Baiting

[John_Ted_Carrier]

I think that baiting for deer (not bear) is unethical. I think that it is deer shooting not deer HUNTING. But I want to know what everyone else thinks and see if someone can present some logical info for why it is good. I can only see SOME MINIMAL merit is if you are shooting deer as basically a population controll exercise. But let me know your thoughts.

Keep it wild

-"Ted"

[Powerstroke]

Baiting deer is not only unethical, but it is illegal. The only "attractants" you can use legally are mineral items that are not any kind of food product.

[30 inch eyes]

I've seen a few (hunting shows) I use this term loosly, that they were hunting by a feeder. it made me sick so I don't watch that show any more. I,m still up in the air about hunting over food plots also, kind of seems like baiting to me.

[John_Ted_Carrier]

Good, I am glad to see that the response is against baiting. I also try to stay away from shows that bait deer, it isn't hunting. There is no sport in sitting over a bait pile, that is just shooting deer.

God Bless the WILD

-"Ted"

[pout-slayer]

I have to agree that baiting deer is not really hunting but at the same time it is a very effective way to shoot does during the early T-hunt here in Wi.

[Jim Hudson]

I have used bait on occasion here in WI and there are some +'s and -'s for the use of it. In the area I hunt, northern Bayfield County, there are huge tracts of timber through ravine bottoms and the like where deer can be pocketed in secluded areas. Bait can be beneficial for someone who is limited in their mobility due to injuries, etc to draw some of these deer into an area the can hunt. Also, as pout-slayer stated it is benefical for herd management hunts.

The -'s as anyone can see, is that a deer's natural movements will be skewed by someone who baits. The drawing power a bait pile can have is tremedous. Just as it can be for bear.

My philosophy is, if you hunt and the means you use are legal then it is okay with me. I do not judge another hunter for a method they may use as all people have their opinions for how they want to enjoy their hunting time. I do my thing, and they can do theirs and I hope both of us can harvest an animal. Our hunting population is dividing because of issues like this and we need to support each other as more and more people see hunting as a bad thing.

[John_Ted_Carrier]

While I do agee strongly with it for a person who is immobile because of disability or somone just shooting does to thin the heard, I strongly disagree with people doing it for hunting, especially for trophy deer. That is not real hunting, that is just shooting deer. You might as well stay in your truck and watch your pile. Even in a large wooded tract of land you should use instincts, skills, and hard work scoutingto find where that trophy is hiding. I hunt the big forests around Bemidji Minnesota nd have no problem seeing deer wihtout bait.

Keepin it WILD

-*Ted*

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm going to have to agree with JKH on this one... IF its leagal in your state or area I have no problem with it. Here in Minneosota baiting is not allowed, however people can use scents, mock scrapes, salt and a variety of other stuff that some would consider baiting. I have no problem with that at all...

I myself think that hunting with a high powered rifle may be too easy, I myself dont hunt with a rifle, but Its legal and I dont have a problem people doing it. Just my opinion... thats it.

Our brothers to the east in WI, baiting is legal...my family has cabin up in Gratsburg WI that I do quite a bit of hunting on.. My Mother puts corn out in a feeder behind the house so she can see the deer. I have never sat over that feeder, because there are hardly ever if ever any deer there during legal shooting times. Deer are deer, they are a challeng no matter what method you use to harvest them. As long as its legal in the state, and you are not breaking any game laws, you as a fellow hunter should not have a problem with it. But each are allowed to thier opinion!

[WB make the CUT]

JKH....Bingo

[jlm]

This is a very sensitive topic for some and I will not try to offend anyone but here is my view on baiting. If I could legally bait in the state of MN, I would do it. This is an ethical debate for each individual which could be argued to death. However, since it is not legal here, there is really nothing to debate. I do question why it is illegal in this state however, particularly when it is legal in many other states. I personally believe that if you call baiting unethical, you better search your own inventory because some may consider some of the things you do as unethical. Examples would be using compound bows, scopes, deer calls, scents, deer stands, rattling, etc. Then you also have to consider where you hunt...do you hunt over agricultural crops, food plots, over salt licks, in pastures, along ditches etc. When it comes to hunting, I personally feel that we owe the deer a quick and clean kill. Using bait allows for a standing shot at close range. In my opinion, you can't get much more ethical than that! Good luck out there!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Very well said jlm...

[Jmnhunter]

i have to agree with Ted. You are not HUNTING, but shooting. hunting has to do with stalking, and being at the right place at the rigth time. Againg this issue could go both ways. but I'm leaning more towards the unethical of shooting trophy beasts.

-Good Hutning!

JN

[John_Ted_Carrier]

Ok, listen, there is a difference between baiting a deer and using calls or hunting by a field. First, with the calls. It takes skill and time to master a call. There is NO skill in dumping a pile of feed in a clearing and getting into your stand. That takes no thought or skill at all. Hunting over a field also takes skill. You have to scout and know where the deer are comming out from on the field and the same goes for a food plot. Also with a food plot you have to put WORK into it to make it good...you don't do ANYTHING with bait, it's a lazy man's game if you ask me.

-*Ted*

[Dan Wood]

I've done a lot of hunting in the U.P. of Michigan where it is legal. I'd estimate it is accepted by a rather high percentage of hunters their based on what I've seen... It isn't even really an issue, people are used to hunting that way. I guess my major gripe is that it really changes deer patterns and makes it difficult to pattern deer if your not hunting bait... Instead of deer going from their bedding area to crops, they go from one bait pile to the next.. You wouldn't expect a deer to get off his bed in a swamp and go to another swamp there are bait piles all over and you don't usually know where they are on neighboring land.. As far as unethical, that isn't for me to judge... I know a lot of people that do enjoy hunting over bait - isn't that what it is all about? As long as they enjoy it and it is legal, good for them!

I've heard of a few nice bucks coming from bait, but it is not very common.. The big bucks are genearlly smarter than that and only will come in after dark..

[jlm]

One could come to the conclusion that collecting and carrying bait into the field is work. However, I would agree with you to some extent. This does beg the question however. How much skill does it take to climb into a manufactured tree stand? How much skill or work does it take to shoot a rifle up to 200 yards? How much skill does it take to take the scope covers off? How much skill does it take to get in the truck and drive around to scout? These questions are endless! One could argue that "baiting is the lazy mans game" but there is a very fine line as to what else could be considered "lazy". Just my 2 cents!

[pikerliker]

I always take issue when I hear someone say that rifle hunting is too easy or not a sport. You still need to fing the right place and be there at the right time. I've missed deer before hunting with a rifle and I find it just as challanging as hunting with slugs or bow. I've done all 3. There are different challenges and situations with each. That major one usually being the type of terrain you are hunting. I usually hear this type of thing from those that don't hunt with rifles. I'm sorry it kind of irritates me. As far as baiting goes, I'm against it. It takes the challenge away. I think my hunting with a rifle without bait on public land is more challanging than bow hunting by a pile of bait. Just my 2 cents...

~!piker

[John_Ted_Carrier]

Well when you are baiting you don't even need a scope, rifle, or anything like that. I mean you put the bait pile 15 yards from your stump and wait for deer to come. When you bait you don't have to think, or even really HUNT. You don't pattern deer, or have to scout when baiting. I am a bow and slug hunter but I still see the merit in it. Unlike baiting, you still have to have some skills to do it. You have to plan and think to get a deer close enough.

[your opinion has been noted, no bashing on this site will be allowed]

[Dan Wood]

I don't think anything was meant by the rifle vs. bow hunting post above... He was just trying to get a point across on baiting...

I'm a bowhunter 1st, I've been bowhunting since I was 12. I bowhunted quite a lot before first hunting with a rifle. Before rifle hunting, I did have the impression that hunting with a rifle would be very easy with all of my bowhunting experience. After all those deer I saw bowhunting - just out of range. Surely it would be an easy shot with a rifle... All of those nice bucks that spooked just before the opportunity to shoot with my bow after watching them for what seemed like hours... Those would be so easy with a rifle... Problem is your not hunting during rifle season.

We'll I started rifle hunting and found out it is a completely different ball game.. First year I didn't get a deer. I wasn't even very picky at that time. You have much more pressure in the woods to deal with, many times the deer aren't following their natural pre (gun season) patterns, you have a much shorter season, etc.

I really like my chances for a big buck bowhunting as well as any other method. Mainly because there is very little pressure and the archery season is much longer. Those are two huge advantages to bow season. I don't think anyone doubts that the shooting portion of the hunting is much easier with a gun vs. bow. Both offer very unique challenges. Whichever way you hunt, you still need to pattern the deer and be in the right spot at the right time.

One thing I can say about bowhunting. Those that haven't done it are missing out. I really think you can learn as much in a couple years of bowhunting than you will learn in a life-time of gun hunting. You are able to study deer in their natural environment 4 months of the year. Getting up close and personal with deer really teaches you a lot about their behavior. At the same time, those that only bowhunt are missing out too.. Gun hunting is a great experience that I really look forward to!

[John_Ted_Carrier]

Mr. Wood,

For the record I was agreeing that gun and bow are both challening and I was in no way trying to bash on it. It's not cheating and changing the game like baiting is.

[Dan Wood]

Ted, it was a different post I was referring to - not yours..

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks dan.. I was just throwing that out as a "for instance"... I'm glad that this post has stayed nice... I was afraid when I first saw it that there would be name calling and hurt feelings. Instead it has turned into a nice debate.

[jlm]

Great posts guys! I have been a bow hunter for a long time as well and much prefer it over other methods. Like mentioned above, it is much more intimate for the most part. So let me ask the guys who are against baiting a question. Would you do it if it was legal?

[Nuge'sBloodBrother]

I feel that baiting is unethical when you are hunting deer for sport. I can see using bait in states like Wisconsin where the deer are everywhere and have created problems. In Wisconsin, deer hunting seems to be a little less of a sport being that they are really controlling the population. Without baiting there the deer numbers would be even higher so I feel that baiting is beneficial in Wisconsin to a certain extent. Here in MN we have fewer deer. And in the areas where there are high numbers of deer a person may shoot up to 5 deer so that kind of takes the part of baiting as it would in Wisconsin to control the pop.

Good luck to all the hunters the weekend. Enjoy the spirit of the wild. Kill the beast and respect the beast.

[almostthere!]

Baiting isn't so bad if the intention is to put venison on the table. After all, I more or less shoot deer from my portable tree stand and usually fill out my 5 tags by 10 AM. Is that hunting or is that just plan deer shooting? Maybe it's hunting since I did scope out the funnel. Maybe I should try still hunting. But, would it be hunting if a deer stumbles unto me while still hunting? Hmmm? More questions and uncertainties.

[bigbucks]

I'm with you jlm on your thoughts.

I agree with everybody who enjoys all kinds of hunting & I enjoy the different aspects of bow & all kinds of firearm hunting. The deer are easier to pattern during archery season, but much harder to pattern to the point of being in range. If you can shoot well with your firearm & consistently hit running deer, I do believe gun hunting is easier, but I still love it & do it.

As far as baiting, I don't know why it's illegal nor see it as unethical myself. I guarantee if you just go dump a pile of bait somewhere where there aren't deer consistently it will lay there & rot. If you don't scout a good spot where deer are, it's not like a strobe light is going off over a 5 mile area to draw deer in. Personally I don't really care if it's legal or not, but I don't see it as unethical.

I think the whole just shooting deer versus hunting deer is ridiculous. If there turns out to be too many deer in your area, so you can setup almost anywhere & shoot one, than suddenly you're just "shooting" deer. I've passed on 16 opportunities on small bucks & fawns this season trying to get a decent shot at a doe. I guarantee I was hunting, if I'd just have shot the first buck or the first three bucks that walked by, like a lot of guys would, then I guess I would be just shooting? There's not a lot of difference in hunting over a bait pile, versus a salt lick, a scrape, an alfalfa field, etc. Hunting salt licks was "unethical" 20-25 years ago or whatever when it was illegal, now it's fine. Does that mean it's unethical to hunt by water when it's hot out, because you know the deer will be thirsty?