RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

Why is that so hard to believe? I keep my feeder going until three weeks before the season. Are you calling me a liar? Not everyone who tries to keep turkeys on their property is anoutlaw. With only 200 acres, and only half of that the turkeys actuallyinhabit,I try my best to keep them happy and on my property foras long as I can. And believe it or not, I stop feeding them three weeks before season, just like the law says to. I have never turkey hunted over bait and never plan on doing it.

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

My opinion has always been when hunting over baits that you areenticing the animal to a specific area. It ups the hunters odds no doubt in most cases. The animals become more relaxed in most cases at these bait stations because they become somewhat use to the scent of man and except the scent at the bait station as it has become something normal to the area. In some cases they even begin to accept the presence of man coming and going to the area to fill these stations.

It also takes away the need for prescouting and putting in a little more effort by the hunter to meet the animal on its own grounds, not something that is artifically set up by man in the form of easy feed. Thus the way I come up with a lazy way to hunt.

I have hunted for many years. Mainly whitetail and turkey. Taken my share of critters through those years. But itdoes sadden me to some extent to see whereour sport is heading in thefuture. The use of hunting overbait stations for one. The use of firearms capable of hitting a targetsome 700 yards away for big game especially.

I love to hunt,love the challenge in it. The challenge being someof the biggest reward to me,knowing I put in my homework for the ultimate reward. Notjust going out and setting up a bait station, enticing the animals toan area, letting themget somewhat used to man's presense there also and then setting up over the station. That isn't my way.

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

Ok, and so does foot plots, ponds, ag. fields, thick cover, the list goes on and on.

I find that hard to believe, I'd actually love to see some statistics on that.

I don't buy that one bit. Where do you think they're going to be more relaxed, a food plot planted months before the season, or a pile of corn thrown out days earlier?


Not at all. You still need to be in the right area. Food plots, ag. fields, and thick cover created by man are all artificially set up by man. They must be lazy too.

You can still do your homework and bait. Wait no, everyone has to hunt the way you do:eek:

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

NeSandhills, we mock what we don't understand. You illustrate this well. Clearly you are ignorant to the specifics of using this tactic for various species. You have qualified bear hunting. Have you ever hunted this way. I don't mean show up at an outfitters and shoot a bear, I mean chose a bait site, set the bait, monitored the bait, hunted the bait? I am just curious as to why you qualify your comments? I live in Northern Ontario Bear and deer country. I can atest to how misguided you are sir. I do both. Please explain.

The rifle that shoots 700 yds isoften used for a hunts such as sheep in my understanding. Getting proficient to shoot that far, backpacking into mountain terrain, living in pack camp, walking for hours in rugged terrain and finally shooting a sheep on the ridge across from you at 700 yds. Is that lazy????

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

I am sorry Nesnadhill. I am sure your a nice fellow but I am afraid the future of hunting is most as risk because of attitudes and positions that hunters like you take. Rory has illustrated this well.

Another less offensive example from another post in whihc you seem to apply YOUR experience to discredit a hunting tactic of others:
It seems that even if you haven't done it you seem to know how things work. I might guess you are up in age and have confused time spent hunting with "experience". You see if you haven't done it then you have no experience. Even with video evidence you disagree. hmmmm.

In any event I would agree certain species it IS inapproparite to bait. Turkeys for one. That is why it's illegal. Pretty simple. Why would a state that has illegal baiting laws for turkeys stil allow baiting for deer and bear? Could it be that they are different issues :eek:?

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

Food plots are not an ever ending supply of feed for animals in most cases, they are subject to weather conditions, unlike a feeder.


To claim it doesn't up the hunters odds in all most all cases is ridiculous, if it doesn't then why bother messing with a feeder if its not increases the odds.


The use of food plots and timed feeders are not the same thing. Nor is throwing out a handful of corn and keeping it replenished. It the animal has not been bothered at these sights, of course they are going to be accustomed to a false security there.


Again not comparing the same things in my opinion. Planted food plots, ag fields and thick cover are subject to weather and seasonal changes or harvest in some cases. Self feeders are not.



Sure you can, but you can also place a feeder in an area that meets some of the normal cover requirements for deer that may not hold a good population now due to lack of a food source. The deer will find it sooner or later and then be drawn to this area on a regular basis as long as that food source is there and maintained. Once a food source depletes itself under normal conditions, due to over browsing or seasonal change the animal moves on to another source. This never happens with a feeder.

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

I beg to differ here. I do understand it. I have clients who are bear guides and we have discussed how they go about bear hunting and the reasons for it. I also guide myself for turkey and deer in the lower 48, and it just happens to be where baiting is illegal as it is in most all states now for deer or turkey. I have also spent my time in a few pack camps after elk in the mountains in the lower 48, so lack of experience is not the issue here.

Using a rifle that is capable of shooting 700 yards for some speices of game(sheep as you say)might be necessary. But for deer or elk I don't see it. I don't believe I tied lazy with this type of hunting as much as I have with using bait for deer or turkey. I have set up feeders in bad winter years for deer/turkey to help them through. I know from experience with this that I can bring them to an area they normally will not come too. Even become accustomed to me loading those feeders. I have had many a client that has come and has hunted over feeders in his time(not with me)and heard his opinion on it both pros and cons. You don't think that the use of guns capable of dropping an animal at 800 yards when you know you can get in closeror luring in game to feeders isn't doing our sport harm?

I know its tough to hunt bear, their habitat and surroundings make it this way. Thats why I can see the necessity of using a bait station for it. Still you are finding more and more states here making it illegal to use baited stations.

Its an ethical point to some, some it isn't. Opinions are notright or wrong, just an opinion,I was always told. I have been hunting for many years, guided many a client in my time also.

I am not saying what you do is wrong or unethical when it comes to bear hunting. The question put forth was for turkeys, I used deer & bearas an examplethus opening this up.

Needless to say I am not for hunting overself timed feeders orbait stations that are maintained for turkey or deer. Feeders/bait stations are not the same as food plots, ag fields, or other planted cover forour wild animals.

RE: BAIT HUNTING TURKEYS
 

Ah, now that I would agree on. Unfortuneatley that is not what you have conveyed at all.

A compound bow is not really archery said the traditional bowhunter
A crossbow is not archery said the compoundshooter
A muzzleloader should not have an extra season said the crossbow shooter
A rifle is an unfair advantage said the muzzleloader hunter
Your rifle can shoot too far said NeSandhill

here's one more

A hunter is a hunter since he is not an anti-hunter. Go hunt. Period.