First off I am in no way against baiting. If you choose to hunt that way and it is legal then go for it. That said I do not see food plots as baiting. If so then what about the guy who hunts along a farmers hay field or standing corn, is he hunting over bait? I know there are several on this forum that see food plots as baiting and they do not like it. I hope they hunt out in the middle of a 10000 acre forest with no farming of any kind that the deer could be drawn to. If not and they hunt on a farm then they too are hunting over food plots. Field corn is a food plot for cows. Sweet corn fields are food plots for people. Do you think the deer really care that sweet corn was not planted for them? No they will go to any food source that appeals to them.

Food plots also benefit (as stated by several others) many different wildlife species. After all something will be growing on that land whether it is junk weeds that wildlife will not eat or something you plant that is a beneficial food source. If you have the resources why not plant something that will help “the herd” instead of letting the land go into waste grasses. One bad thing about a farmer’s field is that he will harvest the crops before winter and that would be when wildlife could use it the most. Food plots planted by hunters are left to help wildlife make it through the winter.

I know baiting is a hot issue in WI and in about half the state it is not allowed because of CWD. Last I heard the DNR has no proof that CWD is passed from deer to deer at feed stations. They do not know how it is transmitted. They banned baiting because it seems to make sense that if you bring deer into close contact with each other then the possibility to spread disease is greater. I do not bait as it is not allowed where I hunt. I did not hunt over bait when it was legal because I choose not to. I do plant food plots now and will continue to do so as long as it is legal. To me acorns around the base of an oak tree congregate deer more then a 1 acre food plot.

As for being antler crazy most of what I have seen in my food plots are does. I feel that this gives them better nutrition which in turn they are able to pass along to their fawns in the milk they produce. This will have the benefit of increasing the overall health of “the herd”.