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The demise of the whitetail challenge.

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The demise of the whitetail challenge.

Old 01-08-2015, 05:45 AM
  #1  
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Default The demise of the whitetail challenge.

For me hunting is something I do for the challenge. I have a deep passion for whitetail hunting because I love the rigors of preseason scouting and trying to outsmart the deer in their backyard. Its such a sense of satisfaction killing a mature buck when he runs a doe past you, hits a nearby scrape, or comes through a know funnel between bedding and feeding. Now-a-days with technology and social media its easy to see what everyone is doing and im amazed at how many people bait. Personally I wish baiting for whitetails was illegal in every state but if its legal then someone has the right to do it. I was always taught by my father and grandfather that hunting is about comradery between fellow hunters, experiencing nature in its natural setting, a sense of adventure, and learning the habits of animals in the area. I am 26, and it just makes me ponder about the future of whitetail hunting as many in my generation would rather set up a feeder or corn pile that attracts deer daily, leave it go for a month then sit in the stand 2 or 3 times and harvest a mature buck. I started hunting with my father at age 10 and it took me 3 seasons to harvest my first deer but I can tell you I probably learned more about how deer behave in 3 years than bait hunters learn in a lifetime. Whats everyones opinion on physically able adults baiting whitetails?

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Old 01-08-2015, 06:12 AM
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I would not but like you said, if it's legal ,go for it.
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Old 01-08-2015, 06:33 AM
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I agree 100%....I would not bait, but I do know those who do...I love the challenge of trying to outsmart not just a wily mature buck....but also that very intelligent mature doe. Due to health reasons, I was limited on my time in the woods this year....I hunted maybe 30% of what I normally do.....and I came up empty this year.....for the first time in approx 10 years. I probably could have thrown some corn out in the late season, but I chose not to do so. I am not ridiculing those who do bait....it is just not for me. The deer won this year....but I will be back next year...God willing.....and will be scouting everyway possible to make sure I put myself in the right spot to try and take a deer...just my 2 cents worth!!
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Old 01-08-2015, 06:38 AM
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So it bothers you that you put in much more work and effort to get a mature buck then the people who legally bait? States that allow baiting obviously have large whitetail populations and they have to let people bait to ensure harvest of the proper amount of deer to keep heathly populations. It's not legal here in idaho, but we don't have the amount of deer that other states do either...we're only allowed one over the counter deer tag a year. If the high population states made baiting illegal, then imagine what methods of population control they might have to employ...

As far as the work required to take a mature buck your way vs baiting, I wouldn't let it bother you. Your way requires more scouting, skill, patience, and time in the field...you know it and so do they. Yes baiting is a whole lot easier and takes away from the challenge, but I imagine the mountain men would take one look at our firearms and gadgets and think the same thing about our way. I think there will always be those that like to apply old school methods of hunting for the challenge it brings, it's certainly the reason I find myself carrying a sidelock muzzleloader during general season...I simply enjoy doing so. I'm certainly no expert, but the older I get the more I seem to lean towards wanting to learn more and more primitive methods and woodsman skills.

In this day and age with the constant attack of the 2nd amendment and our right to hunt, I won't be splitting hairs about a perfectly legal method of hunting. Anyone that gets out there and does it is on "our side", and I'll support them any way I can as long as they're doing it within the law.

Last edited by archeryelk1; 01-08-2015 at 06:41 AM.
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Old 01-08-2015, 06:43 AM
  #5  
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As far as the "whitetail challenge" goes, unless you are hunting a specific buck or a certain size rack, after you figure out deer I would not call it much of a challenging to hunt them. I hunt deer for the enjoyment of the hunt and the comradship with the people I hunt with and last but not least, for the delicious venison My family enjoys on the table. I am not a rack hunter but I do try to shoot the biggest body deer I can. Baiting has been around for a long time in some states, many of those folks get a challenge to get the deer to come to the bait when they want them to. I do not hunt deer over bait, I have never had to and it s not legal in most of my state. I do however hunt wild boar over bait and sometimes even with timed feeders they do not come in while you are there. I am much more concerned with all the gadgets and gizmos that take the place of skill that are being marketed to hunters and that hunters are so eager to buy. I believe these thing do and will have a much more detrimental affect on deer hunting than legal bait.
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Old 01-08-2015, 06:56 AM
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i would think baiting for some people is simply because thats all they can afford or they dont have the time to do anything else. Im pretty everyone out there would love to have a nice 5 acre foodplot with some luscious clover and turnips growing. But not everyone can devote the time and money to do that. A bag of corn is $6 and takes 5 mins to put out. Also 150 acres of my land is planted every year so its like a massive foodplot. But again not everyone has access to that so theres no reason to punish them. I mean if some guy is baiting 100 miles away is that seriously affecting your hunting?

Last edited by X_Rayted35; 01-08-2015 at 07:00 AM.
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Old 01-08-2015, 07:04 AM
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Very few mature bucks are killed over a bait pile! The problem with baiting is that it makes deer lazy and even more nocturnal than they normally are because they know right where they can go for a quick meal without having to get up before dark. A smarter old buck normally won't come into a bait pile unless does are coming in season and then it's for that and not to eat. The only time I've hunted with that method is with corn spin feeders down in the thick brush country of south Texas where you need to draw deer out of the heavy cover onto a sendero or small open area to even see them.
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Old 01-08-2015, 07:25 AM
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I'm not sure there are really very many short cuts when it comes to CONSISTENTLY harvesting mature bucks but I don't know much about baiting.

A lot of hunters just don't realize that its not what your not doing but what you are doing that is the problem.
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Old 01-08-2015, 08:17 AM
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I grew up in an area where baiting is legal, I now live where it is not. I don't understand how others baiting diminishes the "whitetail challenge" for you in any way. What others are doing has no bearing on what you are doing to harvest a deer. It's kind of like a fly fisherman resenting people fishing with worms, the turkey hunters resenting decoys because others don't rely on calls as much, or a traditional bow hunter or muzzleloader hunter resenting someone using a modern rifle. Sure its easier with the modern rifle, so what? As long as the heard is being managed properly and harvest totals are kept at a reasonable level, I don't really care how someone harvests a deer.
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Old 01-08-2015, 08:31 AM
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I have already posted regarding my position on baiting, if it is legal and you want to, go for it. However, there are situations where baiting can affect other hunters. Many people hunt relatively small properties, if your property borders a property where the owner/hunter does not bait nor want to, your baiting could draw deer off of his property onto yours and therefore affect his hunting. Yeah, I know, we don't own the deer, the state does but baiting can affect others who do not bait.

Last edited by Oldtimr; 01-08-2015 at 08:33 AM.
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