What To Do with Ajacent baiters

[Bowfin]

I've only hunted Minnesota public land all my life until last year when I also hunted my in-laws private land in Wisconsin. I've never had to deal with this but a few of the adjacent landowners were baiting deer causing the deer to be displaced to their land. My in-laws don't bait and I'm not completely sure if this was happening but it seemed pretty obvious that their land held deer until a few weeks before rifle season and then the land went dead. I hunted all week and heard consistent shooting from the adjacent landowner all week (1 to 2 shots every other day or so while we saw hardly a tail. Is it true baiting can affect deer movements this dramatic? What can I do to compete with this? - I don't want to start baiting myself. I was thinking of ways to make the in-laws land more attractive and started some wild plum and crabapple orchards. Anyone else experience this?

[DonBo]

The baiting problems in Wisconsin seems to be a never ending issue for all the reasons you stated and more. Fact is, it's legal as long as no more than 2 gallons of bait are being used. There is a limit to the number of sites you can have on any given sized piece of property. If you believe someone is going beyond that limit, a call to TIP may be in order. Other than that, making your property more appealing is probably your only other option. It sounds like you've got a good start with that.

Good luck!

[snoozebutton]

Sounds to me like they are going over the limit. IMO, two gallons of bait would get eaten up by the first deer that stopped by and wouldn't affect the movement of the other deer much if at all.

[Cooter]

The day is coming when baiting/feeding will cease in WI, just when I'm not sure but think sooner than later.

If I were you I'd try to figure out where the deer exit the neighbors - they aren't getting them all and with that much shooting and thus walking around they have to be kicking deer out.

The trees are a great step as well. Otherwise make sure you are hunting smart as well as hard. Also remember it was only one year, might be a different story this November. Good luck!

[Bowfin]

If I were you I'd try to figure out where the deer exit the neighbors - they aren't getting them all and with that much shooting and thus walking around they have to be kicking deer out.

I have a stand located a quarter mile out in the spruce swamp from the high ground baiters. I agree they have to be kicking the deer out and the swamp is the most likely spot the deer would be hanging out.

[matthothand]

You could plant a food plot. Baiting with roots. There's lots of stuff a person can do to get deer on their side of the line. Have you done anything to your property to add bedding cover? How is the property used the rest of the year? Is it treated like a sanctuary? Whitetails aren't geniuses but there's more that goes into it than two gallons of corn. I'm surrounded by baiters, which is fine. It just puts pressure on me to better my property.