Hard to improve on that replyIMHO.[/align][/align]A side note thatsmall tracts of land on public ground is quite the norm for most bowhunters.

Time dedicated to scouting was introducedas afactor. Serious hunters make the most of their time.More accurately stated, for the lack of it. Scouting never stops, even if only by map. Learning an area,working a full time job,setting aside hunting for family is all in what a true bowhunter will do.

Making the most out of what time is available. Implementing plans of actiontailored to what was gleaned from time spent on stand dedicatedthe previous year is often what we must do.

Burning vacation days to scout on foot, be it pre season or post,while maintaining time tohunt, onlyto have some less than committed "hunter"eliminatemonths ofyour hard invested labor on public ground is also an unfortunate reality.

A huntercontrols human scent... expendsenergyto locate pinch points, knows predominant wind direction, seeks information regarding historical deer movements in a givenarea, finds natural funnels, (yes, they ARE in your woods), understandstransitional areas and plans his or her entrance / exits routes carefully.

All this can be lost inseconds...compliments of the "hunter" who wears the same clothing to fuel hisvehicle the evening before... or the "hunter" thatwelcomed his presence by strolling through the bedding area of that bruiser you kept book on for monthsprior. Yeah, those who really hunt... at some point, will all have been there. [/align][/align] [/align][/align]It is not uncommon for a bowhunter in my state to hunt a specific deer. We don't use calls that imitate the sounds of feeders spinning in the distance. Although, much to my dismay, find that they are commercially available. Conditioning deer to respond to a givenlocation by the sound of a mechanical device that they know dispenses a food source is not hunting. [/align][/align] [/align][/align]Understanding the vocalizations of deer and using calls, (non-electronic are permitted here for both whitetail and turkey), and using them in the situation at hand to effectively harvest a game animal is not baiting by the definition implied. Being able to ethically harvest either species with a stick and string when employing a call is hunting, not ventilating a clam, feeding, conditioned animal overa pile of bait from a 20 yard, pre-determinedvantage point. That is not true hunting. Be prepared to take your shot in an unknown window, more often than not at a location not anticipated, at an animal that you may only have seconds to judge, while moving through your area. Stop the intended recipiant of your arrow within that window and ethically dispatch your intended target. Not a problem, right? Right.[/align][/align] [/align][/align]I am proud to say that more than one observation by a PH, publishedthe state of Pennsylvania as one of the hardest places to take mature whitetails with archery gear. The same has been said foradult Toms... in that IF you can harvest one here, you have the ability tocollect one anywhere else in the US of A. Couple in the fact that our deer population has dropped sharply with years ofover issuedantlerless tags and you'll have yet another hurdle to overcome.Locating an area that holdsmature deer.[/align][/align] [/align][/align]I add a condition to that previoulsy publication -the word "consistently" harvest either game animal here. You'll have earned it and rightfully deserve all the respect that accompanies it. My signature condenses this post, for those who prefer the Reader Digest version. [/align]