Originally Posted by
Murdy
Hilarious, DN
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I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where baiting was legal, and I did it. I now live in Illinois, where it's illegal, so I don't. I don't really see baiting as much of an ethical issue. Harvesting meat in an efficient manner is fine, so long as you use the meat. I honestly don't get the relationship between fair chase and ethics. Either its ok to kill an animal or its not--the how isn't that significant, so long as you are attempting to do it in as clean a manner as possible. Are farmers doing something wrong if they don't give a steer 3 steps before they try to kill it?
Bingo. It's not an ethical issue. If someone is not breaking the law, who cares so long as they are having a good time, enjoying their hunting experience? Guys in Minnesota get on their high horse about how ever legalizing baiting deer would be a travesty then climb into their treestand and shoot a black bear over a barrel full of jelly donuts and bacon grease. "Well, that's different, I'd never see a bear otherwise!" Really, it would just be harder to hunt them. But since its already legal, they have noooo problem with it. It's very hypocritical.
I saw Uncle Ted on Deer and Deer Hunting once talking about how the great Fred Bear scattered corn all around the ground surrounding Ted's treestand or how he shot a mule and let it lie there as bear bait. Why, Ted asked? Because he knew whitetails liked corn and bears loved dead mule. He wanted me to be successful!
Do you think the early Native Americans stood around arguing about baiting and so on before a hunt? No, they did what they had to in order to be successful and they enjoyed it and provided for their families and tribe.
Today we have regulations to protect and preserve our game. Follow them and enjoy your hunt and you're ethical in my book. Not that you should care either way!!!