Here is fun topic, I started hunting the public lands in MI and here baiting is very popular. Killed my first whitetail over bait, and that was my last. I have nothing against baiting, I just like to hunt trails and funnels. Now I have my own land I planted food plots for the first time. I worked couple hours every weekend weeding, watering and just keeping them in good order. I took a nice 8 point on one. Was it the same as baiting? I don't think so I spent a lot a time on them. I do not have 4 wheeler or disc. I did it all by hand.
Is it any different for guy who baits? No, I have seen guys put a lot of time and hard work into their baiting setups. These guys are succesful every year, and deserve some credit, because no matter how you choose to hunt taking a whitetail is not easy.
For the guys who do it on public land whether it is baiting or not my hat goes off to you. There is no wiser whitetail then those live in public land.
What do the rest of you think

This has been beaten to death forever. You know what try hunting over asphalt.

Legally or morally? by definition or in reality? get your pooper scooper, here it comes.

I hunt in southern MI. I personally have greater success hunting the sign (rub lines, scrapes, runways, etc.). If you put down a feed station, you are stuck there. Hunting requires versatility as a Whitetails habbits can change as we all know. I have nothing against baiters, butI'dpersonally rather know how to hunt.

Know any good spots with asphalt? I seen stranger things. I just wanted to hear different views I like to keep an open mind. Why I tried food plots this year to do something different. But thanks for the tip I will give the black top a try.

I've always hunted trails and gone out and did surveillance to see where they are moving, when they are moving, and where they are bedding. When I take over the property I'm buying, I plan to put a couple acrefood plot in tokeep thedeer already there happy and hopefully draw more in. I don't think Iwill ever huntthe actual plot though. Deer like many other creaturesthat get pressured too much in an area eventually move off to other areas where there is less pressure.

I think they may move off or they may change there feeding habits to avoid the intruder. I guess a food plot is there all summer and they get to use it accordingly but most bait stations are only used when someone is trying to take a deer. So I guess I would say food plots are OK but baiting is another issue and I am not touching it. LOL

Food plot/baiting... same thing. Was the food plot there before you planted it? Neither was the bait. I have no problem with either but they are the same thing to me.

Sitting over a corn pile isnt my idea of a fun hunt. i think foodplots are different, same as hunting a farm field really.

After you start a food plot and get is sustained, it should, in theory, regenerate itself every year.Everyfew years you may have to throw down some more seedif you want to keep it thick.If you bait with corn or deer cocaine or whatever, does it regenerate itself every year, hell no. That is a key difference in my opinion. Also, most elements of a food plot are usually made of grasses and such that are somewhat indigenous to the region or else they wouldn't grow in the first place. Most people who put bait out in the middle of the woods are exposing deer to something they would never come across without human intervention. Not so with food plots. So, in summary, yes their is a difference. However they both have a very similar effect and it probably doesn't matter which route you choose.