WThunter

I like to hunt food souce whether it is acorns, corn or food plot. I use corn when the acorns are no longer available. It has been my experience that deer would rather have acorns when they are available. Bow hunting is not easy. Food tends to relax deer and allow me to take a good shot. I wish I was good enough at stalking deer that I could take them that way. Most hunters are not that good. Corn also allow hunters to get a longer look to check the maturity of deer so they can be more selective.

When introducing hunting to novice, it keeps them interested when they see game. Not just deer but all wildlife. They will be more excited and more likely to go again when they see deer. If we want to preserve our future we need to introduce more people to hunting and allow them to have a good experience.

basserman

I huntroutes to food plots. I trophy hunt with bow (my choice only)and in my area one must hunt farther into the woods to get these. I have hunted corn piles and whether the guys want to admit it or not baiting is not the same as hunting a food plot (IMO).
Baiting does not work well for trophy hunting as I have discovered, so I do not use that practice any longer. Do I care if others do....Nope.

I have noticed in the north woods of WI that since they took away the baiting the deer movement improved substancialy and the deer are not concentrated near peoples "cabins" (closed areas). I personally would rather the DNR continued to disallow baiting. (Helps me out!)

"Semper Fi"

jpm8920

I think that hunting over a food plot and hunting over a bait pile is just about the sdame thing. I have used feeders before and the deer don't exactly line up at feeding time. And I have yet to see a big buck come to a bait pile or feeder. Mostly just does. And no matter if it is a plot or a pile, the reason that you are sitting there is exactly the same - to wait for deer to come and eat so you can get a shot at them.

skeeter 7MM

Hunting whatever food source is not gauranteed and in now way is it fool proof!!! This includes: food plots, bait, feeders, food and water sources. I think any hunter will agree, sometimes they show up and others they don't. I feel these methods are a lot closer than many care or want to admit. I agree that a field is better for the herd in general though as a supplement to their diet. This is possibly the main reason why most places that allow baiting have limited timeframe those baits can be in place. I have heard this debate and it seems those who can not, wouldn't and those who can either do or don't care one way or the other. In my area baiting is legal and acceptable for deer. I don't due it for a number of reasons and I also don't care if people do. It is their choice.

BTW the main reason many bait up here is to attract hot does and ulitmately pick up those Mature Bucks chasing...it has nothing to do with food, but rather sex drive. I align it with any rut technique and none of which will assure you a Trophy!!! Many guys in our area during rut "RIDE THE SEATS" as we call it, road hunt...this to me is NOT HUNTING and much worse than sitting out in elements, factoring wind direction, travel routes, setting up in a natural travel corridor or rubline, needing concealment and restocking the supply...not to mention the stars line up and he comes during legal shooting time....AKA: "baiting"! Not really to far from the more acceptable methods of hunting, EH!!!!!!!

skeeter 7MM

Saskbucks, to answer your question, I think it is just another technique of hunting. Like any technique is your choice as long as it is legal if you chose to use it. Many waterfowl hunters hunt on fence or next to water and shoot the geese as they fly out to eat.....in turn fing it up for us guys who spotted, got up early to set up a perfect spread and sit their in the dark to wait for the sun to lift and those honks to appear. It is a technique and a choice.(Obviously you know how I prefer to hunt "Honkers&quot

BTW I have seen your pics & you asked the question. Do you hunt over bait? Just curious???? (Go Riders!!!)



Edited by - skeeter 7mm on 02/06/2003 13:56:34

dep214

i hunted in athicket of east texas for almost 8 years. i had two corn feeders. my stand was nowhere near them nor were they facing them. my closest shot was about 150 yds.the feeders were there to feed the deer but in no way were they used to harvest a deer off them.i am aboy 600ys away from a feeder with my back to it.
hunting the feeders is no different than hunting water sources, trails, or bedding areas. they are all area in that we WISH AND HOPE they will travel.the deer here feed mostly at night. i only saw 2 deer all season during the day.they ate evrything in site at nite.

Dan O.

It's a sippery slope when it comes to baiting. You start out and progress:
- you use tree stands, camo and other hunting aids
- you use cover scents
- you use attractant scents like apple or acorn
- you hunt over crops
- you put out bait such as corn, apples etc.
- you plant food plots or fertilize oak trees

Once you start planting food plots and fertilizing food sources you're putting back more than you're extracting from the deer herd. It's comparable to Ducks Unlimited improving wetlands for waterfowl. When you bait you're putting out a food source but it's usually in smaller amounts and there is a greater ability to spread disease. Improving the environment by planting food plots, cover etc. helps all wildlife and will help to sustain deer hunting into the future.
Other baiting has been shown to have a minimal deer harvest increase over no baiting at all.

Dan O.

timbercruiser

If it is legal, and you have no personal peoblems with it, then go ahead. I feel that if somebody opposes your way of hunting and they use anything other than their bare hands while hunting, then they have no room to talk.

mauser06

sask bucks..ive done just that...i feel its totally diffrent than baiting...baiting is when you put it out there..growing plants isnt baiting to me..i feel baiting is for wannabes...if you cant kill the deer without putting food out for it thats sad and you have no right to take the deers life..i know i wouldnt be proud of a deer i blasted at a pile of corn i set out just for it..

BOWFANATIC

Lets see what we've accomplished with this thread so far<img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle>

We've got the non baiters p'ing off the baiters.
We've got another hunter thumbing his nose at another hunter for using dogs.
It took only two replies before the ignorance showed up.
Yeah , this is real productive!<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>