HELP WITH ETHICS
 

ok guys you saw my pics of the shed with the droptine and the other one with mass that i found on the edge of the neibor hood. well i decided to throw on my jobn suit and infultratre the neighbor hood with my cholate lab. In the middle of the neighbor hood(which is only about 5 acres)i FOUND 2 CORN feeders and one salt block in peoples back yards that are watching the "deer family". Would this be consided baiting if i shot the deer off the neighbor hood property. Would this be a good place to maybee be near during the rut bc of the does(if this isnt baiting). WHAT SHOULD I DO!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

If you shoot a deer eating AT THE FEEDER, it is baiting. If you hunt a trail going to or from the feeder, it is smart hunting. I personally don't have a problem shooting someone's "pet" deer, but that is just me.

I am at a loss where ethics comes into play in this scenario.

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

i would have to agree with retrieverman

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

I would consider it baiting since you are hunting with the knowledge of the feeder, and thus relying on it. Whether that is legally baiting, well that's up to the regulations of your state.

However, you might want to check your states wildlife regulations, to determine if such a feeder is not illegal. Habituating wild animals to humans is generally frowned upon, and often feeding is an illegal practice. Your neighbours may be breaking the law,

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

I agree completely. Couple of things to keep in mind;
1. try not to shoot the deer in plain sight of the houses especially if kids may be around, that would guarantee they would grow up as anti's.
2. Send a thank you card with a picture of you and the deer you shoot to the family whose feeder the deer was headed to.
3. Rut or nut, bucks and does alike gotta eat, so a trail to a feeder is a good place to find 'em. And as we all know, bucks in rut will go where the does are.

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

Well in FL you can not keep Wild Animals as pet's especially Deer. WE are allowed to set a Feeder 6 months before the Season and while hunting we have to stay 100 yds form them and we are not allowed to shoot anything less than 300ft from any maintained road.

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

As I see it you have two questions.

The legal one should be easy. My state, for example,doesnt allow baiting and they define baiting ashunting over the bait or taking advantage ofany pattern that could be construed as being affected by the bait and extends to 30 days after all bait is gone even if you don't know the bait is or was there. Check your local laws first. Also consider that many folks feed through the winter and the feeder may be empty well before hunting season in which case you're OK anyway with the legal issue.

Laws are easy, they're usually a yes or no or black and white issue. Morally, what's right is a little tougher. You didnt put out the corn and salt but now you know about it. You had already found the sheds and were already scouting the area. So far you're on the moral high ground. You have to survey the situation and askyourself honestly if you're taking an unfair advantage. Only you know the true answer and the fact that you're asking for advice on the issue means that you want to do and likely will do the right thing. Continue watching and learning and hopefully, the bait goes away in the summer and you have no issue. If not, pay attention to the lay of the land and the obstacles in the area andask yourself if the trail you're watching is there because purely of the bait or would it have been there anyway.

good luck! I hope your discovery of the feeder doesnt ruin your chance at finding a nice set of horns while they're still attached to the deer!

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

Also, sounds like to me you would be shooting across property lines which also would mean you would have to trespass.

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

That was my question. Who owns the 5 acres of "neighbor hood" you are talking about?

RE: HELP WITH ETHICS
 

5 acres is a small area to consider hunting in my opinion, especially if there are houses/kids around. Unless you get the perfect hit that puts a deer down on the spot you might have further problems. If a deer piles up in someones rose bed it can be another black mark against hunting. If you are shooting a bow there is a good chance of that. If you are shooting a rifle or shotgun the problems continue to mount....... You have more than an ethics problem here.