Food plot versus Baiting....
04-30-2003, 12:03 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota, USA
Posts: 1,079
Food plot versus Baiting....
This topic brings out the beast in the deerhunting forum.
I thought I would ask it here because I feel most of you think the same way I do. At least I think I do. I do agree if a state allows it its up to the hunter to choose. Here in MN it is illegal and I hope it stays that way.
One thing that is brought up in the deerhunting forum is baiters bring up the arguement that it is not any different than hunting over a food plot, apple trees, oaks or corn feilds. I tend to disagree with this. These are choices the deer can make to feed on what comes from the earth at that particular spot. Unlike food being placed in a location to hopefully give a hunter a shot.
I am sure many of you agree that have worked food plots that our work is harder than just placing food. Do we also get the satisfaction that we are providing a food source that helps boost the nutrition of the local deer?
I had 4 deer pass over my food plots within shooting range and chose to pull back my bow on one of them. Never released the arrow because the shot wasn' t there.
I feel baiters would never be this selective........
I thought I would ask it here because I feel most of you think the same way I do. At least I think I do. I do agree if a state allows it its up to the hunter to choose. Here in MN it is illegal and I hope it stays that way.
One thing that is brought up in the deerhunting forum is baiters bring up the arguement that it is not any different than hunting over a food plot, apple trees, oaks or corn feilds. I tend to disagree with this. These are choices the deer can make to feed on what comes from the earth at that particular spot. Unlike food being placed in a location to hopefully give a hunter a shot.
I am sure many of you agree that have worked food plots that our work is harder than just placing food. Do we also get the satisfaction that we are providing a food source that helps boost the nutrition of the local deer?
I had 4 deer pass over my food plots within shooting range and chose to pull back my bow on one of them. Never released the arrow because the shot wasn' t there.
I feel baiters would never be this selective........
04-30-2003, 12:31 PM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ferry Township, Michigan United States
Posts: 165
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
This is definitely going to be a " hot" topic. It is legal to bait in Michigan, at least where I hunt. Don' t want to make this too long. Deer are not the only animals that benefit from my food plots. Turkeys, coons, rabbits, ducks, possums, ground hogs, mice, you name it, they are in the plot for one reason or another. And the preditors too, owls, hawks, coyotes and a cougar. The only animal I haven' t seen is a bear. The primary purpose of my food plots is to benefit the wildlife. I usually only take one deer a year with the bow. I' m going to be 60 this year and do not have to prove my manhood by shooting a bazillion animals. We are the stewards of our environment.
04-30-2003, 12:43 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
You hear comments from " time to time" of those claiming food plots are the same as baiting. It only leads me to believe that someone making that claim has never hunted with a food plot, never managed their land with one, maybe doesn' t own land, and really has no experience with what they are actually claiming.
1. Food plots need to be a minimum 1/2 acre in size, unless they are considered " harvest plots" -plots hunted over as the deer are on their way to larger, safer, destination plots. Small plots are quickly consumed and offer no further attraction then an empty apple tree. Most have many entrance and exit routes.
Bait piles are much smaller and congregate deer to a specific site.
2. Food plots help the wildlife, as well as deer, over an entire year.
Bait piles around my house feed deer for about 2 weeks, on average, with some for 1 week or less, and very few over 3 weeks.
3. Food plots offer up to 40% protein during critical growing periods.
Corn offers 7% protein and can be toxic if consumed in large quantities by starving deer in need of solid forages, solid forages such as the legumes or brassicas that are planted in food plots.
4. Food Plots offer food anytime of the day, most of the year, and do not concentrate deer to a single pile, just before dark, to be quickly consumed. In this way, a food plot is utalized many times a day, for months at a time, greatly increasing the overall health of the animal, including increased lactation rates, improved fawn mortality rates, increased fat reserves, and increased antler growth.
Bait piles, around here, are totally consumed in about 2 weeks, and do nothing more nutritionaly than give the deer a little candy before winter.
5. Due to the fact that food plots are used many times throughout the day, the effects of " overbrowsing" on local habitats is greatly decreased.
Bait piles do not help the local habitat, in fact, they may deplete various areas by concentrating deer to a single spot in the woods.
6. Food plots are more dificult to hunt over, as deer can enter or exit at any time, on many trails, with no need to arrive and quickly consume what' s left before the supply is depleted. To be succussful, food plots are best hunted in the trails that lead to and from bedding areas, just like a farm field, acorn crop, or other natural food sources.
Bait piles congregate deer to a specific location, and young, inexperienced deer, particularily yearling bucks, come readily to a bait pile at the end of a 2-track, making them " sitting ducks" .
7. It takes a great effort to establish a food plot, with liming, fertalization, and seeding taking a considerable amount of work to complete. A food plot is a year-round maintainance project of " fun-work" , with a certain amount of passion and love for the sport needed to carry out the task.
Around here, baiting amounts to stopping by the " Holiday" gas station on the way to checking into a motel or cabin in the area, and then throwing out a few bags, or I mean " 2 gallons" , within walking distance to the ATV, other vehicle, or cabin.
8. Those who have hunted over food plots realize quickly that deer turn nocturnal and it is common to ruin a food plot for daytime use very quickly because deer do not have to visit at any certain time due to the abundace of food.
A bait pile conregates deer very quickly to a single spot before the " 2-gallons" is used up.
9. Most who use food plots are out on their property often througout the entire year, learning woodsmanship, funnels, bedding areas, deer trails, and other traditional hunting methods to more effectively utalize their food plots.
Again, around here baiting is a 2 week thing, with very few hunters in the woods around my property at any other time than the weekend before gun season, and the week of gun season. I find many of the baiters around here, but not all, are " fair-weather hunters" , with no real love, passion, or care for the deer or habitat.
10. Food plots do not assist in the spread of disease, such as TB.
Bait piles do.
11. Food plots are quickly covered with snow, and do not change the migratory patterns of deer, especially the young.
Bait piles have attracted young fawns late into the migratory period, in which they are highly succeptable to predation and weather, and often die due to the fact the migration routes are " learned" , not " heriditary" , and they do not know to " head to yard" . The funny thing about this is that I' m the one who finds this evidence, long after the people who put out the bait have gone back down state for another 11.5 months, or the guys in town are back to watching football and icefishing.
Not to say I' m opinionated on the subject or anything......
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan-" Americas Baiting Capital" , where carrots, beats, and cabage grow naturally in little piles all over the November woods.
1. Food plots need to be a minimum 1/2 acre in size, unless they are considered " harvest plots" -plots hunted over as the deer are on their way to larger, safer, destination plots. Small plots are quickly consumed and offer no further attraction then an empty apple tree. Most have many entrance and exit routes.
Bait piles are much smaller and congregate deer to a specific site.
2. Food plots help the wildlife, as well as deer, over an entire year.
Bait piles around my house feed deer for about 2 weeks, on average, with some for 1 week or less, and very few over 3 weeks.
3. Food plots offer up to 40% protein during critical growing periods.
Corn offers 7% protein and can be toxic if consumed in large quantities by starving deer in need of solid forages, solid forages such as the legumes or brassicas that are planted in food plots.
4. Food Plots offer food anytime of the day, most of the year, and do not concentrate deer to a single pile, just before dark, to be quickly consumed. In this way, a food plot is utalized many times a day, for months at a time, greatly increasing the overall health of the animal, including increased lactation rates, improved fawn mortality rates, increased fat reserves, and increased antler growth.
Bait piles, around here, are totally consumed in about 2 weeks, and do nothing more nutritionaly than give the deer a little candy before winter.
5. Due to the fact that food plots are used many times throughout the day, the effects of " overbrowsing" on local habitats is greatly decreased.
Bait piles do not help the local habitat, in fact, they may deplete various areas by concentrating deer to a single spot in the woods.
6. Food plots are more dificult to hunt over, as deer can enter or exit at any time, on many trails, with no need to arrive and quickly consume what' s left before the supply is depleted. To be succussful, food plots are best hunted in the trails that lead to and from bedding areas, just like a farm field, acorn crop, or other natural food sources.
Bait piles congregate deer to a specific location, and young, inexperienced deer, particularily yearling bucks, come readily to a bait pile at the end of a 2-track, making them " sitting ducks" .
7. It takes a great effort to establish a food plot, with liming, fertalization, and seeding taking a considerable amount of work to complete. A food plot is a year-round maintainance project of " fun-work" , with a certain amount of passion and love for the sport needed to carry out the task.
Around here, baiting amounts to stopping by the " Holiday" gas station on the way to checking into a motel or cabin in the area, and then throwing out a few bags, or I mean " 2 gallons" , within walking distance to the ATV, other vehicle, or cabin.
8. Those who have hunted over food plots realize quickly that deer turn nocturnal and it is common to ruin a food plot for daytime use very quickly because deer do not have to visit at any certain time due to the abundace of food.
A bait pile conregates deer very quickly to a single spot before the " 2-gallons" is used up.
9. Most who use food plots are out on their property often througout the entire year, learning woodsmanship, funnels, bedding areas, deer trails, and other traditional hunting methods to more effectively utalize their food plots.
Again, around here baiting is a 2 week thing, with very few hunters in the woods around my property at any other time than the weekend before gun season, and the week of gun season. I find many of the baiters around here, but not all, are " fair-weather hunters" , with no real love, passion, or care for the deer or habitat.
10. Food plots do not assist in the spread of disease, such as TB.
Bait piles do.
11. Food plots are quickly covered with snow, and do not change the migratory patterns of deer, especially the young.
Bait piles have attracted young fawns late into the migratory period, in which they are highly succeptable to predation and weather, and often die due to the fact the migration routes are " learned" , not " heriditary" , and they do not know to " head to yard" . The funny thing about this is that I' m the one who finds this evidence, long after the people who put out the bait have gone back down state for another 11.5 months, or the guys in town are back to watching football and icefishing.
Not to say I' m opinionated on the subject or anything......
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan-" Americas Baiting Capital" , where carrots, beats, and cabage grow naturally in little piles all over the November woods.
04-30-2003, 12:43 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pulaskiville
Posts: 3,533
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
Food plots are ENTIRELY different than baiting...IMO. Deer benefit from food plots long before and after the season. Bait piles are usually just there prior to the season a few days/weeks.
I am not against baiting...but don' t practice it. I really don' t hunt over my food plots, either. I mostly hunt travel routes.
I am not against baiting...but don' t practice it. I really don' t hunt over my food plots, either. I mostly hunt travel routes.
04-30-2003, 06:26 PM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
I don' t have any problem with any kind of hunting as long as it is legal, but to bait is to use any kind of lure or enticement and IMHO that would include corn, sweetfeed, pumpkins, sugarbeets, scent lures, food plots or any other kind of unnatural food or scent. I hunt food plots, have hunted bait piles and intend to continue to do so as long as it is legal and I want to. This subject comes up about 3 or 4 times a year and always gets a lot of responses.
04-30-2003, 06:31 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Berlin WI USA
Posts: 85
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
I couldn' t agree more with Jeff. When you harvest an animal over a food plot, it' s an accomplishment to the commitment you have made to yourself, your land, and the animals that live there. A bait pile is a lazy man' s way who wants to experience that feeling. Ban deer baiting forever.
04-30-2003, 08:53 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: DeFuniak Spr.Florida
Posts: 4,329
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
I disagree with banning it if it' s legal in your area,but I prefer food plots it helps all the animals year round.Not being a farmer it' s feels great to see something I' ve made start growing!It shows you how hard the farmers of America really have to work.
05-01-2003, 05:46 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
Look at this way:
*Over 90% of the hunters in my area use bait-maybe even over 95%.
*An entire generation has grown up with baiting and because of this, a generation has lost all or most woodsmanship skills, hunting skills, and have missed years of experiencing the better part of the great outdoors, due to sitting in a box and stairing out a window at their bait 30 yards away.
*Most around here would literally not no where to begin in a non-baiting state, they simply don' t know how to hunt.
*Baiting has contributed to a general lack of respect for deer, wildlife, and nature itself.
*Baiting has replaced, in the last 20 years, scouting, sitting, stalking, stillhunting, woodsmanship, all-day hunting, and any kind of work ethic.
*Baiting has replaced the positive aspects of hunting with ATV' s, bait, TB, laziness, partying, false expectations, highly increased yearling buck mortality rates, complacency, general lack of knowledge, and a dim view of hunters.
*Around here, baiting lures young deer, especially button bucks, to stay around the piles long after the hunters have left, missing the migration, resulting in a lingering death or predation due to the lack of other deer and maternal guidance.
*Basically we have lost any type of quality in our hunters and even our herd, in the last 20 years due to baiting.
*Baiting has decreased the number of hunter days affield. You come the weekend prior to opening day of rifle, throw out some bait, if you don' t see a deer after 2 to 3 days, you go home. That' s it, no scouting, no patience, no skill.
*In 20 short years, baiting has ruined not only our hunter, but the hunted.
Too me, saying that baiting is the same as food plots, is the same as saying alchohol is the same as asprin. Yep their both legal, both a drug, but are they the same??
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.....Baiting capital of the world, and not proud of it.
*Over 90% of the hunters in my area use bait-maybe even over 95%.
*An entire generation has grown up with baiting and because of this, a generation has lost all or most woodsmanship skills, hunting skills, and have missed years of experiencing the better part of the great outdoors, due to sitting in a box and stairing out a window at their bait 30 yards away.
*Most around here would literally not no where to begin in a non-baiting state, they simply don' t know how to hunt.
*Baiting has contributed to a general lack of respect for deer, wildlife, and nature itself.
*Baiting has replaced, in the last 20 years, scouting, sitting, stalking, stillhunting, woodsmanship, all-day hunting, and any kind of work ethic.
*Baiting has replaced the positive aspects of hunting with ATV' s, bait, TB, laziness, partying, false expectations, highly increased yearling buck mortality rates, complacency, general lack of knowledge, and a dim view of hunters.
*Around here, baiting lures young deer, especially button bucks, to stay around the piles long after the hunters have left, missing the migration, resulting in a lingering death or predation due to the lack of other deer and maternal guidance.
*Basically we have lost any type of quality in our hunters and even our herd, in the last 20 years due to baiting.
*Baiting has decreased the number of hunter days affield. You come the weekend prior to opening day of rifle, throw out some bait, if you don' t see a deer after 2 to 3 days, you go home. That' s it, no scouting, no patience, no skill.
*In 20 short years, baiting has ruined not only our hunter, but the hunted.
Too me, saying that baiting is the same as food plots, is the same as saying alchohol is the same as asprin. Yep their both legal, both a drug, but are they the same??
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.....Baiting capital of the world, and not proud of it.
05-01-2003, 11:40 AM
#10
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Menomonee Falls/Antigo, WI
Posts: 60
RE: Food plot versus Baiting....
Good Topic.
I have no feeling eather way. There are points for both sides.
This debate also seams to be the land owner VS. the public land hunter.
Or country dwellers VS. city dwellers, Some people can walk to there hunting woods after work every day, others must drive 3 hours or more.
I feel very fortunate
to have had 3 fingers cut off and a toe removed in an industrial accident which alowed me to buy land with the insurance money. Now I can start a food plot. Others may not be so lucky.
What about running a feeder that spreads a 1/2 gal. of food pellets very day( 365 day a year). Not enough to feed the deer but offer a snack. We have done this in the past and not hunted near the feeder.
We have since taken down the feeder and are planting the food plot in the same field this weekend.
What about handicaped hunters? I think most would love to practice better woodsmanship if they could, Can they use Bait?
I don' t care for the unlimited baiting or truck loads of corn being hauled to the woods the night before opening. But would have no problume with a 1-2 gal. bait limit.
I plan to do food plots and inprove my land for wild life habitate.
That' s my $0.02 worth.
I have no feeling eather way. There are points for both sides.
This debate also seams to be the land owner VS. the public land hunter.
Or country dwellers VS. city dwellers, Some people can walk to there hunting woods after work every day, others must drive 3 hours or more.
I feel very fortunate
to have had 3 fingers cut off and a toe removed in an industrial accident which alowed me to buy land with the insurance money. Now I can start a food plot. Others may not be so lucky.What about running a feeder that spreads a 1/2 gal. of food pellets very day( 365 day a year). Not enough to feed the deer but offer a snack. We have done this in the past and not hunted near the feeder.
We have since taken down the feeder and are planting the food plot in the same field this weekend.
What about handicaped hunters? I think most would love to practice better woodsmanship if they could, Can they use Bait?
I don' t care for the unlimited baiting or truck loads of corn being hauled to the woods the night before opening. But would have no problume with a 1-2 gal. bait limit.
I plan to do food plots and inprove my land for wild life habitate.
That' s my $0.02 worth.