plots/baiting
01-12-2005, 09:47 AM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,913
RE: plots/baiting
I am three years into my food plot plantings and have killed zero deer in the plot, heading into or out of the plot. They hit it at night and midday. Seems to be helping the herd, but draining the wallet. I still kill plenty of deer, but not anywhere near the plot. We can't bait in IL, but I am not so bold to say if they changed the law that I wouldn't do it. But right now we can't, so I don't.
01-12-2005, 11:02 AM
#22
Join Date: May 2004
Location:
Posts: 429
RE: plots/baiting
vtbuckrulrss:
No, I think you missed my point. I do not think food plots and baiting are the only way to hunt. Far from it. My point was that everyone is hunting in relation to some type of food source, whether it be a clover plot, a feeder, a farmer's wheat field, or oaks that are 50 yrs. old. But not over a parking lot. Some make it sound like that would be the only 'ethical' place to hunt.
Too many people believe that if it is illegal in their particular locale, then it should be banished everywhere. (This next statement is not aimed at you, vtbuck) And I grow weary of some self appointed ethics police passing judgement on individuals using legal methods for game harvesting. If it is not a person's bag, don't do it. But leave the law abiding hunter alone that chooses to hunt this way.
As far as food plots being a lazy man's way out, nothing could be farther from the truth. We have been tending food plots on a private lease for the last three years. We plant three times a year, spend a lot of money, and spend lots of hours on these plots. What we get in return is we have seen our deer population increase somewhat but most importantly we have much healthier and bigger deer. On this land there is no agriculture and we use the food plots year round to augment what browse is available.
No, I think you missed my point. I do not think food plots and baiting are the only way to hunt. Far from it. My point was that everyone is hunting in relation to some type of food source, whether it be a clover plot, a feeder, a farmer's wheat field, or oaks that are 50 yrs. old. But not over a parking lot. Some make it sound like that would be the only 'ethical' place to hunt.
Too many people believe that if it is illegal in their particular locale, then it should be banished everywhere. (This next statement is not aimed at you, vtbuck) And I grow weary of some self appointed ethics police passing judgement on individuals using legal methods for game harvesting. If it is not a person's bag, don't do it. But leave the law abiding hunter alone that chooses to hunt this way.
As far as food plots being a lazy man's way out, nothing could be farther from the truth. We have been tending food plots on a private lease for the last three years. We plant three times a year, spend a lot of money, and spend lots of hours on these plots. What we get in return is we have seen our deer population increase somewhat but most importantly we have much healthier and bigger deer. On this land there is no agriculture and we use the food plots year round to augment what browse is available.
01-12-2005, 11:28 AM
#23
Dominant Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ramsey , Indiana
Posts: 22,545
RE: plots/baiting
I see no difference between the two .
Here you can legally plant food plots , but you can't bait or hunt over salt blocks . I'm planning to plant some fruit and nut trees this year , and I gotta admit that the thought of deer browsing among them crossed my mind . My wife wanted a feeder set up out in the front yard so that she and the grandbabies can watch the pretty deer and turkeys feed , and yes I bought her one , but she has forbidden hunting there anyway and so has DNR now that a "bait dispeser" has been installed . What an ethical dilema for me .
I wouldn't bait if it were legal , but I'll be as good as planting some .
Here you can legally plant food plots , but you can't bait or hunt over salt blocks . I'm planning to plant some fruit and nut trees this year , and I gotta admit that the thought of deer browsing among them crossed my mind . My wife wanted a feeder set up out in the front yard so that she and the grandbabies can watch the pretty deer and turkeys feed , and yes I bought her one , but she has forbidden hunting there anyway and so has DNR now that a "bait dispeser" has been installed . What an ethical dilema for me .
I wouldn't bait if it were legal , but I'll be as good as planting some .
01-12-2005, 11:32 AM
#24
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 13
RE: plots/baiting
I can go into the woods with a feeder and hang it from a tree and come back in a few days put up my stand and shoot a deer if it has found the feeder if no deer come I can move the feeder to another location and try it all over. I can clear an area, do soil tests, bring the acidity/alkalinity to the best levels for the seed/crop I am going to plant till/plow and plant. Then I scout the area and try to decide what travel lanes are being used at what times. Then I set up my stand/blind, but I dont set up right on the food plot, I set up about 75-100 yards a way from the edge. Thats just me, I prefer not to shoot deer in the plot. It may scare the others from it and then they wont come back for a while, screwing up my patterning. But if the deer don't come to my plot for some reason, I can't JUST PICK IT UP AND MOVE IT TO A BETTER SPOT and hunt it in a couple days. I think mobility of the food source helps ME to define baiting.
