Although corn is not as effective at attracting elk as it is for deer, many hunters still wish to use it to attempt to draw elk into a particular area during the hunting season. The problem with this, however, is that there are few places in the country where baiting elk is actually legal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most western states where elk naturally reside, it is illegal to place bait in an attempt to attract elk and hunt them. This includes corn and other food that elk love to eat. Other places where elk have been transplanted or where they reside on private farms and ranches have been known to use a little bit of corn to bait elk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elk are large animals and have very specific dietary needs. The bulk of their diets consist of what they can find to browse and feed on in the mountains, so it often varies from other animals such as whitetail deer or wild hogs. Their favorite feeds are a variety of grasses, and only a little bit of grain substances (like corn) actually go into their usual diets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various trees and shrubs also provide great browse for elk, especially during the harsh winters. Grass, leaves, twigs, and small plants make up the bulk of their diets, with bark, pine needles, and tree lichens being eaten in much smaller amounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On average, an elk needs to eat anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds of food per day for every 100 pounds of body weight. So a big bull elk, weighing in at over 800 pounds, will need to eat around 20 to 24 pounds of food every single day. In order to get all of this food, they will readily head into agricultural fields if they can in search of easy food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might be surprising to learn that too much corn can actually kill an elk. This is due to how an elk\u2019s stomach functions. When an elk has rapid and fast exposure to a highly concentrated diet of grains (eats too much too quickly), it can cause an imbalance in its digestion system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This imbalance is caused by the corn raising the animal\u2019s acid and base balance. There are countless elk on record that have died, especially during the winter, from feeding on high-energy but low-fiber food like corn. Even the animals that manage to survive this corn overload will often die in a few days or weeks afterward due to other complications from the corn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, there are only two western states that allow the use of corn to be used as bait. These two states are Oregon and Washington, although these laws are constantly changing and it is important to stay up to date on the state and area laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is true that elk like corn, but not as much as many hunters might think. Even if elk were obsessed with it, corn still is not the best thing to use as bait. Not only would other foods or substances work better, but too much corn can actually hurt and even kill an elk if they digest it in large amounts. <\/p>\n\n\n