Timbrhuntr

Interesting. I do not bait to hunt and hunt a 50 acre farm. On all sides of me the other hunters all have bait piles. I get my deer every year by setting up on the trails that lead to these bait piles.

DnH_Scents

I agree with the OP that perhaps the guys that are putting out 1/4 and half acre bait plots or kill plots are missing the challenge by sitting over thier bait plots.

Hunters supplying/providing food to deer to advantage that hunter in seeing, atracting, congregating deer (regardless of the manner in which they provide that food) appears to rob the hunter of the hunt.

Sheridan

If you have deer in your hunting areas, they are there because of water, food or shelter (bedding / cover).

Go Hunt'em up !!!

Alsatian

I prefer that deer not be baited and food plotted. Notwithstanding, it is legal in many places. From the point of view of the state, the civic purpose of deer hunting is to manage the deer population efficiently. Too many deer and there are too many car-deer accidents. From that perspective, such artificial ploys are fine and contribute to the desired end -- restricting the population of deer.

I don't think deer are that difficult to find and kill. I never resorted to bait, food plots, or tree stands when hunting deer. In fact, I just went out, found a place to sit given the wind conditions on that day, and sat down. I would choose a place in the shadows, with cover around me to break up my outline, but I wouldn't really build a blind. I took plenty of deer. I didn't take monster bucks, but I was not after a deer with antlers in the 98.0 percentile of antler size. The success and satisfaction of my hunt was not evaluated -- by me anyway -- with such statistical metrics. I took about as many does as bucks. I no longer hunt deer but instead hunt elk which I love even more than deer hunting. I still don't measure the success and satisfaction of my hunts by antler size. I have taken 2 bulls and 1 cow, taking the cow this past October. Honest, taking this cow was my most satisfying elk hunt by a significant margin so far, due to some extra challenges thrown in this year (mostly coming down with a significant respiratory illness that made me think I would have to give up on the second day of the hunt).

It just seems like a shortcut to me (baiting and food plots). Go out in the woods. Pattern your deer. Accept you won't get a deer every season. Oblige yourself to engage your mind and your senses to hunt the deer, adapting to the conditions of the day and the year. It is more fun. How long do you have to sit in a tree stand after the corn spreading motor turns on before the deer walks up and you blast it? Is that the challenge folks are looking for? To each his own . . . but you asked for my opinion, so here it is.

Jose Ortega y Gassett says the hunter knows he doesn't know what is going to happen, and that is essential to the joy of the hunt. Once that corn feeder turns on . . . doesn't the hunter know for sure what is going to happen? Where is the joy in that hunt? That is industrial hunting, modulated to achieve maximum deer harvesting efficiency.

Oldtimr

DnHscents, what would you call drawing deer into you using scents and lures, in particular estrouse scents? The drive to breed is just as strong as the drive to eat. What does the use of those things rob the hunter of?

rockport

I don't use scents or baits but I don't think the 2 are even close to the same

Oldtimr

A shotcut is a shortcut.

Mr. Longbeard

[QUOTE=Immel007;4179351] 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. [/fQUOTE]


Bro I'm 50 years old and I've killed a lot of deer the hard way!!! And I'm pretty much tired of romping around in the woods dragging treestands and dragging deer up and down mtns... I myself like being able to decide if I want to bring deer into a area that I can get my atv in and out... Maybe when your a little it older you might change your mind about the baiting issue

rockport

Yeah I would have to disagree. There are levels to shortcuts.

Spraying a little garlic on my crappie jig is not the same as throwing a stick of dynamite in the water.

JagMagMan

I noticed that the OP has not been here in several days! Just started sheet and hauled arse! Poor boy, 26 years old, already burnt out on hunting because others don't do things his way! Wah, wah, wah!
If it is legal, we have a choice to make. If it's illegal we don't have a choice!