RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

I didn’t read all these…..but here’s my take.

The difference in a bait pile and a food plot is the size of the pile. Disperse shelled corn over a ½ acre and put that beside a ½ acre food plot and tell me the difference.

The difference between a food plot and an ag field is the size of the field. 100 acres of clover vs 100 acres f corn??? What’s the difference?

Rob….your food plot/ag field argument is a “bit” off IMO. Are there any spots in your food plot that a deer could be and you not have a legitimate shot at arrowing him? What’s the difference between that and hunting over a feeder…..when it gets right down to it?

When you guys show me some indigenous alfalfa; corn; brassica; soy beans…….just growing in a field…..indigenous…I’ll change my tune.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Because it is fun to kill deer with bows.............:eek:

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Absolutely it makes them the same in that one area ..... I am for both, by the way, if it's legal ..... I think of hunting Antelope at water sources .... is that "cheating?" ... no way IMO ... it's taking an advantage over our prey ...... THAT's hunting .... withoutany advantage, we wouldn't shoot anything .... predators do the same ...

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Because this is a message board, it means nothing. As far as you know I could be your mother in-law typing this.[:-]

You thought I was calling you out... Do you really feel that special ?

The little guy with the eye glasses, is "thinking" , try it. ;)

The little guy is winking because its a joke.Get it? :eek:

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

LOL Gus .... kinda what I was thinkin .......

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Agreed, as long as it is legal none of it is "cheating".

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

It's about getting them close enough to kill;) Your method of doing so is your choice.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Bawanajim,
Your reply just confirms what I believed I already knew about you.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Right, I'm not debating for or against either, just differences. Decoys are for exactly that, putting an animal in range. Decoys are not illegal in any state that I know of. Baiting is, food plots are not so in the eyes of the laws in many states, there is a huge difference.

Decoys are also not placed and left over night or for days on end. There is no reason for an animal to come to it unless he sees it as a visual, not need for food.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

And there are states who say food plots are illegal. So...can we just call them (food plots/baiting) "congruent"?;)

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Where are food plots illegal? What state? I can plant anything but weed on my own property.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Maybe I misspoke. I was under the impression that it was illegal to hunt over food plots in some states. If I'm wrong....I'm wrong.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Here the only thing that is restricted is baiting or hunting over bait.

An example of the laws Grey areas would be if I harvested my corn field with a bush hog and then tried hunting over it. Then this food plot would be considered as bait.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Lets also remember there is a differnce between a 10 acre food plot and a bait plot

I myself have planted small food plots, there sole purpose was to bring the deer in range. I call them Bait plots;) If Jim is planting huge plots hunting over one is not very productive in the real world. I have 25 acre wheat field and to bowhunt it is just about impossible. I have seen over 50 deer in that field and shot 0. To try guess where they are going to come out is about imposssible IMO.

Big food plots are great for gun hunting, for archery just about worthless IMO to hunt over. Like someone said before I use them to hold deer on my property. I also use CRP fields to do the same.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

This argument is very simple.

If putting out corn is legal it is you option to do it.

If it is illegal you can't do it.

Why do we continue to argue!

I hunt in Minnesota where it is not legal to bait and Kansas where it is legal. I put out corn in Kansas but not in Minnesota because that is what the law says. I also have food plots in both states.

And by the way, an ag field (corn, beans, alfalfa) is in no way the same as a food plot put out for one purpose--attracting deer.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

When you carry that bag of corn into the woods, tear it open and turn it over, all you've dumped out is an announcement. It says, very clearly; "I can't hunt very well".
KP

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Currently yes, you know to the left of the plot and to the right along the woods. There are several NO Shot areas where they could feed. You probably saw that. Yes they'd be in range but still blocked by limbs. Next year however, the plot will be twice as large taking many areas well out of my range.

Again, I'm not arguing/debating ethics right or wrong but there is a significant difference in drawing power on a plot vs a bait site. As Germ sited, competition being one of them.

You saw the corn/ soybean field that sits next to my plot, what's the difference then if I hung a stand over it vs my plot vs a feeder?

Again, not debating ethics right or wrong, just major differences in my opinion.

IF they are indeed the same, why is baiting illegal in many states whereas food plots are legal in ALL states? The law tells me there is a difference, my findings through 26 seasons say there is a difference in the drawing power, (offseason feeding vs plots) why should I think they are the same?

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

I think the reason baiting is illegal in some states is because of the fear it would spread disease, not because it is better or worse than food plots.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Most people who are against baiting will tell you that it's illegal in most states because it promotes the spread of CWD.

If I had a spread feeder that could sling corn over the same area as your food plot......you tell me the difference in the two.

IMO, nothing.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

I agree, I would make sure to bring Carrots, apples and some beets. Just corn is not very smart;)

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

LOLOLOLOL :D[8D]:D[8D]

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

C'mon Rob. Just because some states do not allow it does not make it wrong all together. The same argument could be said for cross bows, Sunday Hunting.........you name it. The name of the game is to get closer to the animals...... toincrease your odds. Both feeders and plots do just that.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Lets sling corn all over the place and compair that to a food plot and say there's no difference! Unbeleivable![:@]I wanna see you do that in a 5 to 10 acre food plot! Get real! If a persons food plot is big enough there isn't a bit of difference in that then hunting a corn field!

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

GMMAT, have you ever hunted a corn field, bean field?

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

You guys are too much. "I only hunt with a bow" "I'd rather hear a story about a bow hunt that ended with nothing than a gun hunter who got a big buck"

I'd rather not hear a story about any deer that was killed while eating out of a pile of corn in the woods where it got a false sense of security from being in thick cover. Get real oh mighty hunter!

You bait- you suk, sorry...

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

That is great, one hunter telling another that his legal method of hunting sucks :eek:. And we wonder why hunter numbers are decreasing.

Personally I would like to hear about any hunter hunting legally.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

well dang i sure did stir up some drama

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Now why so mean;)

Who said anything about bowhunting only;) Killer hunting over bait is extremely hard to kill the deer. Why people do so is beyond me.

At age 13 I ask my grandpa "Why do the deer look up at me",he replied "They know your there" When I took a differnet view on hunting orv.

There are many reason why some do it.
Time is one, hunting a large wooded area.

If you want to say my grandfather sucks as a hunter because he choose to hunt over bait so be it. He just enjoys watching them these days for the most part. Baiting done correctly does this for him, and as his grandson I am proud to haul all the corn, apples, carrots and beets to his setups;)

So I guess I suck also[8D]

BTW for someone who gets all pissing when gun hunting is attacked, you sure like to sling the mud at the way other choose to hunt;)

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Says everything anyone would want to know about you.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Hey Bruce,
Just because we’re both hunters, doesn’t mean we took some kind of oath, or are on the same team…

More people should go study what artificial food sources do to wildlife before forming an opinion. Long story short – it’s not a good idea. It does nothing good for the herd, unless you think giving them the false sense that it is okay to procreate given this new food source is okay, but it isn’t. People like to bait because they’ll see more deer, but they don’t think about the big picture, I guess you could say it is selfish. But since I’m a hunter I should probably just agree with you, right?

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Funny, I thought the state DNR was looking at the big picture and setting the rules accordingly and that is why you can bait in some states and can't in others. A food plot is just as much an artificial food source as bait as it wouldn't be there without the help of man. Same with ag fields. So if you are going to talk about artificial food sources for wildlife you will need to include those.

You don't need to agree with me but I think the last thing hunters should be doing is denigrating other legal hunting methods. You want to be a real man and run around naked, smelling like deer piss to kill your animals, more power to you. I won't denigrate your hunting method because I am glad you are hunting. I don't bait or hunt over food plots or ag fields but I am glad those options are available for those hunters that want to use them. Not everyone bowhunts but I sure hope they don't want to limit bowhunting. Ooops, I guess there are those that think bowhunting sucks - look here Archery threatened in Montana

Thats what we get when we start saying legal methods of hunting suck ;).

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

That's whatthe outside of my bag says.

And by the way, your statement is pure ignorance.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Okay, you guys should go read up on the “life cycle”, and you should probably pay close attention to what happens following “the balance phase” of the cycle. This is where it gets ugly, and disease lifts its ugly head. The disease is brought on by a weakened immune system from a lack of food for the population, or the population has gone over and above the carrying capacity of the land. Bait, in a given area, is a false food source, but hey, if its legal, who am I to judge it. Sorry, but I’d prefer to remain a thinking person. I’ll think on my own and I’ll say what I think is right, even if it doesn’t support my goals as a hunter.
Hunting departments, philosophies or management systems are based on the good of the herd, for the most part. If you want to assist in helping the herd be strong and healthy, perhaps you should read and think before simply throwing out an ignorant statement that supports a weak argument based on the sole goal of getting you or any hunter more opportunities at the killing of a deer.

That is where the “bow” only thing came in. All I hear on here is crap about how “challenging” bow hunting is. And it is, but lets not act like throwing a pile of corn on the ground doesn’t take something away form the whole experience or story.

“There he was, like a ghost of the forest, big and heavy antlers, scared from battle. He looked so demanding of respect in the light fog of the morning, a truly majestic scene on natures stage. I took aim and he stuck his head down into my pile of bait…”

Can you see where I’m coming from?

Let me guess… now I’m an anti, right?

Germ, lets not turn this into a situation where I either have to agree or disagree that your grandfather sucks, okay?

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Are not food plots and ag fields false food sources in that they are only there if man plants them same as if bait is only there if man puts it down?

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Killer you said Baiting = sucks, not me;)

There is a huge differnce putting out a bucket of bait, compared to a pile or feeders. With baiting less is more, and I doubt a 2 gallon pile of corn is going to ruin the eco system of deer;) Feeding year around with large quanties I will agree.

For the record my family has baited for over 20 years in Northen MI. We have shot 0 mature bucks killed over bait, LOL
My cousin has 2 gun kills(he is one hell of a hunter) and two others with a bow by the best looking hunter in our family.

A lot of people have idea of how bait works, well they don't know. We in MI cannot bait until Oct 1st and must stop Jan 1st. The hardest months for whitetails are Jan, Feb and there is no bait or feeding allowed. Bait in MI is for killing deer period. Look at success rates for hunters in MI, baiting does not make it easier to kill a deer. To see deer, maybe, I have had more luckhunting funnels and oak flats myself.

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Bruce,
Okay, I see where you’re going with this, but really, it isn’t that simple, but your mistake is. By posing that question you’re implying that there can only be one answer, when really this is way too dynamic a subject for one answer.

Your question in logic is called Plurium Interrogationum, or Fallacy of many questions or Fallacy of a loaded question. It is a form of rhetoric used to support an argument that is not worthy by use of trickery. You see, your questions have conflicting answers but you asked them all within one question. Now, if I answer, simply “yes” or “no”, I’ll be both right, and wrong. How about asking each one individually, and I’ll be more than happy to answer each one.

Did you study law?

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Bruce just enjoys arguing about anything and everything!;)

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Well so does KP so this will be fun!! :D

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Lmao!

RE: "Baiting Vs. Food Plots"
 

Germ,
Come on man, you’re really going to have to do better than that, and you’re forcing me into a corner where we won’t be able to get back to where we were before we started.

Your first statements takes me back to a little similar situation where someone explains that if everyone were to only litter once a day the world would be full of trash… So neither you, or I have any idea how much bait is being dispensed in these small amounts spread out over time and space.

Your second statement makes no sense to me. Just because your family hasn’t shot a buck, doesn’t really mean crap! Did he ever show up? Did they not see him? Are there no big bucks around? Did they add to a bigger problem without knowing it? That statement holds no value, sorry.

Your third statement also makes no sense. I could be wrong, but I think seeing a deer is a huge help when you’re trying to kill them, but who knows, that’s just how I think! And finally, if it doesn’t work; why do it? It does work man, if it didn’t, no one would do it.