Tumabuck

I just found this site and thought i would chime in. I have lived in N.W lower all my life. hunting state land. The only one's this ban is hurting is the farmers who rely on US hunters to substantiate their income. In my opinion baiting isnt for me but to each his own. I garuntee this wont last. there is already too much opposition to it. Stikbow26 has it right its too bad michigan cant get their crap together. and if this crossbow legislation passes the senate, all us TRUE bowhunters are gonna be screwed!

Hoytteen

I understand that puttin truck loads out is bad. But what about feeders for the spring and summer. We have tons of stateland by us and all it is is pine tree's. why not give them nutrition while they grow? Not saying that you should hunt over the feeder in the fall but whats the differance between a feeder and a corn field or soy bean. Same thing, just differant location. All you guys that hunt bean fields and corn fields and big food plots thinks baiting and feeding is wrong, but when you look at it through the eyes of the hunters that can't afford to lease those prime propertys or don't have enough land to do work with. Of coarse you can say, just go scout scout and set upand learn. Pressured Whitetails arn't that easy to pattern when you have little land to hunt and no baiters. The most deer i seen on a feeder this year was 3. Pretty sure you got more deer on a trail than on a feeder. I personaly hunt runways and stuff but its people like my grandparents that like to watch the deer 20 yards outside their cabin window i'm talkin about. Why take that enjoyment away from them before they pass away. Sorry but i just had to vent a little.

fastetti

Very Well said Hoytteen, I agree. People who hunt small acreage and can't afford food plots do need a little help with attracting deer. Food plots aren't always and option and when you are hunting in a heavily pressured area, you need something to draw deer your way when there are many agricultural fields surrounding your property and neighbors who think laws don't apply to them. Personally, I think Corn should still be allowed, but spread over a wide area where the deer are less likely to transfor saliva. Use a spreader or something along that lines. Apples, Sugar beats, carrots, pumpkins, no way, not anymore.

I know the rule was 2 gallons of bait which was strictly followed where I hunt, but I know for a fact that a few neighbors were putting 50 to 100 sugar beats at a time. Unfortunately, even with this law, I know there still going to bait and it sucks for the legal hunter like myself.

RyanK

They may be lifting the baiting ban prior to opener. Theyre holding hearings on the matter over the next few days. Stay tuned.

fastetti

Just got an email from a friend in Michigan who is very active in the DNR and heard that this ban might meet some problems. It's going to be an interesting next few months........

buckhunter14

Probably shouldn't open this thread back up... but I will anyway.

I am looking for a fight here so shoot, bang. I, in fact, live about 3 miles from the area in which the deer with CWD was found.

We use bait while hunting, almost everytime I go hunting I will refreshen this bait. It honestly doesn't matter how much bait (as long as it is legal) wether it is three apples, or two gallons. Its still baiting right. I find nothing to be wrong with it. I agree that many "bait-hunters" can be lazy, but I will guarentee you that I spend as much if not much more time than most of you in the field. I also know that there are many people that have seen this thread and not posted because the do not want to be criticized. It's business, and I believe I could easily get deer without the bait. I wouldn't see nearly as many, nearly as early. In the winter (december), after every deer in the state has been put through a rough year, I see deer because I put out some bait. I would never see these deer otherwise, because they would honestly never come out before dark.

Guys seem to rant and rave about baiting, but don't you find doing deer drives the same, in essences? Pushing deer of all kinds, sometimes mature bucks out of their sanctuaries, only to see there tail and never even see that big buck in a shooting circumstancemost likely.

Just my two cents, comment away!

I will try to check back in a few days, I'm going hunting!

stikbow26

Buckhunter that is because you come from the generation that was taught to just bait, If you could have been in woods back in the 70"s when I started and seen how the deer walked around all day long because they had to to feed then you would know what we are talking about. Michigan will never be the same as then I understand but baiting has hurt Michigan deer hunting more than any other thing out there. I travel to leave Michigan every year to hunt big bucks because Michigan hunters just don't get it.If we could really get baiting banned here but we wont beacuse to many guys say the he## with the DNR and are going to bait any ways, you would see that probely 1/2 of our 1 1/2 yr old bucks would survive and then if we could get the brown it's down guys to just a doe instead of a little buck Michigan could get back in the ranks of where out of state hunters would actully want to come here and hunt. I knowI am going to get slammed by the you just want to be a trophy hunter guys out there and don't make me, but ask your self this? I just went down last weekend to our property in southern Illinois and just filming Saturday night saw 8 bucks that will go over 150 inchs and 1 that will go in the 170's and about 10 others that would go about 115 to 100 inchs nowwouldn't that be nice to go out hunting here in Michigan and see them kind of bucks running around here instead of 4 spikes and 2 4 pts and think you had a great night.. If we could truely get rid of baiting it would start a shift to bring that back to Michigan.. Walt

ranger6

Thanks Walt! Let them grow! need meat? shoot a doe! and for the fly by hunters, learn the great sport teach it to our future and revive our once great hunting state!

coca_colaguy23

Heck yeah shoot a doe , you can't eat then darn horns anyways !

brad_vanderband1

im just casting my 2 cents. My baiting consists of mineral licks and feeders. Some of my properties i am able to plant food plots to sustain the deer, help them grow through in the spring and food for them to get through the winter. But some of the areas i hunt, planting a food plot isnt an option, either not accessible or wont grow anything-pure sand. I dont use baiting as a way of hunting, i use it to help the deer grow, and be healthy. My land were i can plant food plots i dont use mineral licks or feeders, thats what the plots are for. but the lands that i cant put in food plots i had mineral licks out for spring and summer growth and feeders for food in the winter. I dont hunt these sights, but in the past 3 years since i have started this i have noticed dramatic differences in the quality and the size of the deer. I am not a if its brown its down hunter and will glady take does over small bucks. so i think allot of hunters with this perspective are gonna get screwed by this.