If you are hunting over any food source, you are hunting over "bait" (either natural or deliberately put there by man) Many huge bucks have been killed over "bait". To "bait" something in, is simply to lure them in with something (food, calls, lure, ect.)."Baiting" is just as ethical as any other legal hunting means. And, if done right, just as hard as not "baiting". You still have to scout and do everything you do without "bait". Almost all of us hunters do without realizing it or calling it "baiting"
My thought exactly.
Why is it not hunting when someone employs the use of bait but it is hunting sitting on a farmers field(planted not natural in the least) or over food plant. What is this misconception with it is for lazy hunter's and require less effort, skill or as someone put "Blood, sweat and tears" Nothing could be further from the truth!! It is complete BS that baits will only bring in does and dumb or small bucks, if done properly and this is where all the work, scouting, effort, skill (B,S &T) comes into the equation, it can be used to harvest mature bucks as well. The only question that needs to be asked is it Legal and why are you wanting to bait? If the answer is yes and the hunter is willing to go through all the efforts required to employ baits successfully than I don't see a problem in the the least.
FYI, it is legal here in Saskatchewan. I do not hunt over bait, as it doesn't fit into my hunting style. I know full well what is involved in baiting and what it can produce and in no way is it a lazy technique if your main goal is mature deer!
Hey you can have your own opinion that is not my point but I disagree with painting one with the unethical or lazy brush b/c they can and choose to employ baits.
To the original poster, I would try and find a bait substance that may match the area(ie; if corn is nowhere to be found don't use it - hay is always a constant for deer but it rarely will hold them on your bait IME). Here deer baits consist of a hay bed(Bails broken up and scattered) and then cereal crop(barley is most popular & cleaned oats would be #2) is layed ontop of the hay bed