Here is a topic that is near and dear to deer hunting topics in Wisconsin, and other places as well. What are your thoughts on using baiting as a method for deer hunting? Just curious on what others have to say.
It is illegal to bait for turkeys in Wi, but legal to bait for deer. It has been a very hot issue with hunters, the DNR, the legislature, etc. That is the reason for the post. The Wisconsin Bowhunters Association has their state convention this weekend, and I'm sure it will be a topic that will be discussed at the business meeting Sunday morning.
Personally, no, I like the challenge involved. That is not my way of saying I wouldn't use what God has created though. I.E. apple trees, acorns, corn fields, etc. Heck if it is natural, or is there for some other purpose? Then why not. But throwing down a bag of corn, or something like that, and hunting right over it, is kind of weak in my eyes.
That is exactly what I am talking about. If it is natural so be it, but it's the throwing down a bag of corn, etc. that is creating all of the problems here in WI. That is why I asked the question.
No need in IL, plenty of food for deer. I know baiting would not be for me...but do understand when some argue "how is a food plot any different"...which I don't have food plots either - although one could also say agriculture fields are food plots. This topic is always a hot one...I just don't ever see a need to bait unless maybe game #'s are overpopulated and you need a large kill off to protect the herd.
doesn't bother me either way if someone wants to bait....have at it. For deer, not the way I want to hunt them personally. I did when I first started hunting like 8 years ago, but only because I was under the impression that everyone did. That deer hunting meant hunting over a corn pile....a LOT of people do it around here, but I found it unnecesary for the way I want to hunt. There is a PVC pipe feeder bungeed to a tree on one of my walk in trails through the woods where I hunted over it like 5 years ago....never have taken it down, somewhat of a reminder of how I have changed in my methods of hunting. Just keep it clean fellas, I don't want anyone in here claimin to be the Master baiter.
I don't like baiting for a couple of reasons, the main one... it screws with deer patterns. We scout and scout all summer long, pile up some corn and things change. If deer have to get out and browse and feed naturally they tend to move more and further. If they know there's a pile of vittles waiting on the ridge behind the barn they get to a point where they wait until last light or dark and almost gallop to the food. I'd rather have several deer in small groups wandering and looking for food than one big herd all bunched up coming to a pile of feed. Deer over feed tend to get quite spooky real quick around bait sites. I'd really rather sit in a tree and watch deer feed naturally and browse and travel in search of food. To me it puts more opportunities to more hunters in the woods over a larger area.
If it's a legal method of hunting where you are and that's what you want to do, then go for it. I have hunted Bears over bait, and being selective in the harvest and being able to look bears over for a period of time is nice. I doubt most areas I have Bear hunted in would be worth Bowhunting any other method. Dan
I have very limited experience when it comes to baiting deer, or using bait in general. I grew up hunting in Indiana where baiting was illegal. I joined the military was stationed in the UP of Michigan where baiting was legal. The first season I hunted up there I figured being able to use bait was going to make the season a slam dunk. I dumped a bunch of apples and corn well before the season started and kept my bait pile up. I seen very few deer off of it and the deer I seen were young, not what I was looking for. I did kill a few doe off of it, but something about it just did not agree with me. I know some people love to bait and if it is legal in their State, the who am I to say they should not do it, but I don't believe that a bait pile equals success. Also, I just got back from a Texas hog hunt in which I hunted off a corn spreader. We hunted mostly at night, up until about 1 in the morning. The first night I did not see a single hog. So once again, just because the corn is there does not mean the hogs are going to be there. The second night I did see plenty of hogs and killed 9, but not one of the hogs I killed were at the feeder.
I believe it all has to do with location. I know that northern and southern Wi have completely different land types. Southern WI is more agricultural with several food sources for deer and as you head up north it slowly turns into big forest where patterning deer becomes more and more difficult. Personally i would like to see baiting disappear because i feel that people take it a bit to far as in, hunting directly over bait or over baiting. But, hunting in northern WI and seeing deer makes a day in the stand seem a lot more satisfying even if there isn't anything to shoot at.
I'm always amazed at how quickly hunters are to judge one another. Calling others lazy, slobs, etc because people don't hunt the same way you do is completely ignorant. This goes for any of the popular arguments including baiting and crossbows, amongst others I'm sure. What many of us fail to realize is that not everybody is like us. Not everybody has the time and resources to hunt that way we do. To scout for hours on end during the off season, to take time off work during the hunting season, or travel to where better hunting opportunities are available. Some people are not afforded these luxuries, and others choose to electively spend their time and/or money pursuing other hobbies or interests. But they still enjoy hunting. They still enjoy getting out in the woods and attempting to harvest an animal. They still enjoy the satisfaction and rewards that come from a successful hunt. Does that satisfaction for the person who hunted over bait or used a crossbow feel any less real than the satisfaction others get from putting in hundreds of hours in the woods scouting and hunting? You tell me. At the end of the day when you boil down all the egos and trophy hunting and scouting and all the other BS that gets thrown around our job as hunters is to manage the herds of wildlife that we hunt by harvesting a certain amount of animals every year. That is our main job and function as so-called stewards of the land. Not to kill big deer for the sake of showing their heads off on our walls or brag to our buddies on the Internet. If every person who deer hunts decided to start trophy hunting only and not shooting does, small bucks, or other young deer we'd most certainly end up with a pretty big problem on our hands, wouldn't we? So if a person wants to set out a bait pile and harvest an animal over it, thus contributing to our overall goal of managing the herd, why would we want to knock that person down, insult them, and tell them that their way of hunting is wrong or lazy? Certainly doesn't make any sense to this guy.
My thoughts are really quite simple. While any given tactic may or may not be for me, so long as it's legal.........Have at it. It doesn't matter whether I agree or not, or whether I would or not. If it's legal, get out there and enjoy. Which was the exact point I made in the trophy hunting thread a couple days ago. Why do people feel like they NEED to shoot a big buck to be accepted? Why do they let a small buck walk strictly because they know they are going to be ridiculed for not letting him go so he can grow? It's total BS.....If it's a legal buck, and you want to shoot it.......let 'er fly! And if that happens to be over a legal bait pile well.........So be it. What right does anyone have to be judge and jury over how someone hunts, or what they shoot?? Don't judge, lest we be judged. Why is "my" way the only right way? It isn't, plain and simple.
Ok now Jeff......which is it? LOL......I agree with everything you said, but this confused me a little.
Don, we all know how you feel about baiting, although it may be for you, your style of baiting with your truck grille seems a little over the top and way too expensive for me! ;-)
I've baited for over 4 years now and when it comes to hunting over the bait pile for a mature buck forget it. I have camera's set up on the bait sights to take inventory of the deer and to see which way they come from. We have taken 2 bucks off the corn piles but most of the time it's doe shooting that happens there. AS FOR BEING A LAZY HUNTER I don't thinks so.I put in 5 acres of food plots every year,hang over 30 stands and trim even more for my climber. Just because somebody baits doesn't make them a bad hunter it is part of the game know. Is a food plot baiting? How about Apple trees? Somebody had to plant them. We need to stick together as hunters.If you don't like baiting don't do it. If you don't like compounds don't use them,but don't call other hunters lazy or slobs because they don't hunt the way you do.
Like so many said, if it's legal and you want to do it, do it. Whether or not someone else agrees with or is against it is of no consequence. The only person you have to deal with on this issue is yourself. 130 also put it well, hunting around fruit trees, oak groves, food plots, etc could all be considered baiting as you are sitting on a spot where the deer normally feed in the hopes of taking your own harvest.