Muley Hunter

Sounds like you'd need to ask permission to hunt private land.

The warden would figure it out.

cjclemens

Once upon a time, food plots were considered "baiting" in Illinois. In the rule book, it defined a farm as being a for-profit operation, where residual feed materials were "incendental." Obviously, a combine is going to miss some beans and a few apples might be left in an orchard, but its usually a small amount and not intentional. I'm sure there's some grey area in between, but it should be pretty obvious if the crop was placed there specifically for the deer or if it was part of a for-profit farming operation. It doesn't matter anymore, though - the rules here in Illinois have been changed to allow food plots anyway. Baiting with food or mineral blocks is still illegal.

Now, when it comes to those annual food plots that have turnips and sugar beets in them, I don't see that as any different than dumping corn on the ground. You're concentrating a highly desirable food in a small area, so the deer don't have to 'forage' for them. They know where the food is, and you're sitting there waiting for them. Don't get me wrong - I'm not opposed to it, as long as you follow the rules. Its just not for me. I prefer to improve long-term habitat, by planting native prairie grasses for bedding, perennial grass and clover mixes for summer grazing and oak trees for fall forage. I understand that guys with hunting leases may not be hunting the same place year after year, but the ground I hunt is family land, so I know long-term improvements will eventually pay off. Long story short, I'm not against it, but I don't see much difference.

jerry d

That's what I thought a harvestable crop for profit wouldn't be considered a food plot.
Thanks CJ.

Muley Hunter

For the farmer, or you're own land.

kslivstkbroker

7mm mag is correct both are useful both & have merit!!! quit bashing hunters or how they hunt !!! If hunting over food plots or feeders is what some ones choice don't knock it !!! just remember to continue to feed till spring don't just feed to hunt take it to the next level feed through out the winter till it greens up !!!1. this will give does and bucks keep them in better condition !!! 2.so they have stronger fawns & grow more antler !!! gives birds, and other critters supplement for them !!!3. determining population & what animals made it through the hunting season !!!I have saved a lot of bucks that were wound by my neighbors !!! Remember don't kill all the big bucks, make do not kill list preserve your genetics just don't think there's a big one somewhere to breed your does!!! feeders and food plots are both needed to harvest does out of production and cull bucks!!!

Uncle Nicky

Not the same thing. But in my book, HUNTING over a food plot or corn pile is the same thing.

ojibwa

you can argue semantics all day bait is bait whether is a food/kill plot or a pile of corn.. And I don't have a problem with either one..

cjclemens

It doesn't matter who's land it is. I farm and hunt the same land. Like I said, its kind of a moot point here in IL since rules have changed. However, before the rule change, if I had planted a few hundred square feet of corn in the middle of nowhere that I cant get my combine to - that would have been a food plot and a ticketable offense. If I was hunting the edge of a 40 acre field - thats just normal agricultural operation and not a ticketable offense. Now, if I had harvested the whole field and intentionally left the outside 4 rows, that might have been considered a food plot, too. I'm glad they changed the rules - they left too much room for a CPO with a chip on their shoulder to interpret things as they see fit. Plus, I do like to keep a nice little clover plot here and there so the deer have some high quality forage all summer long.

DnH_Scents

We maintain bait plots. When you boil down the essence of the act, it’s a hunter supplying food for deer to advantage them in seeing and harvesting game. That’s the heart of the matter. Fly fishing and bait casting are both methods of fishing and pouring out or growing food are just different forms of baiting but baiting they both are.

Dampland

a bait pile and a foodplot are two totally different things. The OP is correct.