baiting ethics
09-13-2011, 10:44 AM
#41
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 30
We feed (bait) year round, due to the fact that we want to keep deer on our property. We have a lot of poachers in our part of the woods, so we need to go above and beyond to keep them here. Let us keep in mind that deer are smart, and baiting does not assure that you will harvest a deer. Deer do not go up to corn and say "oh look corn, I guess i will be casual about this meal and not care if anyone is trying to kill me" no they are just as cautious as they would be in a natural field of food. and on that note wouldnt planting a field be bating; since it did not exist before you planted it? just throwing that out there.
09-14-2011, 06:39 PM
#43
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 974
09-15-2011, 03:57 AM
#45
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
I have mixed feelings about it all. There are plusses and minuses. Disease, neighbors engaging in "bait wars", deer getting spooked up and going nocturnal are bad aspects. Good shot placement, insured harvest, ability of those with limited land or time to hunt to attract deer are plusses. With regard to ethics, shooting a standing deer at 80 yards with a gun through a scope, bait or no bait, is not really too tough is it? On the flip side, shooting a deer at 20 yards with a bow, even with bait, can be a challenge. My only gripe is when some in my area seem to be dumping huge amounts of bait in excess of what is legally allowed and the deer completely disappear, leaving my teen son with absolutely nothing to see or shoot - that bums me out greatly.
09-15-2011, 07:18 AM
#47
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 30
09-15-2011, 09:10 AM
#48
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 368
Hilarious, DN
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I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where baiting was legal, and I did it. I now live in Illinois, where it's illegal, so I don't. I don't really see baiting as much of an ethical issue. Harvesting meat in an efficient manner is fine, so long as you use the meat. I honestly don't get the relationship between fair chase and ethics. Either its ok to kill an animal or its not--the how isn't that significant, so long as you are attempting to do it in as clean a manner as possible. Are farmers doing something wrong if they don't give a steer 3 steps before they try to kill it?
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I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where baiting was legal, and I did it. I now live in Illinois, where it's illegal, so I don't. I don't really see baiting as much of an ethical issue. Harvesting meat in an efficient manner is fine, so long as you use the meat. I honestly don't get the relationship between fair chase and ethics. Either its ok to kill an animal or its not--the how isn't that significant, so long as you are attempting to do it in as clean a manner as possible. Are farmers doing something wrong if they don't give a steer 3 steps before they try to kill it?
Bingo. It's not an ethical issue. If someone is not breaking the law, who cares so long as they are having a good time, enjoying their hunting experience? Guys in Minnesota get on their high horse about how ever legalizing baiting deer would be a travesty then climb into their treestand and shoot a black bear over a barrel full of jelly donuts and bacon grease. "Well, that's different, I'd never see a bear otherwise!" Really, it would just be harder to hunt them. But since its already legal, they have noooo problem with it. It's very hypocritical.
I saw Uncle Ted on Deer and Deer Hunting once talking about how the great Fred Bear scattered corn all around the ground surrounding Ted's treestand or how he shot a mule and let it lie there as bear bait. Why, Ted asked? Because he knew whitetails liked corn and bears loved dead mule. He wanted me to be successful!
Do you think the early Native Americans stood around arguing about baiting and so on before a hunt? No, they did what they had to in order to be successful and they enjoyed it and provided for their families and tribe.
Today we have regulations to protect and preserve our game. Follow them and enjoy your hunt and you're ethical in my book. Not that you should care either way!!!
Last edited by minnesotadeer; 09-15-2011 at 09:13 AM. Reason: spelling
09-15-2011, 10:01 AM
#49
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pine Hill Alabama USA
Posts: 1,280
Do you think the early Native Americans stood around arguing about baiting and so on before a hunt? No, they did what they had to in order to be successful and they enjoyed it and provided for their families and tribe.