Baiting - needs to stop

[Musky Buck]

But how can you have a huge food plot on 40 acres of land ? Thing is when you clear land for a food plot, you are clearing cover which nocturnal deer will come into after dark, if I dump corn or whatever a mile off the road in my swamps and don't alter cover the deer I'm guessing will flock to the pile because they have the cover in there as well to feel safe. I hunted fields all season and saw 3 deer this year. I hunted a field of soy beans and 15 acres of standing corn on Monday and last night, the deer aren't hitting these until about 8:00 at night. I bet they'd hit a corn pile if I could bait back in the river bottom cover a bit sooner but maybe not. Vister your 2nd paragraph sums up exactly what happened with baiters in my area last year, they were 20 for 20. Word got out from here I was watching, this year no bait they got 1 deer and quit hunting because few were around. This was Sept/early Oct. baiting, what would muzzleloader baiting look like or rifle season. I've read thousand of hunter stories over the past 3 seasons. people say calls,scents,decoys,t-cams etc. 99% of those stories never mentioned those gadgets. I like the Tcam helps you get your deer. Maybe for a small %. Like me since 1983 sitting the same stand, I could care less what my tcam shows me as it won't change where I go, heck it would save deer because if I get one trophy buck on it I'm not settling for anything less and that buck might be dead opening day somewhere else, but I won't shoot a lesser animal if I have a hope he's still around.

[CatchPhotoFilet]

so all you worried about disease when baiting what if i was to put out a dozen individual piles of corn say 20 yds apart? say a bushel at each spot. that would give a fair choice for the deer to pick and should result in minimal "close quarters" while feeding. problem solved.

[96trigger]

Are you serious?

[blackdog1101]

All the talk about baiting and concentrateing the deer in one spot and the increase of disease because of it is hypocritical. Baiting and food plots are one in the same as far as im concerned. If you throw out corn or beets or whatever to attract deer or grow a acre of turnips, clover or whatever and hunt around either, or concentrate the deer it is one in the same. Just my opinion. Neither should be legal.

[Musky Buck]

So catch you don't worry about possible disease ? Is that what we want each hunter placing a dozen piles of corn on each parcel in our state, our state will sink under the weight of bait piles. Let's do some math roughly 500,000 deer hunters. Let's say 100 pounds of bait a year and that would be low considering Sept. 15th-Dec. 31st. Ish. In all honesty, I'm surprised by how many might be in favor of it, I must be really old fashioned. Tonight I will go out again, deer less through the 1st 11 days of season, the deer I'm hunting is nocturnal, I'd still rather eat my tag than blister him over a pile of corn. I don't need a great job, pat on the back, filled tag, must be a good hunter, or any of it. If he on his own free will comes out tonight fine, I doubt it, but you don't know unless you go. I have standing soy beans and corn and alfalfa, he is still nocturnal, I know where he lives and I tried to get as close as possible, but he's an 8:00PM buck and all the food plots in the world won't pull him out of the cover until it's very dark and very safe.

[96trigger]

First time ever the DNR checked my deer for CWD this year. I am praying that they don't find anything. Baiting is not a big deal down here because the deer are not hungry. They like the corn fields. I know that it exists,but I don't think it is as effective, or prominent as it is in the non-ag, big timber areas. I had a relative plant a food plot, the deer didn't touch it. They walked through his food plot to the clover and corn fields.

If you want to argue that they both attract deer and that it is illegal and baiting, so be it, but saying that they both help spread CWD is a completely uneducated, and false assumption. The facts are that bait piles increase muzzle to muzzle and bodily fluid (saliva) contact in deer, food plots and corn fields don't.

[Bear55]

Are you serious?

This is the same person who claims they don't deer hunt but they sure love to defend baiting and rip on the DNR for taking guns. If you do the math someone probably lost their gun this year and is a little upset about it.

[Harmonica Bear]

Ok, let me make this clear I am not against food plots. I feel I may have egged this baby on for arguemants sake, but on the deal about "let's quit farming then?" C'Mmon. A farmer plants and harvests their field for $ (what little there is), their yield is sold at market. A food plot is planted solely for the sake of "Wildlife".

On our hunting land we have discussed food plots to no end (we do not have any), but if we were not going to deer hunt there, the topic would never come up. Again, I don't think there is anything wrong with food plots, becuase it does indeed benefit wildlife.

[John478]

I think people blow this whole baiting thing way out of per portion. Frankly I don’t think it is even all that effective. If you think that because some guy throws a bucket of corn out in front of his stand the deer are just going to come running in your crazy. It may be a little different up north where things like corn are not very abundant, but if you hunt the lower 2/3 of the state where there’s a bean and corn fields are around every corner IMO baiting has little to no effect.

The other thing I can never understand is everybody gets there shorts in a bind about baiting deer but baiting bear is common practice and no one seems to complain about that.

[96trigger]

Quote:

This is the same person who claims they don't deer hunt but they sure love to defend baiting and rip on the DNR for taking guns. If you do the math someone probably lost their gun this year and is a little upset about it.

[InTheNorthwoods]

The only similarity between bait piles and food plots is that they are edible to deer and people hope the deer will eat it.

Other than that, they aren't really comparable. If you rely on the simple fact that the two are edible to deer and people hope they attract deer, then there are MANY other activities that would also need to be addressed for their legality.

[Musky Buck]

Wrongo John, baiters went 20 for 20 right next to a 100 standing acres of corn during bow season last year, this year they caught wind I was on to them, didn't bait and shot 1 doe fawn. I wouldn't say they come running in but walking in this is in Ottertail county. That was all the proof I needed. But, enough about that stuff. Let's hear why it would be good for Minnesota to allow baiting. Instead of comparing fields to bait, I want to hear the pro's for baiting, the good that will come from it, stuff like that. Not the same old other states allow it, it's the same as a farm field or a food plot field. Now it's lottery in many areas meaning likely less deer around which means I hope those food plots can help a bunch of deer make it through the winter which spread out onto many properties for us to hunt each fall, I know bait piles won't help the deer make it through the winter because once hunting is done very few are going to cough up money to keep them going till April. So tell us why MN should allow baiting ?

[Musky Buck]

I love the bear hunting comparison. A bear could kill ya,meaning hunting them by primitive means would be unsafe, last report I haven't heard too many deer hunters being killed by deer. I'd venture a guess few would go bear hunting without trying to bait them. Think deer hunters would stop going if they can't bait, not at last check. OK, is baiting bear highly effective, yes, is it for deer yes. Is baiting waterfowl illegal, yes, because it would be to effective. So, if you want to be a baiter John's answer is go bear hunting.

[NoWiser]

But, enough about that stuff. Let's hear why it would be good for Minnesota to allow baiting. Instead of comparing fields to bait, I want to hear the pro's for baiting, the good that will come from it, stuff like that. Not the same old other states allow it, it's the same as a farm field or a food plot field.

I agree, I would also like to hear this. I don't want to hear any of that nonsense about "making it easier to take a good shot for a clean kill" either, because I have shot many deer (not over bait) without losing any. Yes, you may have to pass on a few iffy shots, I know I have had to. That is hunting.. So lets hear some ligitimate reasons to allow baiting??

[CatchPhotoFilet]

Baiting allows for a quick death to the animal via a close and accurate shot not shooting at an animal 300+yds away. Oh sorry not everyone is as good of a sniper shot as your are and lots of animals are wounded every season and never found! or wounded and found later to have bleed to death. so that is large difference. Someone who hunts over bait has no reason to even think about taking a long distance shot. Just cause there is a pile of whatever out there doesnt mean every deer in the country is going to go for it either! I think your comparing this to kids and candy and its nothing of the same.

Baiting would increase the excitement level for youngsters actually getting to see deer instead of sitting for days on end without even seeing a deer move. More kids get hooked more money brought into the state via licenses

Baiting allows people without ability to plant a food plot the same advantages of attracting a deer as someone who has a food plot

Baiting allows for effective means of management on properties

Im sure someone will come up with more negatives but to each their own.

CWD

unethical you will say but you prob. bait bears....

violation of fair chase-but is it fair to use scents then?

so on and so forth this is a never ending topic. all i know is tolerance is the only way to make things work IMO

[Musky Buck]

That's where I'm at NoWiser, although you seem wise. My gut tells me, and of course it isn't a golden rule at all, but people who do food plots care a lot about the animals they are hunting as well as all the secondary animals that benefit from a food source year round where baiters tend to care more about themselves, their meat poles, their ego, it's more about the hunter and less about the deer. Is that a fair assumption or way off course ? If baiting was ineffective less would do it especially risking your gun, a fine, hunting priviledges, the feeling of breaking the law and yet more and more chance it so it must work extremely well. Picture 500,000 possible people baiting in MN, it would be a level playing field list the good that would come from it.

[Big Dave2]

Originally Posted By: Musky Buck

But, enough about that stuff. Let's hear why it would be good for Minnesota to allow baiting. Instead of comparing fields to bait, I want to hear the pro's for baiting, the good that will come from it, stuff like that. Not the same old other states allow it, it's the same as a farm field or a food plot field.

I agree, I would also like to hear this. I don't want to hear any of that nonsense about "making it easier to take a good shot for a clean kill" either, because I have shot many deer (not over bait) without losing any. Yes, you may have to pass on a few iffy shots, I know I have had to. That is hunting.. So lets hear some ligitimate reasons to allow baiting??

I would say the main reason to allow baiting is so that people who hunt on marginal public land have a chance to compete against those who plant food plots or leave some farm crops in the field to hunt over.

[fr0sty]

I agree with this. The areas I hunt have permanent stands. I like trail cams to get an idea of what is around and to build excitement. Regardless of what's on my camera, I will be hunting the usual stands.

When I watch Ted Nugent's show, I hate when he hunts over bait. It's more like window shopping and deciding when to shoot. Nothing like the excitement of not knowing what you will see, then catching a distant glimpse or the approaching crunch of a deer and it makes it's way through the frosty swamp to your stand...

I haven't been at this as long as I suspect most of you, but so far I have had more years eating a tag than bagging a deer. That doesn't bother me at all. I will be at it again next year, and the next and the next.

I like the Tcam helps you get your deer. Maybe for a small %. Like me since 1983 sitting the same stand, I could care less what my tcam shows me as it won't change where I go

[Big Dave2]

people who do food plots care a lot about the animals they are hunting as well as all the secondary animals that benefit from a food source year round where baiters tend to care more about themselves' date=' their meat poles, their ego, it's more about the hunter and less about the deer.

[Bear55]

The thing with foodplots for me is it all about better habitat. I'm not just planting food plots, I'm planting different trees for cover and for food. I might cut down a bunch of mature trees to get some more sunlight to the forest floor to help grow more food or creat a thick new bedding area. It only makes sense to change your land to make it more attractive to deer, who wouldn't want to do that?

It seems like some people think all these things should be illegal because I have intent to hunt the habitat I have created. I say go create your own or find good deer habitat to hunt. It sure makes more sense then arguing to make baiting legal or makeing foodplots illegal. How far do you want to take this, should I be fined for planting oaks because I have intent to hunt over them some day when they start producing acorns?

[Big Dave2]

I love the bear hunting comparison. A bear could kill ya,meaning hunting them by primitive means would be unsafe, last report I haven't heard too many deer hunters being killed by deer. I'd venture a guess few would go bear hunting without trying to bait them. Think deer hunters would stop going if they can't bait, not at last check. OK, is baiting bear highly effective, yes, is it for deer yes. Is baiting waterfowl illegal, yes, because it would be to effective. So, if you want to be a baiter John's answer is go bear hunting.

That's not why bear baiting is legal.

It's legal because otherwise it would be impossible to kill a bear and keep the populations down to an acceptable level. You could sit in a stand if you want without bait and take your chances with no more danger than if you were baiting but it won't work very well. Bear populations are kept low by design, there just are not very many bear per square mile. Deer on the other hand are pretty dense in our state. Thats why you can hang a stand in most any piece of woods and at least have a chance at seeing a deer, and thinking you somehow outsmarted it.

[Big Dave2]

The thing with foodplots for me is it all about better habitat. I'm not just planting food plots, I'm planting different trees for cover and for food. I might cut down a bunch of mature trees to get some more sunlight to the forest floor to help grow more food or creat a thick new bedding area. It only makes sense to change your land to make it more attractive to deer, who wouldn't want to do that?

It seems like some people think all these things should be illegal because I have intent to hunt the habitat I have created. I say go create your own or find good deer habitat to hunt. It sure makes more sense then arguing to make baiting legal or makeing foodplots illegal. How far do you want to take this, should I be fined for planting oaks because I have intent to hunt over them some day when they start producing acorns?

My hats off to you if you can honestly say that you would put the same work and effort into the food plots even if you were not going to hunt.

I doubt that many food plots are grown by non-hunters.

[96trigger]

Quote:

Deer on the other hand are pretty dense in our state. Thats why you can hang a stand in most any piece of woods and at least have a chance at seeing a deer, and thinking you somehow outsmarted it.

Then why on earth would you EVER need to use bait piles and risk spreading CWD. AGAIN, the DNR just checked my deer last Saturday for this disease, its not like they are making it up, there is no conspiracy against baiting. It is a REAL issue.

If deer are so heavily populated, why would a food plot be bad, why would giving that population food in the winter be troublesome? I am going to be that 90% of those bait piles are for two days only, and are not there to feed the population.

[MrCrappie]

It's illegal, takes no skill, and definately not fair. Baiters are the laziest losers who have no respect for their game or other hunters. They'll never acquire the hunting skills necessary to pass onto their children.

If you've been at the range, scouted a good area, pay attention to wind/scent/weather, and take a few days off work to make it happen, you'll put venison on the table. If you get skunked, keep trying. That's hunting!

[Bear55]

My hats off to you if you can honestly say that you would put the same work and effort into the food plots even if you were not going to hunt.

I doubt that many food plots are grown by non-hunters.

Nope I do it structly because I love to deer hunt. Let me ask you why should creating a better habitat for deer and other animal be illegal?

Funny thing is I don't even hunt our food plots, a few others doe and after I think 7-8 years no one has shot a deer on one of our plots. I just do it to help the deer in our area. I don't think you can say that about a guy dumping a pile of bait out a few times a year.