Big John H:

How is that a "definitive answer?" The question asks what's the difference between baiting and planting a field full of deer food?

Many on here have tried to twist it by comparing to hunting near NATURAL FOOD SOURCES ... or even harvested agricultural fields. This is not what is at question.

The question is what is the difference between planting DEER FOOD & putting outa pile of DEER BAIT.

So far, the only legitimate answers trying to separate the two have been that a food plot (containing un-naturally occurring deer food) are larger, more expensive, they cover a larger area, and take more work to create than a single pile offood. ... Again, noone is arguing thatputting out any bait or food plot is a guarantee to fill a deer tag, turkey tag, or bear tag.

As far as I see it (& again, this is only my opinion) there is no difference. In bothinstances, you are using a deer's need for food to get the deer into a position where you can kill it. Granted, a food plot does not precisely position the animal like a pile of food does, but it does draw animals into the open for no other reason than the availability of food (hence, the reason my friend killed such a nice mature buck out in the open mid-day five days into the regular firearms season. He would have never seen that animal if he was standing next to a barren field of dirt that had no nutritional value to a post-rut animal that needs to put on weight fast before winter.)

I am not arguing that other animals do not get any added benefits from a food plot. I am simply saying that it is simply "selective idignation" to say that someone whom puts out a pile of corn/apples/salt is a despicable "bait hunter" while someone whom plants acres of deer food is a "conservationist." They are both taking advantage of a deer's need for food by MANIPULATING THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE DEER LIVES IN AND FEEDS IN.

Hunting a stand of naturally occurring oak mast, beech mast, or other feeding area is not manipulating the animal's natural environment. It is simply taking advantage of the conditions in which the animal lives and feeds. Now, if someone were to walk around the woods, collect all the dropped acorns in the area, and put them in a single location, that would be the same as baiting, since they have manipulated the deer's environment and natural food availability. In PA, this would be regarded by game officials as unlawful baiting, yet when someone plants a field full of some non-native agricultural product for no other reason than to feed & kill deer -it is not illegal. Seems to be an incongrous situation if you ask me.

Also, for those of you questioning, how or where I hunt. My brother and Ionly ever hunt state game lands that are open to public hunting. There are no food plots in the areas we hunt, and we have never, ever used any bait to lure animals to our hunting locations. Yet, we have killed plenty of big bucks during the past few years by simply hunting hard and putting in lots of effort during the hunt. Please see my post for proof: http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1349520

Others feel that by putting in a lot of effort by planting deer food on the front end, they should be able to leisurely sit in a stand near that food and collect animals as they come to eat the "MAN-PROVIDED" food. I see this simply as a loophole that sadly allows a specific type of baiting to belegal.

Again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and all of this discussion is mute in states where baititng is allowed.

I was just curious as to what others feel about the situation.

- Gr8ful