Two debates really get deer hunters going...Hunting deer with dogs and baiting...

What's so interesting is that hunters that haven't done either have strong opinions about them...
You would think that we were talking about spotlighting deer at night and killing them when in fact we are just talking about another
manner that is legal in certain areas...Let me repeat LEGAL in certain areas...

I've often thought that it would sure be easy (cheating actually) to be able to hunt deer with snow on the ground...It sure would make it easier
to see where the trails were...In fact, it should be illegal to hunt deer when the ground has snow on it...All you would have to do is set by the
trail and wait for a deer to come by...Since we seldom have snow on the ground here in NC during deer season, I haven't been able to test my
theory, but it sure sounds easy...That's how baiting is...Sounds easy, but it isn't necessary that way...

I have 3 family farms that we raise corn, soybeans, peanuts, wheat and cotton on...Total acres about 850...We kill 40-50 deer a year on these farms to help control the population so the crops aren't decimated...One week this year, we killed 18...We DON'T bait here, no need to...When I put a hunter in a stand I tell him "Do not leave this stand until I come pick you up"...So, deer are shot, then after dark, or when deer are out of the field, we go pick them up and clean them...It's pretty simple, if you don't let guys walk around the field and spook the deer, you will see deer when they move...

Now, I live about 4 hours away from these farms, so I lease land locally to hunt...Different situation...In this part of the state there is little farming...The area I lease is about 350 acres, we have a field, but I'm not allowed to plant a food plot, so I hunt white oaks, persimmons, grapes, honeysuckle, etc...This year we are covered up with acorns, corn is rotting on the ground, I haven't put out a kernal, it would be a waste...But, I've seen deer by hunting the trails close to 2 cutovers...

Last year was different, no acorns to speak of...I started putting out corn (15 pounds spread with a lawn seeder twice a week) in August...
Now, here is the problem...You have corn out, it's quitting time and you have 3 does under you eating...Leaving will spook them...Do this a couple
of times and they quit coming in until after dark...It's not like that corn in the woods is all they have to eat and they don't have to come in during daylight hours...

What I've learned while playing around with baiting for the past 15 years or so...Nothing beats natural food sources or crop fields...Deer typically feed through an oak flat while that bait can keep them hanging around too long, so it won't take them long to have the hunter patterned...In addition, more is not always better...20-30 pounds a week is enough to keep them interested, don't pile it, spread it...

I will say this, it is much easier to see and kill deer in an area with crops than in a area without...

So, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't...Kinda like fishing, sometimes I'm using a flyrod with a bass popper and sometimes I'm using a cork and a minnow...