Why I dont bait

So if someones "baits" deer to supplement their natural food source, but doesn't hunt over the bait pile, then it's ok? Just curious because I only throw out some sweet feed once a year in the summer to take inventory. Is this baiting?

 

"OKAY"....is in the eye of the beholder

Its an opinion thread

 

You kinda got me there,

But mineral licks get far less traffic then corn piles (At least my camera data suggests so), which reduces risk.

 

Fran, its been almost 2 years since i went by "Cay" online...ah the memories :D

 

Its exactly the same, so the guy with a mineral lick on his property, thats against baiting because it's bad for the herd and spreads disease, is only fooling himself!

 

Maybe so,

But im still not gonna bait or hunt over the lick

 

i only use bait (i.e. corn, deer cocaine, buck grub etc) at a trail cam site, that way i have a better chance to see most of the deer in my area, i dont hunt them there, i would just like to know whats in the area beforehand. I do have a stand that is within 60 yards of one of my bait spots, and out of all the deer ive seen from the stand (40 or more) only 2 went by the bait spots, the other 38+ chose the food plot over bait

 

Let me rephrase this. If someone puts out say 100 lbs. of corn per year in the summer just to get an idea os what is running around his property is that baiting?

 

I just wanted to know if he considers that baiting.

I don't consider it baiting because deer will visit that area twice or 3 more times before realizing that food source is gone.

 

tried my first black bear bait this year.... froze till the season was over.. then the dang bears all showed up after season and cleaned it out.. LMAO

 

Your definitely right and I'd just like to elaborate a bit. Deer eating a diet that mainly consists of corn will eventually become malnourished because strictly consuming corn will negatively effect a deer's digestive system.

Also- baiting deer consistently, year round can be detrimental on the natural vegetation and browse in your area. I've read, and may have mentioned this before in a thread similar awhile back, that if deer abandon natural browse and food sources that RELY on deer feeding on them for regeneration and growth, that species may take up to 100 years to "fix themselves."