Originally Posted by
Kybuckhunter
I call BS on the spreading disease.....Deer live nose to nose and are in close contact all the time.
I have used bait at times but most times I don't because it cost a lot and is a lot of work. Some guys that hunt a small tract can put out some corn and help his hunting. Guys with larger areas can put out food plots but not everyone has this option.
"Due to the unnatural concentration of animals associated with feeding, the probability of disease transmission among deer and other wildlife species, such as turkeys and raccoons, increases."
"Concentration of deer due to feeding can increase social interactions among deer that can lead to increased aggression and fighting resulting in broken antlers, injuries, and deaths"
"Feeding can disrupt normal movement of deer. Studies have shown that deer use portions of their home range more intensively when fed. Feeding deer can also result in overpopulation. As nutrition is increased, reproduction and survival can increase. If surplus animals are not harvested, deer can become overpopulated, which will again lead to habitat degradation."
And don't even try to compare baiting to planting a food plot, as they are not even remotely similar. Deer already will have natural food such as corn, alfalfa, and soy beans planted in most areas. A food plot is simply more of this, and one of the big reasons they are used is to help feed the deer through winter. Baiting is done is a very small area, where as a food plot will cover a much bigger portion. This small portion helps spreads disease. It is a fact, not an opinion.