Why I don't bait....
 

I sincerely hope this won't turn into a debate as to wheter to bait or not. That is not the intention, at all. Please don't let it go there.

"Flagellating a deceased equine" is the term that comes to mind.....and if it's legal in your aea....go for it.

It is legal in NC.....and the reason I don't do it is evident on the webcam thread. I'vewatched a few deer come into that thing.....and it's a classic baiting situation. They come in VERY skiddish. Its legal where I live....and there's a reason I don't hunt over it. It's easier to killdeer without it (WHERE I LIVE).

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

Good post GMMAT,I do have to somewhat agree with you on the part of deer becoming skitish. Deer do know htat corn does not belong in the woods and hey it wsant there all summer or winte, whys it there now???hmmm??? Not only that, too much bait, or feeders may and will causse deer to go noctournal. I have seen this over and over. This is why when I do use bait, which is very seldom anymore, I use it more as a treat for the deer than a drawing tool. Sure baiting is one of the best management tools we have, but we can accomplish the same thing by simply scouting an area, putting out cams in possible hot spots, planting food plots,and practicing simple patience. The buck I harvested last bow season was taken with only the aid of the Buck Growl. I was in the right spot at the right time and was proud to harvest such a great deer with nothing but skill, patience, and the know how. I think we can all achieve this as long as we set our minds to it. In a world where disease is slowly taken over our herds, do we really need to contribute to it? Yes I use to bait alot, and still do from time to time, but its not on a pile and heck you can hardley notice it if you walk into the woods as it is scattered around. Just my 2 cents.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

Yeah, that, and it's hard enough to shoot through the swingset and miss the sliding board. The legs on the feeder and the jungle gym would not give me a clear shot, on the merry-go-round side at ALL..

So now you know the rest of the story! ;)

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

Where I hunt.....lol Thanks, GR8...:)

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

Good post, GMMAT. We all have our preferences and standards, but should not try to impose them on others, as long as their participation is within the law and rule of ethics. For example, I don't believe we should hunt deer with dogs, but it is legal and traditional in Virginia. I do believe in hunting birds with dogs, however. Baiting deer is legal and traditional in Florida, so I did it while there, but it is illegal in my home state of Maine, so I do not do it. I do not believe in hunting bears over bait, but it is legal and traditional in Maine, so those doing so get no public argument from me. If we think the legal and traditional practices used by others are improper, unethical or serve to damage the resource, then we should act on our beliefs, advocating and supporting change initiatives within the system. Any time one of us, or a group of us engage in a public debate, it serves to damage all of us.

Gerry

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

Congrats your the millionth and one on baiting.;)
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2229376&mpage=1&key=baiting& #2229556

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

Gerry.....

I appreciate your post....but that's not where I was headed with this. I don't want to debate the morlity/ethicality of baiting.

Probably a bad idea on my part......not your fault.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

I recently watched an episode of "the Spirit of the Wild" where uncle Ted received a letter asking him why he always hunts over bait and does he ever hunt with out it. He said no, we all hunt over bait. Whether it's a natural funnel, corn field, water hole, feeder, bedding area or trail. He said that all of these areas are places where we know deer will be and then we will ambush them. I'm not saying that I agree with Uncle Ted on this one but it does raise an interesting point. The definition of bait is "food used to entice fish or other animals as prey", so in that regard I think Ted is wrong, but I get what he is saying. I personally am not against baiting and im not saying that you are wrong, I respect your opinion. I just found that to be very interesting.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

My original post had nothing to do with the act of baiting. I was merely pointing out the deer's behavior when entering or approaching bait. The act itself wasn't in question.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

GMMAT, we supplemental feed the deer all year long. I put it that way because we don't hunt over it. Basically, we just like seeing the deer from the house. Anyway, the deer do not come in skittish at all to ours, but that may be because it is there all the time and they are used to it. Of course, I don't know for sure, but I would suspect that is the reason. Now, I will say that we have gotten the picture of only one mature buck at either of our feeding sites. We have only had the cameras since Christmas, but still. It isn't because there aren't any good bucks around either. They don't avoid the areas completely (I have seen them "around" the feeding sites), but they don't seem to actually eat the feed. It really is an interesting subject. At least I think so.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

I do the same thing huntingson (supplemental feeding.....don't hunt over it).

Do you think the reason your deer might not be skittish (thanks for the correct spelling, guys)....is the fact that no deer has been shot at, there? let 'em scatter one time from one of their sisters being shot at.....and see how they approach it the next time.

;)

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If you feed all year the deer don't come in very skiddish at all, where I hunt we feed them all year and the 1.5 year old bucks that ate at a feeder will eat at it at 3.5 because that is what they know. But you are definetly correct in saying that feeding every now and then they will surely be more wary.

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I would certainly imagine that once old Betsy was shot in front of their eyes they would be a bit more cautious:D

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Well, we have been feeding them for probably close to 10 years and like I said before, only one picture of a mature buck feeding. Plenty of 1 and 2 year olds though. It is interesting how different our experiences have been. It could be because people around me are shooting over bait??? I don't know.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

There was a great funnel on my neighbor's property. I killed several deer there - until my neighbor gave permission to a co-worker's son and 2 others. They immediately placed a stand right on the funnel and had 6 "volcano's" of corn placed around the stand with-in 15 yards. They even baited the entire trail that ran directly under the tree - it looked like the yellow brick road! I avoided the area and figured they might screw it up by overhunting it and making the area "stick out." I was right and they only managed to take 2 fawns in 5 years of hunting there. I took close to 20 in the same time period and, at times, was with-in 50 yards of their set-up. The deer simply learned to avoid it. My neighbor told me he was gonna kick them out this year, but now he has fenced it all in and has cattle and horses in there so it's likely ruined for good.:(

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I don't bait because I'm too darn cheap to throw away good corn.[8D]

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

I understand your reasoning, but I do bait, and here is why. I agree, if you throw down a feeder 2 weeks before deer season they will be cautious. However, if you feed them consistently throughout the year they won't be as cautious.

Deer can't resist an easy meal, and corn is their favorite. I have several different hunting tactics, one day I hunt the feeder and the next I hunt the deer super highways, bedding, water hole etc... I agree if you overhunt an area it can lead to them not coming back to that one particular area. Either way I respect your decision.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

I set a spot up for the kids to hunt and they love it. Always see deer and when they want they take a doe or 2. I have never seen a mature buck come to bait,not saying they wont just never seen it myself.

RE: Why I don't bait....
 

From what i know about baiting all year long,

The deer come in very very good and not skittish, i would say they are on a higher alert than they are walking around the woods. I have found the bucks tend to come in the day during the summer and then when hunting season comes for the first few weeks, I have then noticed the bucks tend to come in at night. Then when the rut comes in they tend to be near the bait to look for does. Every once in a while a nice buck comes up to the food plots but they dont stay very long. I see many deer over bait, i have even shot deer with other deer on the food plots and they continue to come back. The corn is a good tool but i think it can be overhunted. I personally dont mind if people hunt over corn and my father does it with great success and has harvested alot of nice deer over corn. I have also taken nice deer near food plots. I feel the best way to use bait is to hunt the travel corridors to the bait pile, you dont have to worry about to many eyes, and they tend to be less cautious on there way to the bait. IMO