Deer Baiting-Yes or No?
10-29-2010, 11:54 AM
#51
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 132
Haha... Seriously, an entire city share on plate?? Okay I can tell your against bating, you have made your point. I also never said that you bashed anyone or that you called anyone a terrible person. So the only words in your mouth are only your own. Also how big is this city and how big is the plate? This comparison is interesting. I bet I dont have two thousand deer coming to my spinning feeder that spreads the corn out a long ways. Dumping corn in piles is not the only way to "bait" deer. Some use feeders.
Well no duh you need disease to spread disease. But chances are when you have a high density of animals in one area there is going to be at least SOME form of disease. Would you recommend your entire city share one large plate to eat off of? That's basically what baiting is.
10-30-2010, 01:27 PM
#52
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MN - hunt Wisconsin
Posts: 88
This is an interesting topic for me and the group I hunt with and we are currently dealing with this issue and a dilemma it is creating.
Although I live in Minnesota, I have the great fortune to hunt 400 acres of great whitetail land in NW Wisconsin. It is not all contiguous, but broken up in tracts of 40 or 80 acres, all within the same general area. There are 5 of us in our group (family members) and have been hunting together for over 17 years.
Since it is Wisconsin, baiting is legal. Our current "dilemma" is that all of us except 1 person does NOT want to bait, however, that person is the matriarch of the family, or as we jokingly call him, the "godfather".
Since we have started hunting together,, we have baited in various places over the years, usually with corn. We also have food plots, a couple small ones with clover or turnips. Given 17 years of hunting and hard core days in the woods for both bow and gun season, I have enough experience to form a pretty good opinion of the matter and enough "data" to feel pretty confident in what baiting does or does not do.
We don't talk about the ethical aspects of baiting, although that might be a small part of the reason some of us don't want to do it. Really, the reason most of us do not want to bait is that we think it hurts us way more than helps. Our lone baiting champion feels strongly different, so much that we actually get into some pretty heated arguments.
Here is my take:
I spend about 15 days a year in the woods bowhunting, and hunt all rifle season. I have seen 2 Boone & Crockett bucks in all my years (none on the wall) and plenty of P&Y's. I have three P&Y's that I have harvested.
NONE were ever over bait!
In fact, I notice a LACK of deer around bait soon after putting it out. I really think that bait will bring in more deer, sure, but not many bucks other that 1 1/2 years olds and small does or fawns. Even though we have 20' foot stands and well hidden ground blinds, they always stare straight at you.
I truly believe that the big boys, and smart does as well, totally associate bait with humans. Again, after 17 years of hard-core whitetail hunting, I feel I have enough experience to really 'see the obvious'. A few years ago, I started avoiding bait areas and, maybe some times I did not see the # of deer as before, I did see far more bucks and far bigger ones at that.
Also, our baiting champion, who lives in the area, puts the bait out WAY too close. If you believe that Whitetails are the worlds best survival oriented animal, it is an easy jump to think that they will avoid any risk of coming across a predator like yours truly and intuitively know there is trouble around.
The best example I have - In 2004, I hunted 100 yards away from where my father-in-law (the baiting champion) puts down a daily dose of corn. The stand is off of a travel corridor coming out of a swamp, and I thought a great place to be in early November during the rut.
In the distance, first thing in the morning, I noticed a lot of does and 3 young bucks running around, in the general vicinity of the corn (which also was a small clover plot). The bucks were rutting bad, and it was one of those days where if I never saw another deer, let alone get one, it was still cool as hell.
The wind was in my face, when all of a sudden, I hear crunch-crunch-crunch to my left. It was a 150 class buck scent checking the area where all the deer were, and he had NO intention of getting closer. He was starting to turn away when I had the chance to draw and shoot. He is now on the wall.
In short - I and my other family members feel that baiting just brings in small deer and actually let's all the smart ones know you are around. We also, and this is jsut a personal thing, like the 'sport' of hunting without bait. Call it a greater challenge. yes I use other things like rattles and grunts, and yes we have food plots (I have never shot a big dear off a food plot in the rut), but baiting does not meet what I am looking for.
My father-in-law, on the other hand, I think he can't stand not seeing deer, and would rather see 3 young nubbins than nothing at all. It drives him crazy. Also, he is a huge structure and habit guy, so any change in his approach doesn't jive.
So - sorry for the long reply, but here are my thoughts.
Broc
Although I live in Minnesota, I have the great fortune to hunt 400 acres of great whitetail land in NW Wisconsin. It is not all contiguous, but broken up in tracts of 40 or 80 acres, all within the same general area. There are 5 of us in our group (family members) and have been hunting together for over 17 years.
Since it is Wisconsin, baiting is legal. Our current "dilemma" is that all of us except 1 person does NOT want to bait, however, that person is the matriarch of the family, or as we jokingly call him, the "godfather".
Since we have started hunting together,, we have baited in various places over the years, usually with corn. We also have food plots, a couple small ones with clover or turnips. Given 17 years of hunting and hard core days in the woods for both bow and gun season, I have enough experience to form a pretty good opinion of the matter and enough "data" to feel pretty confident in what baiting does or does not do.
We don't talk about the ethical aspects of baiting, although that might be a small part of the reason some of us don't want to do it. Really, the reason most of us do not want to bait is that we think it hurts us way more than helps. Our lone baiting champion feels strongly different, so much that we actually get into some pretty heated arguments.
Here is my take:
I spend about 15 days a year in the woods bowhunting, and hunt all rifle season. I have seen 2 Boone & Crockett bucks in all my years (none on the wall) and plenty of P&Y's. I have three P&Y's that I have harvested.
NONE were ever over bait!
In fact, I notice a LACK of deer around bait soon after putting it out. I really think that bait will bring in more deer, sure, but not many bucks other that 1 1/2 years olds and small does or fawns. Even though we have 20' foot stands and well hidden ground blinds, they always stare straight at you.
I truly believe that the big boys, and smart does as well, totally associate bait with humans. Again, after 17 years of hard-core whitetail hunting, I feel I have enough experience to really 'see the obvious'. A few years ago, I started avoiding bait areas and, maybe some times I did not see the # of deer as before, I did see far more bucks and far bigger ones at that.
Also, our baiting champion, who lives in the area, puts the bait out WAY too close. If you believe that Whitetails are the worlds best survival oriented animal, it is an easy jump to think that they will avoid any risk of coming across a predator like yours truly and intuitively know there is trouble around.
The best example I have - In 2004, I hunted 100 yards away from where my father-in-law (the baiting champion) puts down a daily dose of corn. The stand is off of a travel corridor coming out of a swamp, and I thought a great place to be in early November during the rut.
In the distance, first thing in the morning, I noticed a lot of does and 3 young bucks running around, in the general vicinity of the corn (which also was a small clover plot). The bucks were rutting bad, and it was one of those days where if I never saw another deer, let alone get one, it was still cool as hell.
The wind was in my face, when all of a sudden, I hear crunch-crunch-crunch to my left. It was a 150 class buck scent checking the area where all the deer were, and he had NO intention of getting closer. He was starting to turn away when I had the chance to draw and shoot. He is now on the wall.
In short - I and my other family members feel that baiting just brings in small deer and actually let's all the smart ones know you are around. We also, and this is jsut a personal thing, like the 'sport' of hunting without bait. Call it a greater challenge. yes I use other things like rattles and grunts, and yes we have food plots (I have never shot a big dear off a food plot in the rut), but baiting does not meet what I am looking for.
My father-in-law, on the other hand, I think he can't stand not seeing deer, and would rather see 3 young nubbins than nothing at all. It drives him crazy. Also, he is a huge structure and habit guy, so any change in his approach doesn't jive.
So - sorry for the long reply, but here are my thoughts.
- If it is legal, it should be a persons choice. I really do not have a problem with it.
- I HATE baiting cause I think it screws with the kind of hunt I want.
Broc
10-30-2010, 02:44 PM
#53
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: IL
Posts: 168
Food plot of standing beans, Food Plot of Brasicas, Food Plot of Turnips, Food Plot of Clover and Chicory, Pile of Corn, Salt lick, Deer Cocain, Trophy Rock...What do all these things have in common??? They are used to attract deer with the intent of getting a better more ethical kill shot! Some are legal, some are illegal but they all attract deer!! Why???? Disease?? Really, as pointed out above Texas does some of the most "baiting", Feeding than any other state and with little to no problems noted...I say "Bait" or supplemental feed if you want...Fight the battle in court...I seriously wonder if your state says "Baiting" is illegal and you can show a "food Plot" doing the same thing as a pile of corn how a judge in his right mind could find you guilty?!?! JMO..
10-30-2010, 05:50 PM
#54
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2
all states allow some sort of baiting,attracting.Its typically a distorted view as to what,where and how its done.Fines being imposed if done improperly which is a revenue source for the various dept involved.The most advanced states in deer mgmt you will find allow baiting period.
I personally like it.no different than chumming when you fish.
I personally like it.no different than chumming when you fish.
10-31-2010, 11:29 AM
#55
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Wherever liberalism must be eradicated.
Posts: 2,734
pg 69/70 of the MInnesota Hunting Regulations Specifilly state taht hunting over bait or any other item Place by humans is illegal. So no not evey state allows baiting.
Some like MN. have been smart enough to ban it.
I disagree that baiting should be legal anywhere, if you can get a deer by hunting them and must use bait than you slat out cheating. Cheating is not hunting.
Some like MN. have been smart enough to ban it.
I disagree that baiting should be legal anywhere, if you can get a deer by hunting them and must use bait than you slat out cheating. Cheating is not hunting.
10-31-2010, 12:51 PM
#56
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 132
Haha... You make it sound like a pile of corn on the ground hypnotizes all big bucks within 10 miles and makes them walk right in to the pile of corn almost instantly after you dump it on the ground. I hardly ever bait deer and this post has to be the most uneducated one I have read.
pg 69/70 of the MInnesota Hunting Regulations Specifilly state taht hunting over bait or any other item Place by humans is illegal. So no not evey state allows baiting.
Some like MN. have been smart enough to ban it.
I disagree that baiting should be legal anywhere, if you can get a deer by hunting them and must use bait than you slat out cheating. Cheating is not hunting.
Some like MN. have been smart enough to ban it.
I disagree that baiting should be legal anywhere, if you can get a deer by hunting them and must use bait than you slat out cheating. Cheating is not hunting.
11-01-2010, 04:37 AM
#59
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Berkeley Springs, WV
Posts: 1,293
Really, the reason most of us do not want to bait is that we think it hurts us way more than helps. Here is my take:
I have three P&Y's that I have harvested. NONE were ever over bait!
In fact, I notice a LACK of deer around bait soon after putting it out. I really think that bait will bring in more deer, sure, but not many bucks other that 1 1/2 years olds and small does or fawns.
I truly believe that the big boys, and smart does as well, totally associate bait with humans.
In short - I and my other family members feel that baiting just brings in small deer and actually let's all the smart ones know you are around. We also, and this is jsut a personal thing, like the 'sport' of hunting without bait. Call it a greater challenge. yes I use other things like rattles and grunts, and yes we have food plots (I have never shot a big dear off a food plot in the rut),
Broc
I have three P&Y's that I have harvested. NONE were ever over bait!
In fact, I notice a LACK of deer around bait soon after putting it out. I really think that bait will bring in more deer, sure, but not many bucks other that 1 1/2 years olds and small does or fawns.
I truly believe that the big boys, and smart does as well, totally associate bait with humans.
In short - I and my other family members feel that baiting just brings in small deer and actually let's all the smart ones know you are around. We also, and this is jsut a personal thing, like the 'sport' of hunting without bait. Call it a greater challenge. yes I use other things like rattles and grunts, and yes we have food plots (I have never shot a big dear off a food plot in the rut),
Broc
11-01-2010, 05:05 AM
#60
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 320
I've hunted with and without bait. My experiences are similar to some of the other posters here. I see a lot more deer with bait, but usually see few if any large bucks. Conversely, I've also hunted near others that bait, but without baiting myself. I've observed large bucks specifically avoiding the other hunter and bait pile; they just waited in the thick stuff presumably to intercept does as they came and went to the bait. Think about it: a mature buck won't live long enough to become a large buck if he routinely visits a bait pile. Common sense. Sure, occasionally one might slip and make a mistake, but overall they're conditioned to avoid bait piles during day time. They've busted hunters over bait often enough when they were younger that they're onto the game.
Therefore, I've come to the conclusion that baiting works...if you want to shoot young deer. I have no qualms about others using it if that's their style. I also think that contrary to what some adamant anti-baiters think, baiting is not cheating (for the reasons stated above). The Eberharts even wrote about this in one of their books. Their solution was to treat other hunters' bait piles as natural food sources, and to simply locate a stand a few hundred yards down the trail from the bait...and intercept the large buck that is waiting on the does to visit the bait.
Therefore, I've come to the conclusion that baiting works...if you want to shoot young deer. I have no qualms about others using it if that's their style. I also think that contrary to what some adamant anti-baiters think, baiting is not cheating (for the reasons stated above). The Eberharts even wrote about this in one of their books. Their solution was to treat other hunters' bait piles as natural food sources, and to simply locate a stand a few hundred yards down the trail from the bait...and intercept the large buck that is waiting on the does to visit the bait.