No, just supplemental feeding in the off season, and yes in my experience with feeding, (similar to baiting, just leaving out the hunting part) it takes several days for the deer to find a NEW location. The spots that I use year after year, it usually takes less than a day. Interesting idea though. I am getting ready to set some spots out as T season is done. Maybe I will set an equal amount in new locations and compare the time it takes for the deer to get on each.
FWIW I keep my feeder going year round. It throws corn every morning at 7:45. It doesn't throw much in the off season,maybe 2 cups, but I want it throwing year round. I set it to throw more during the season. I don't hunt over it often. I do let guests gun hunt or bowhunt over it if they choose to. I will sit there with my wife in my box blind this year hoping to be with her when she kills her first.
It don't bother me the least that people bait for deer. If It's legal and that's their only means of getting a deer, have at It. I'll say this though that If that's the only possible way for that certain someone to get a deer, this certain person better start studying up and figuring out whitetails.
Jeff, you don't understand one bit on bear hunting In the northern Mn big woods. You'd understand exactly what I was saying If you did. As for another bear hunter telling me this from an area that doesn't have the same terrain I do, I'd tell them the same thing that I just told you. I'm not bragging a bit when I say this but I do know bear and I know them very well. I guarantee you I could spot and stalk these animals out In mountain country or In open country. I know how to hunt bear with and with out bait, done It both ways (Baiting In Mn and spot and stalk out In Montana and Idaho). The deer hunter that I referred to that only knows how to hunt deer with bait, who's got the advantage Jeff and who knows what there doing? Who has other methods to try? I do by a long shot compared to that other deer hunter I mentioned because I have knowledge of the animal I'm hunting!! All I said was the people that souly rely on bait to shoot deer need to get out more. For me and anyone else bear hunting In the area I do baiting Is about the only way to be successful. Deer hunting on the other hand no matter the terrain can be done many different ways. Not once did I knock the deer hunter who baits, all I said was If that's all he knows he needs to learn some more. It could actually help his baiting If he knew a few more things about the deer he's hunting. You don't think I see the same thing from bear hunters. I've seen places where people bait and I laugh, same thing as I said about the deer hunter. He also needs to learn WTF he's doing. Don't take any of this personal.
I have tried the food plot thing, now I just let the farmers do it for me I do see it as the same thing. I have a buddy that has a pond surrounded by clover with salt and bait piles. Now if that ain't something. I call it the "deer cafe".
Get It out of your head would ya Jeff, I'm not taking shots at people baiting for deer!! I've tried explaining this to you so many times here and on HNI, I give up. If P&Y didn't call baiting fair chase I guess I wouldn't have a bear In the record books now would I??!!
I may be way off base here.... call me crazy.... but I see a big differance between trying to pattern a deer and a bear.... idk, thats just me though!
Unbelievable!!!!!!! Jeff, did anyone ever tell you when you 1st started out to learn about deer when you 1st started baiting deer? If It bothered you then your Insecure as hell!! I stated earlier that If that was the only means that this particular hunter knows (baiting deer) he's In for a long road. You just don't get It do you!! Did you even read anything I typed up earlier In this thread???????????????????????? If anyone ever said what you just typed up here I'd laugh at them. The difference between me and the deer hunter I used as an example Is I know what I'm doing, there's much more to stuff then just the baiting part. Learn about the ******* animal!!! I gotta laugh though and this just proves my point I'm trying to make with a few people who know nothing about the animal their baiting!! Some hunters In Michigan are pissed off big time because they can no longer bait and are worried as hell that there not going to shoot anymore deer again. Why Is that?? Because that's all they know. Some of these guys know nothing about a deer. The baiters that know about deer won't be hurt by the baiting band any. Get It yet???????? Learn about the ******* animal once again!!!!!!! Geesh!!!!!!!!! Never did I knock a deer baiter down, never!!!!!! All I said Is learn a little about the animal (deer In this case).
Terrain Jeff!!! Bring your argumentive ass up to Minnesota and do some bear hunting and see how you do without bait, bring your buddy's too and that will answer many of your questions quickly!!! We'll see who knows there stuff In this thread. It's crazy how my 20 years of bear hunting Is being challenged by someone who doesn't know **** about It. You never quit do you.
Because I can't stand comments that are so off base after I've explained myself 100's of times to you. If I didn't know what I was talking about Jeff I wouldn't be In this discussion. Well well!! Exactly. Why can't others try to learn a little more about what their hunting too then? That way they have a back up plan to their baiting. This Is the same damn thing I've been trying to say In this whole thread to you. There Isn't a double standard here with me, I'm not that type. I say It's all on you Instead or In your block headed head. You have some lab In you? Them suckers are the most block headed things out there!!
Personal attacks? Where? Grow a pair Jeff. If your talking about the bull headed part, that Isn't no attack at all. It was more a then anything. Come on!! It's not taking a shot at all, It's giving advice. Personal attacks again, where? Lmao!! I guess I missed that part on you asking me about what kind of terrain I hunt In (actually I didn't see It asked anywhere). I'll answer you now though. The terrain In the northern woods where I bear hunt Is big thick woods In low country. If you can see 15 yards In front of your nose your doing good (most places It's less then that). No hill country or anything, flat as a board for the most part.
There's no denying you are block headed. Any you just love arguing or plugging away, you know that. The lab part was a joke Jeff, come on!! Bear aren't like whitetails and take the same trails. Hell I've never found a "bear trail" and I doubt I ever will. Open country allows a person to see a bit more. Doing a stalk In flat county would be a chore but could be done. I've talked with the locals In northern Mn who've never ever saw a bear In the 60 years they've lived up there. Bear are not patternable one bit. There always on the move. The area I hunt Is well over 900 acres. Probably more like 5,000 to 6,000+ acres. There's country there that I bet many men haven't saw In years and I'm betting there's many bear that have never saw a human either and never will.
Probably a bit skewed of an opinion, but it's mine for the keeping. I have no interest in hunting over a bait pile, but would jump at the opportunity to grow a food plot. I wouldn't care one bit to kill a buck over a corn pile, but to kill a big bruin bear at a bait station, would tickle me to death. Probably isn't much difference in theory, but I don't know diddle about bears, so I won't comment on the act of baiting them (other than I hope to hell I get a chance to sooner than later!)
Its a good time thats for sure! I know it got my blood pumping the first time I saw a bear comming in, talk about a cool ass expirence. I see Steves point exactly, and until you have been up in the north country its hard to understand why you would be need bait. I was even skeptical about it right up to the point that I was going. I now fully understand the need for the bait piles for the bear up there. If one hasn't been up north just think about the "thick" bedding areas that you see your deer in then condense it a little and multiply it by a 1000 or more acres, its unreal.
I was just thinking too, heck I was hunting over bait when I killed my Pronghorn, I stalked him in a 300ish acre alfalfa field. I tried my hardest to kill one over a waterhole where it should have been easy, but quickly saw how much easier the other bait form was to hunt over.
Got more examples? I've heard this one too many times. Ever think that maybe he just had a horseshoe stuck in his ass for a couple years? Oh, my last post...yes it was directed at you Jeff.
