I take exception to what Alsheimer and a lot of you others have to say when comparing to baiting to food plots. Its easy to take the high road and say that they aren't the same thing when comparing wether or not either practice is beneficial to deer, but they fail to seperate this from a purely hunting aspect. I fully agree that cornhas basically no nutritional value to a deer other than building fat reserves as compared to a food plot that is high in nutrients and protein, but when you plant that plot for the purpose of hunting, you are planning on killing something are you not, and when that corn pile is placed you are planning on killing something are you not? What about that mock scrape, or scent bombs, surely you're not using them just to view nature, more than likely you are planning on killing something. This goes back to a statement I made in the deer dogging debate, sadly we as a hunting community have glorified the whitetail deer to the point to where hunters are always arguing amongst themselves on issues such as this. Having said all of this, most of you will be surprised at my next statement, I live where baiting is legal, but I would love to see it made illegal for the sole reason that I wouldn't have to buy the stuff anymore and try and keep it out on 9 different stands. I would love to hunt our deer in an environment where they had to fend for themselves and havenatural travel patterns.We have around 400 acres that is surrounded by a club of 10,000 acres and one that is 3,500 acres, within 200 to 400yds of just about any of our stands their is gonna be a cornpile. Bad thing about that though is it could never be properly enforced and we'd still be in the same boat we're in now. But don't sit on your high horse and tell me hunting over a plot or a standing crop field is any better ethically, results wise yeah I gaurantee ya'll have it better!

It is illegal, it should be illegal and it should stay illegal.

Hmm Not thatan easy question this one. As always it depends how it is done.
The con side:
Stealing game from neighbors
keeping populations to big for the land
increasing risk for disease spread
less of a sport

Thissure sounds bad but then again the proside is:
helps keeping a good control of how much deer there are
helps controlling which animalsto be picked and which to be saved for the future
makes the shots very safe and minimizing the risk for wounding game or shooting at long and unknown distances
makes for a smooth introduction to hunting
helps other species find food

Well in the end I say it should be legal but it sure can be misused like hell. The misuse I blaim partly to the raising costs involved in hunting. The I-pay-so-I-shoot-mentality is a spreading disease.

I agree 100%. I bait to put meat in the freezer. If that pisses people off, then so be it. But you know what, when it comes down to it, im supporting my family, and feeding them as well. I bet I put in more hours bow hunting in a month than most people in here do in a season. YetI hold a full time job and raise and support my family. Ask anyone that knows me. Im out there every day, fromthe start of the season to the end. Why? becuase I enjoy being out there, bait or no bait. I enjoy seeing the deer, whether its a buck, doe, or fawn. I have never taken the first deer I see, or the second or the 3rd. When most people are complaining that its too cold or too hot, im out there putting in my time, when people are too engrossed in a foot ball game im out there, when people are busy turkey hunting, im out there scouting. When it comes down to it, Im in the woods nearly 300 days out of the year. Whether im scouting, hunting, watching, or simply taking a walk. So for those of you anti baiters, how dare you call some of us that put in hours, weeks, months, or a year looking for the sign, watching that buck, learning his behaivor, lazy. IO can spend 300 days in the woods,4 months of bow hunting, and still come out empty handed, or I should come outwith a state record, for as many hours I put in. Ive been told this over and overby many other hunters in my area that arent as fortunate as me to have the opportunity to hunt as many hours, days, weeks, months, that I have the chance to. I feel bad for those who can not hunt as much as I do.

Actually where I bait, is maybe 10 yards off any heavilly used trail so I dont see how that is changing their NATURAL movement or messing with natures "plan".

ya'll can try to justify it all you want, it's still unnatural and alot easier to shoot deer over bait than without bait. if you say it's not easier to shoot deer over bait, then why bait?

i've hunted over a feeder one time in my life (unknowingly). i had an invite to hunt with a friend on his lease a few years back. he did not tell me he had feeders set up. anyway i walked to the "condo" stand he said to go to before daylight. i sat there, watched the sun come up, watched armadillo's root around in the leaves. about 9:30 a.m. i heard a loud noise about 35 yards in front of, scared the heck outta me....i almost jumped outta the stand....lol.

i looked through the trees and saw what was making the noise, a timed feeder. anyway, the feeder had not even shut off yet when i heard ALL kinds of noise coming from behind me. it was deer, deer everywhere. the deer heard the feeder kick on and came running to it. i had never seen anything like that. there was about 15 deer under the feeder eating, 13 does and 2 small bucks. i had doe permits BUT it just didn't feel right. it didn't even feel like hunt'n.

if anyone on here wants to use feeders, fine with me. i am only stating my opinion that using feeders are an unfair advantage.

Anyone have any knowledge about whether or not Native Americans put out maze to bring home the venison?

Just curious



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Baiting shouldn't be an ethics issue it should be a health issue...Comparing it to deer calls and deer scents is obsurd. Bait piles spread disease plain and simple...it unnaturally congregates animals making ita centralized location to spread disease among a herd...Plus most don't realize that the most common bait (corn)is not good for the health of the deer.

I've said many many times....Baiting should be "by Permit Only" like our Crossbow law here in WI. You must be disable or over a certain age to obtain a permit....any able bodied person does not need a bait pile to kill a deer in WI.

Florida

Baiting or Luring: Taking game on lands or waters upon which corn, wheat, grain, food or other substances have been deposited by means other than normal agricultural harvesting or planting is prohibited, except as noted below. In addition to normal agricultural harvesting or planting, mourning and whitewinged doves may be hunted over agricultural crops that have been harvested or manipulated and over natural vegetation that has been manipulated.

• Resident game, other than turkeys, may be hunted in proximity of yearround game-feeding stations, provided that feeding stations were established at least six months prior to taking resident game.
• Turkeys may not be taken by baiting or over baited areas; or when the hunter is within 100 yards of a game-feeding station.