In Indiana where I hunt if you have a standing cornfield, then the deer stack up in the corn and don't like to come out

I would hope not. Because what you do is baiting. You may call it feeding, just because you don't hunt near it. But the fact is, it is baiting. You have it out and it changes the deers natural pattern. Same thing, two different names.

Dan:

PLEASE don't read anything into it. I have NO PROBLEMS with people baiting.

My issue with this subject is that bait/feeders/foodplots (or whatever the trendy word is at the time) artificially change thenatural feeding habits, movements, and available nutrition of whitetails in a particular area.

To me, the line; "attract and hold more deeron your property" is a pretty weak motto to have.

Why aren't some people just happy with what occurs naturally?

It is illegal to do in indiana but I have no problem with people baiting. Its just not something I grew up doing. It all falls back to what you were taught when you started. We hunters can be pretty thick headed and not up to changing! I especially can understand the use of feeders but not hunting over them because they serve many purposes... 1) more food to keep deer healthy, 2) helps keep the deer on your land so your neighbors aren't shooting your bruisers!, 3) increases population of other huntable game! (I'm partial to fried squirrel!)

Why aren't some people just happy to let other states and other hunters decide for themselves what is best for them?

It's a fair question.

Ithink your looking at the difference of Federal Regulations vs State by State.. State by State does whatever the Game Commision decides upon. Like in NC You can Hunt with Dogs for deer..in many Northern States thats not even talked about! That doesn't mean it's wrong by the ethics of either group of hunters, it's wrong cuz the law says so.

I don't know that we can make sense of the laws..but they are what they are.

I don't bait and never have, even though it's legal here. I also have no problems with people doing it since I feel that hunting over a natural food source is very similar to baiting as is the use of sexual scent attractants.

What I have found though, is that mature deer - esp big bucks - will AVOID a baited area until after dark, if he visits it at all. Most mature deer in my area seem to equate piles of food with human intervention and take no chances.

I have capitalized on this by building trails out of the woods that offered a [supposedly] safe exit without going past the bait piles that another hunter places in the same spot every year. The deer stopped using that major trail when the bait appeared and began using my trail. I scored, he didn't. The spot is about 250 yards from my house on a relative's land.

Baiting is leal here and i really have no prblem with it. I have baited a few times before and have formed the opinon that baiting sucks. I have yet to kill a buck off of bait and i find it a useless effort to really try and hunt a big deer. They may come in yes but not till the middle of the night. The young pups will be around all day along with the does but the older boys have seen that movie once and didn't like the ending. I have learnt over my experiences, mistakes that to hunt a truely big buck here you do not bait, you don't want to give the indication anything is out of the ordinary, hunt his patterns and killem. Much faster and more productive for me.

You mean like planted crop fields? Those aren't natural either.

There are very few parts of the country where you can even go and see a natural environment. AK is about it. I just don't seem to understand why you would think it is odd to want to better the habitat and available nutrients to the deer herd and other wildlife. So, do younot likeyour local DNR or DOW for doing the same things on public lands?