Difficult season ahead
 

While busy at work today, well, as busy as one can be while leaning against a counter watching Tiffany Lakosky shoot carp out of the air, one of the guys I work with suggested we do something tonight.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"Lets go scout your property for deer."

"Alright."

"Man, Tiffany is hot."

"Yup."

Well, after work we get into the car and drive the ten minutes to our property. Along the way we see several young deer and a large doe next to the road. We pull into the cattle pen at the top of a hill and get out. After glassing a field we notice several large bucks. I don't think any of them would score less than 120".

We watched for quite awhile and the deer (those bucks, several small ones, does, and fawns) milled around until it was too dark to see.

I think my season will be very difficult this year. I'll have a hard time picking which buck to shoot.

;)

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Good problem to have bud.. Good luck Wash..

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Glad to hear it, I wish I was having the same problems:D...


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RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Its nice to think about now, Troy, but once the other hunter on the property starts throwing his bait out, the patterns we're seeing now will change dramatically.

I'm seriously considering baiting this year myself because of it. At least until I can secure some property where the patterns won't be affected by people baiting.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

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Just a question Wash: Would you be as satisfied killing a buck over a bait pile, and knowing the reason you put the bait out was to fill a tag, than if you killed a buck andknew you beat the baiter without lowering your standards? I understand if someone needs the meat, but I believe you are an accomplished hunter and are able to to out wit the deer and come out on top.

EDIT- I'm having some problems w/ my font, things keep changing the spacing and size w/o me doing anything...[:@]
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RE: Difficult season ahead
 

I wouldn't, which is why I haven't baited yet.

The only way I can see to kill these deer without baiting myself, is to intercept them on the way to his bait. At the same time, wouldn't that be nearly the same as hunting over his bait?

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Wash, I forget you guys can bait over there... I bet that can be a real pain in the arse.. I am sure glad they dont allow it here..

Hey bud on the bait, its up to you, I'mnot gonna play ethics police...its legal there, its your own personal decision.. Make one thatya feel good about....bout it...

Troy

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

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ORIGINAL: Washington Hunter

I wouldn't, which is why I haven't baited yet.

The only way I can see to kill these deer without baiting myself, is to intercept them on the way to his bait. At the same time, wouldn't that be nearly the same as hunting over his bait?

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I can see the problem you're having, off hand, what size parcel of landare you're sharing w/ this other hunter? I guess bedding areas would be your best bet, but your right, the deer would most likely be going to the food source(bait) which means your indirectly huntingthe bait. It's your call, I don't think people will think any different of you on your decision.
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RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Off hand does anyone know why my posts format look different, I have to change the size, spacing and everything to make it look marginally good. And ifI need to edit the post, things get worse.Keep replys to pm's so the threads not hijacked. Thanks for any help someone can offer.


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RE: Difficult season ahead
 

I don't think that would be anything like hunting over bait. If you hunt him well and anticipate where he'll be coming from to intercept him, I would see that the same as intercepting him going to anyfood source. If anything, you may be more satisfied since its not natural and he'll be out of his normal pattern. Just a thought.

Ken

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

No baiting allowed here, but in your case what is the difference if deer are coming in and out of apple trees? Most will use the same route over and over. So if I was to set back on the trail they use going to and from would I be baiting? Even though I maybe 300 yards away? I do not think so as the deer can and will go in what ever direction they want..

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

120"?? Bunch of 'em????

Wash....what's you biggest buck, to date? I admire your confidence....but I'm a firm believer in the deer we're seeing now not necessarily being the same deer we're gonna be seeing come deer season (at least not in the same places). It may be harder than you think to "pick and choose".

Good luck to you though.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

I've read several books regarding the hunting of mature bucks this year, and there is a reoccuring theme......Use any and all legal methods you have at your disposal. ;)

LOL.....I gotta laugh a little......"gonna be hard deciding which one to shoot." LOL.......that's just plain ole funny right there.......

The first one that gives you a good shot, that's which one......See, that wasn't such a difficult decision. :D

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

mobo.....

I've read Joe Brooks......and according to him....I should be baiting. Just not interested......but I have my own reasons (i.e. I think it's easier to kill them NOT over bait). Joe would (and probably still does) hang a stand in a yard. I hunt woodlots behind two houses.

Why do we (as a community, somtimes) want to make this HARDER? I hunt where they ARE. If Wash can bait to keep 'em on his property.....that's his decision. Don't be surprised, though, Wash......when it's not as easy as you're making it out to be for your neighbors. If I thought I could kill a slammer ('slammer' being relative) by baiting him in......I'd do it. It's legal.....and I don't much care what others think.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Honestly, as someone that grew up around baiting (in Vermont) I would be absolutely shocked if the mature bucks were spending much if any time at all around that bait during legal hours. Great way to kill the little ones but 99% of the mature deer I know of that were killed in areas where others were baiting were no where near a bait pile when they were killed.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

I have to agree with what others are saying. I know that it has been debated on here till we are all blue in the face, but baiting isnt as easy as everyone makes it out to be. To kill a doe or small buck over bait isnt that hard at all. Pick out a good spot where the deer feel safe during the day, bait it every day and dont hunt the spot when the wind is wrong and you will get your shots. To kill a mature buck over bait is a whole different story, atleast where i hunt. The old bucks know what a corn pile is and we never see them during the day here, we hardly ever even get trail cam picks of them at night over corn. Good luck with whatever you choose to do, but imo, i think the best way to get a crack at the big ones would be hunt funnels leading to the bedding areas and mock scrapes.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

I dont think u will see mature bucks on bait during legal shooting hours during hunting seasons. I would try and find where thay go for food naturally and set up 100 yards deep on a game trail that leads to the food.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Well i am glad your having that problem wash!

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

GMMAT, I personally agree with you. Baiting is not legal in MO, and if it were I don't think I would. I'm not going to get into the baiting debate, I'll simply state I'm glad it's not legal here.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Baiting is a lot like food plots. In one place ai huint in Alabama, everybody and there brother are making food plots, but not for the typical school of thought on the subject. Their neighbor has 20 of them, so I had better have some too, or 'my' deer are going to be sucked in to their property to hit their food plots. It has become a vicious cycle rather than a 'mangement' tool. The good news is that you have somw well fed deer, but they are probably harder to hunt, because they aren't going to frequent the overhunted food plots during daylight hours, and are forced to be shrewder in their attempts to find security cover,eventually resorting to mostly nocturnal movement.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

yeah, she is hot...

oh btw, good luck uh, bowhunting you say?

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Main reason I said it was because something on that video we watched yesterday at work I thought was hilarious.

Tiffany is sitting on their porch talking and says something to the effect of "Most people think that hunting big mature whitetail on our managed farms is easy, but I'm here to tell you you're dead wrong."

And then they flash to at least a half dozen scenes of bucks scoring well over 140" P&Y.

I just found that funny, and seeing as how I saw several large deer last night myself... ;)

As for not seeing deer over bait during legal shooting light... The guy I mentioned who baits every year, he and his daughter take lagre bucks every year over their bait piles.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Gotcha, Dan. That is pretty funny actually. I would BET that there are more big bucks smacked over bait piles than most would care to admit.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

We get pictures of mature bucks during daylight hours over mineral and bait sites, it would stand to reason that we would be seeing these same bucks if we were in a stand over the sites.

I don't know. Chances are I won't bait, but when all you're seeing is yearlings and does because everything else is headed to someones bait pile (year after year) it gets discouraging.

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Ahh one would think. Here in MI baiting is the way to hunt. Now that gramps is older I will tend to hunt closer to him. He hunts over bait, I have not seen a mature buck do it yet. I have seen mature doe stand off about 60 yds and scan. She picked old gramps off and turned walk back about 60 yds and bedded down. Gramps gets down a little early, I watch the doe get up and check to see if he is there. She sees no gramps and walks right in:D

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

I know that has happened to me before!

RE: Difficult season ahead
 

Dan

Many things changehow the deer use an area.Why should you have to giveup hunting a buckin an area if someone else started baiting and got them coming to thier pile or feeder?? Why should you have to resort to baiting ??If someone startedbaiting bucks in my hunting area and a buck I was after changed his pattern on account of it... you are darn rightI would still shoot him if I could. I don't bait as it is not my cup of tea. Their bait pile isn't going to wreck my fun or goals though. I just try to adapt to the situation dealt, just as Iwould for any othersituation changing a buck'smovement. I see no shame in that.

Tim