ORIGINAL: srwshooter
i like to go into a new area with know idea whats there,no camera's ,no feeding. just hunt for a few days and half the fun is trying to find big buck sign on new property. i like to kill a buck the first time i lay eyes on him. its the way everyone used to hunt where i live,now we have guys feeding so much you will hardly ever see a deer on some property. they just as well go high fence and just raise farm deer to shoot.
i saw a guy near me last week with a bunch of new feeders on his truck,thats fine now. come sept 1 its illegal to feed deer in va. so this year i'm sending the warden to them all.
I knew the issue of baiting would cause some heated debate (like always), so thats why I am curious as to why you assume he's baiting, and not feeding deer in the winter?
I do not bait deer beause it is illegal in Indiana, and I wouldn't bait even if it was legal. I like to "outsmart them".However, I do feed them corn from a feeder throughout the bitter cold months after late archery season ends. Deer can definitely use a little extra energy to survive through ice storms and deep snows, however I do understand that Virginia doesn't get too much of that. Its also cool to put corn out in the winter and see when your bucks are dropping antlers.
As far as people that bait deer I dont think its right to get so mad about it. Life is too short to worry about how others live their lives.I dont bait but Im not gonna look down upon someone who does.Its not mykind of hunting but it
is still hunting.If its illegal than thats an ethical issue (the guys you describe shooting bait pile deer from trucks, that is crap, i agree). There are a few placesin the U.S.A. ("Big Woods") where hunters wouldn't see more than 3-4 deer a whole season if they didn't bait. All that being said, since its illegal in Va. thats your call to report it if you "catch him". I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it though, you obviouslt have some very nice deer runnin around. Both of those bucks are very nice, I'd be very proud if I were you