I didn't know this topic was so poular I am kinda new here sorrybut just wandering what you guys hunt over.

Hunting over 'bait' is not my idea of hunting. That is what I call shooting. A food plot is not, in my opinion, baiting. Same thing as hunting a stand of oak trees or a field of soy beans. I don't know, just my thoughts.

I decided not to take the bait, however,I am surprised at the number of replies that call baiting " shooting ", not hunting.

Irarily hunt deer over/on any food source be it natural or man "encouraged"!

For the record legal to bait here andI don't think it's shooting vs hunting. Why? b/c I have actual experience with baiting deer and know more is involved then laying out slop to be successful on mature animals.

Lanse, now that was funny!

I will admit I do both, well now that it is illegal in Michigan I don't but I will tell you this from 2 years ago. I was hunting a small bait pile that the property owner put p\out (He hunts different stand and I go where he isn't, bait or not) The bait pile was in the woods a bit and there was a bean field that was cut very poorly out in front of me. Mature deer RARELY went to the bait pile, 90% of the mature deer went straight for the beans and RARELY do I see a buck on the feed piles. In my opinion,feed pileswork great for yearling but that is about it. I got my biggest Michigan buck on a shooting lane near a bait pile and I was extremely proud but I got my biggest buck this year by predicting a low area I thought the deer would be coming out of in the afternoon and when he dropped I was a lot prouder of that deer than my Michigan one. The yell I let out was proof of that. Do what is legal and don't worry about what others say. You should be proud no matter how you kill a deer, as long as its legal and not with your car!!

I refuse to shoot a deer that is in the act, or even exhibits a notion, of eating, drinking, reproducing, or mingling. Now, if I see one just acting casual, minding his own business, he's down.

I do have one ladder stand over a food plot.I only hunted it about 6-7 times.I prefer to find good places and throw up my climber.

LCC - that's classic right there buddy. ha-ha

This following statement was from a few different Ohio outfitters I contacted for a possible late season Jan. hunt...

One outfitter said he didn't bait with corn, but he had his stands set on the edge of corn fields/food plots.
He said, "when it's that late in the season and not as much food is available, it was the most effective means he knew of."

Two outfitters said they baited with corn piles and said "that was the only way he could "ALMOST" guaranty deer would show up for his clients."

The question would be, has anyone planted an apple tree or an oak with the thoughts of deer coming into this "modified-human" set-up?

Moral of the story... Do what you chose, as long as it's legal and weather you call it shooting or hunting!!!

Nope, not deer hunting anyway. I wouldn't use It If It was legal In Mn. I do use bait though for bear hunting In Mn, It's a must.

I closest thing I use to bait is a deer call when I need it.