Over the Christmas holiday I got in to a discution with a relative about baiting. Like everyone else I hunt with he is a die hard bait hunter and I was for many years, but I dont think I will ever go back to it. I have nothing aginst it ethicaly, I just dont think it is all that affective on big bucks and this is why.

I think it is unnatural and the deer know it, andare vary wary around the pile.

It is to restricting. Once the time and energy are put into baiting a stand it is to costly to change locations and start over if things dont work out.

It causes way to much commotion in the woods and I think deer learn when you are there and when you are not.

It is not cheep, gas and the price of apples.

During the rut most bucks dont stop long if at all to eat.

On a plus sideit dose bring does in that will bring bucks in, but what I have noticed is the does that come in to bait are vary warry and end up leaving in a fuss.

These are just a few of my thoughts, I have seen some big bucks taken out of bait but they seem few and far between.


My new thingis sent, I saw two bucks go nuts over Tinks 69 this year. I didnt get a shoot at either.

Man it feels like I havent hunted in years. Shoot some squirles out of the bird feeder with a rubber band gun the other day.

Unnatural?? And there I was, believing all these years that corn and apples were natural foods. If anything is unnatural, it's Tinks 69!

Of course, I live in the land of deer corn and automatic feeders. Some have timers, set to go off at specific times of the day. Some have photocells, and they only go off when there is a specific level of light available - or when you drive by them at night and your headlights hit the photocell. The deer that live around there know exactly when those feeders are going to trip. There won't be a deer within a hundred miles of you until five minutes beforehand. Then it looks like the day after Thanksgiving at the mall. They're lined up in the brush just waiting for that pan to trip.

In what little time I've spent over feeders, it's been my experience that it'salways the does, yearlingsand smaller bucks that come in though. The big boys hang back in the bushes. So my experiences suggestthat any big bucks that are shot over bait are going to be few and far between, as you've noticed.

That's one reason I think baiting is a lot more effective for rifle hunters than it is for bowhunters. Well, unless you just want a doe or small buck for age/gender balance in the herd. It's great for that. But a rifle hunter with decent optics can usually spot the big boys back there in the bushes and pick one off.

A bowhunter who wants a big 'un needs to find the trails they use getting to the feeder, and thenhunt the trails.Exactly like hunting the trails between the bedding area and any other food source.

But I feel the same way as you about the cost. I don't have the money to buy feeders in the first place. Can't afford thegas and bags of corn to keep the feeders full if I had 'em. Don't want to spend the money on keeping fresh batteries in the blasted things either. Even after all that, the cows can knock the feeder over and bogart all the corn.[>:]

Of courseit causes a commotion and the deer know exactly when you're there. They know the sound of the truck, the sound of the feeder lid being opened and the sound of the corn spilling into the hopper. They're thinking, "Alright! Fresh chow!."

They know the sound of the truck leaving. What they are not listening for is the sound of the hunter who stayed, quietly climbing up into the stand. Or the other hunter, having parked the truck around the bend, quietly making his way back into the feeder site.

I don't bait. I don't have anything at all against others doing it, as long as it's legal.

Tinks is 100% natural ,I think. InMI electricbaiting tools are illegal. You can put out 2.5 gallons a day and have no more then 5 gallons in the pile at once. Alot of guys who own land still use the electic feeders. Because of this you have to bait all the time.

In past experiances the only thing I ever see in the bait are big does with fawns and the are so cautious they end up scaring all other deer away, even small bucks.

Happy new year AP

Arthur,
You know darn well you are the only thingin the woods that is unnatural these days......hehehehehe....Hope you had a great Holiday season bro!

JawboneTX

GOOD GRIEF! Look what the cat dug up! How ya been, James? Long time, no see. Swing by the range sometime and check out the new all-traditional DCA. We've got a TBOT shoot on Feb 5.

Arthur my old friend...I been just dandy! All traditional Club!!!!!!!! Nowwho woulda thought that or come up with such an idea? [8D]...Would love to get together with ya soon and check it out....PM me you land line bro or cell number...wait your too traditional for a cell phoneTalk to you soon bro....
James