ORIGINAL: OntElk
NeSandhills, we mock what we don't understand. You illustrate this well. Clearly you are ignorant to the specifics of using this tactic for various species. You have qualified bear hunting. Have you ever hunted this way. I don't mean show up at an outfitters and shoot a bear, I mean chose a bait site, set the bait, monitored the bait, hunted the bait? I am just curious as to why you qualify your comments? I live in Northern Ontario Bear and deer country. I can atest to how misguided you are sir. I do both. Please explain.
The rifle that shoots 700 yds isoften used for a hunts such as sheep in my understanding. Getting proficient to shoot that far, backpacking into mountain terrain, living in pack camp, walking for hours in rugged terrain and finally shooting a sheep on the ridge across from you at 700 yds. Is that lazy????
I beg to differ here. I do understand it. I have clients who are bear guides and we have discussed how they go about bear hunting and the reasons for it. I also guide myself for turkey and deer in the lower 48, and it just happens to be where baiting is illegal as it is in most all states now for deer or turkey. I have also spent my time in a few pack camps after elk in the mountains in the lower 48, so lack of experience is not the issue here.
Using a rifle that is capable of shooting 700 yards for some speices of game(sheep as you say)might be necessary. But for deer or elk I don't see it. I don't believe I tied lazy with this type of hunting as much as I have with using bait for deer or turkey. I have set up feeders in bad winter years for deer/turkey to help them through. I know from experience with this that I can bring them to an area they normally will not come too. Even become accustomed to me loading those feeders. I have had many a client that has come and has hunted over feeders in his time(not with me)and heard his opinion on it both pros and cons. You don't think that the use of guns capable of dropping an animal at 800 yards when you know you can get in closeror luring in game to feeders isn't doing our sport harm?
I know its tough to hunt bear, their habitat and surroundings make it this way. Thats why I can see the necessity of using a bait station for it. Still you are finding more and more states here making it illegal to use baited stations.
Its an ethical point to some, some it isn't. Opinions are notright or wrong, just an opinion,I was always told. I have been hunting for many years, guided many a client in my time also.
I am not saying what you do is wrong or unethical when it comes to bear hunting. The question put forth was for turkeys, I used deer & bearas an examplethus opening this up.
Needless to say I am not for hunting overself timed feeders orbait stations that are maintained for turkey or deer. Feeders/bait stations are not the same as food plots, ag fields, or other planted cover forour wild animals.