RE: baiting response
Thanks. Its interesting to hear that you farmers can kill anytime, all the time.I live in a rural area, and have several acres on my home, and the law is that on your private property you can do what you want. Ive heard gunshots on the farms all year long. I certainly understand the pressure that feeding deer herds can do to crops.
My purpose for the food plots is simple. The hunt clubs run dogs all gun season, and for several months before and after training the dogs. They frequently run onto my property. I catch them and call the owners and bitch them out for running my deer around, making them walk on eggshells all year long. I want to create an environment where they have all the staples of a comfortable living environment. I leave their bedding areas alone, and provide them food so that they will "settle down" on my property. I never considered the food plots as "baiting" but rather feeding them so they dont have to be run by dogs 24/7.
On the other hand, I do take offense to people that will take 50lb bags of molasses corn and pile up two days before sitting in their stand 25 yrds away. I understand your point of how its different for every state and person. Just like I read a thread on how many years, and how many deer killed. Its pathetic that someone hunts for 5 years and has killed hundreds of deer...as a hunter, not a farmer.
Anyway, as I said, this debate is interesting.