I think old Uncle Ted said it best that anytime you hunt near a scrape or a known path or near any food supplys or water supplies its baiting. If you didnt hunt near this stuff youd probably have about as much chance of snagging some game putting your tree stand up in the front yard. So i sayuse the bait its all about the hunt and conservation of over populated game anyway. If you havent ever tried Acorn Rage and Cmere deer and they allow baiting where you live you are missing out trust me.