to be a tasty treat. Continue reading to learn how you can use peanut butter to help increase your odds on the next elk hunt you embark on and use it to better attract a big bull!
In this post, we'll cover:
Elk Food and Usual Diet
As herbivorous animals, elk will primarily feed on various types of grass, forbs, and shutes. They will also eat different twigs, leaves, and bark from trees and shrubs. This is what an elk will primarily eat and live on for most of the year. That doesn’t mean, however, that elk won’t attempt to eat things other than the usual whenever they get the chance.
This means things such as agricultural crops and orchards can provide major food sources when they are located near native elk grounds.
Elk are very adaptable and can extract nutrients from a wide range of plants, and their digestive system is adapted to be able to handle high-fiber foods. These additional food sources will primarily depend on the area where the elk live and the time of year.
Can You Use Peanut Butter to Bait Elk?
It is generally not appropriate or legal to use bait or other artificial substances in order to attract wild animals to hunt, including elk.
Most states where elk naturally reside have many laws in place that prohibit the use of bait to attract elk, as it can disrupt the natural animal behaviors and can lead to an overuse of certain areas with wildlife.
That being said, peanut butter can be an effective solution for bait in areas where bait is legal to attract elk.
There are currently only two states in the western portion of the United States where elk naturally reside that allow the use of bait to be used. These states are Oregon and Washington. All other states where elk live prohibit the use of any type of bait, including things like peanut butter, to attract elk to a specific area for hunting purposes.
Before you use any type of bait, it is important to do your own research on the state laws where you are hunting. This includes states like Oregon and Washington, where baiting is currently legal because laws can very easily change or be adapted. By keeping up to date on the current laws, you can ensure that you are legally baiting in the places that allow it.
In order to stay up to date on the baiting laws in Oregon, you can visit their website at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/. In order to stay up to date on laws regarding elk hunting and baiting in the state of Washington, you can visit their website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/.
How to Use Peanut Butter as Elk Bait
The best way to use any bait for elk is to find an area that the elk are already frequenting. This ensures that they find the bait while it is still fresh and that you will have plenty of elk in the area to hunt. Once you have identified a good location, it is time to make a decision on the exact area you want to leave the bait for the elk to find.
Try to find a flat, open space to place down the bait. If you are using peanut butter, it is best to coat it on other food items, such as apples, in order for the scent to carry as far as possible.
By placing the bait in the wide-open area, you can ensure you get a clear shot at the elk when they come to eat. You do not want a thick or enclosed area, as the branches or brush can block your shot when the time is right.
Once the bait is placed in a good location, the next step is to be patient and wait. It may take several days or even weeks for the elk to find your peanut butter bait and to become accustomed to the taste and smell. You may want to add fresh bait to your bait pile every so often, and many people will often provide fresh bait every week or two.
This ensures that the elk continue to come back to the area to eat any fresh food that you leave. This also creates a habit for the elk so that during hunting season, the elk are much more likely to come into your baiting area so that you can get a good shot and fill your tag.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, it is clear that while peanut butter may be a popular food for humans, it might not be the greatest thing to feed an elk.
Not very many places allow the bait to be used for elk, but if you do find yourself in a state that allows the bait to be used, peanut butter can be a good option as it definitely attracts elk to it.
Hopefully, now you have a much better understanding of elk and their love of peanut butter and how you can use it to help fill your next elk tag!
Steven Lines is a hunter and outdoorsman from Safford, Arizona, USA. Since he was a child, he has been hunting and fishing and has over 20 years of outdoor experience. Steven works as a hunting guide in Arizona during his spare time and runs a Youtube channel dedicated to sharing his outdoor adventures with others.
Sources
- https://wildyards.com/does-peanut-butter-attract-deer/
- https://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=5&threadid=375081
- https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3113252/Re:_What’s_the_best_bait_for_e