When is this state gonna ban baiting?

[Cooter]

Thought I'd toss this one out on the table for discussion. Myself I'd like to see baiting and feeding deer banned tomorrow. I think its an eyesore for the sport in general, a great way to pit hunter vs hunter, and an outstanding way to help spread unwanted diseases. Whatch ya think der Ole?

[Wade Joseph]

I'd vote to ban it if the ban included ALL feeding (you call it baiting). This includes Bears, Birds, etc....If I am "feeding" them in my back yard, whats the diff between that or bird feeders. Similarily, whats the diff between baiting deer or bear?

Its symantics with the words "baiting" and "feeding".

I am also of the opinion thats Game farms like those that raise Elk (esp those from Co) that spread CWD. "Baiting" only made it easier to spread once they got it here thru the Elk.

[Havin' Fun]

Wade, there is a big difference between baiting and feeding. Baiting is the feeding for the purpose of "taking" a game animal. Feeding birds is for viewing pleasure...and has no correlation to the hunting of those birds!

I believe very strongly that if you are baiting a deer, you are no longer hunting; but rather, attempting to just shoot an animal. I do not bait, will not bait and believe it is not part of what hunting means to me. Food plots? I'm undecided about at this time. Will I hunt a corn field? Yes. Will I hunt an alfalfa field? Yes. Will I specifically cut down trees and plant alfalfa on an 80 acre plot to bring deer in? I don't know? Probably considered baiting though!

Will baiting be banned in Wisconsin? YES. I do not know when, but it has started and eventually, like Minnesota; Wisconsin will outlaw the baiting of the White Tail deer. Bear are however a much different entity!

[Wade Joseph]

So why is it ok to bait bear but not deer?

If I am meat hunting, then I see nothing wrong with putting out a pile of apples or corn to get me a couple nice fat does. Hunting for horns is not done over bait.

If I am hunting near apple tree and put out a pile of apples...is that baiting? If I am hunting over a cut corn feild, whats the difference if I put a bushel of corn on the ground 50yds from the feild?

[FISHINGFARMER]

Was just curious if Wisconsin allows high powers or is it shotgun only?

Did not know you could bait for deer. Does seem like it takes away the sport of getting a deer during the season. Is this a common practice in the state?

Farmer

[Wade Joseph]

Some areas of WI are shotgun only but a large portion of the state allows rifles. Baiingis only allowed in basically the northern 1/3rd of the state. DNR HSOforum has alist of the counties that allow both.

[Havin' Fun]

If you put out anything to attract a deer, you are baiting. This includes dumping apples, corn, licks, ect. However, the state only recognizes this during the hunting season.

If you are hunting apple trees, why dump apples. Hunt the ones on the ground. If you are hunting a picked corn field, you don't need to dump any corn.

I think it ultimately comes down to your own personal code of hunting ethics. I believe in something quite different than the next guy....and perhaps it is because of my many years of hunting state land (along with 15 years of deer hunting in Minnesota). Minnesota banned baiting because of dangerous side effects that CAN come from it's use; such as diseases and of course deer dependency, and now even more noticeable, is the presence of deer in cities, where they are being feed on the suburban edges.

I know Minnesota was very concerned and still is concerned about CWD, and with Wisconsin being as proactive as they are to prevent the spread of CWD in other ares, it's only time before the rest of the state follows suit.

Again, this is only personal opinion, but I believe there are many, many things a hunter can do to improve his or her odds of bagging a deer.

1. Scout and pattern

2. Improve your wood lot. Many people forget that logging is important to the habitat of the whitetail deer.

3. Work with your neighboors, not against them.

I recognize the baiting of bear to be a dangerous prospect as well, however I am not a bear hunter and will not speculate or offer thoughts or theories as to why it is or is not important to bait.

Presently, it comes down to what you believe in ethically and I certainly will not tell someone else what is ethically right or wrong, such as the case here. IF you want to bait and it is legal, you have the right to do so. I however feel differently and only attempted to tell you why here.

[FISHINGFARMER]

Wade:

Thanks for the reply.

Will look into the DNR HSOforum.

[Deitz Dittrich]

personally for me, it comes down to this...

There are 3 types of hunters...

#1, hard core...the ones that scout, and are hunting horns!... live and breath for the rut.

#2 Meat hunters...Love the taste of deer, like to feed the family and spend a little time in the woods...

#3 Party dude...maybe hunts one weekend, does it just becuase he feels the need...

My feeling on baiting...if its done under the law...as the law states...No more than XXX lbs of corn and XX baiting areas per 40 acres(I forget what it is) I then have no problem with it. Expecially because it keeps the farmers in business, and gives some the meat hunters with not a whole lot of time the oppertunity to harvest a deer...I dont think you are going to harvest a huge buck over bait.. you may catch them during the major rut chasing a doe.. but most often bait sites are hit at night by deer...

I have a cabin in WI, and I dont gun hunt.. Only bow... and I'll be honest... I have hunted over a small(less than 1 gal) corn pile. When you are bow hunting you still have to set up for the wind, you still have to make ths shot, you stil have to hunt... putting corn in your back yard is not going to get you a deer.

If the state of Wi shut down baiting I would not loose any sleep at all... but I do feel it does help the economy in Wi, and I highly doubt that WI will change the rules any time soon.

[nolte]

I don't hunt over bait for deer, but don't look down on anyone for doing it. I have shot a few deer over bait, when there was limited time to hunt and the grandparents wanted some more venison. Note in these instances I used one of my bonus tags on the deer. I just think that if you bait in a pile, you take the guesswork out of where the deer are going to come. If you hunt an orchard or cornfield, you have to determine which direction/trails the deer will come from. Bait you just put it out and sit over the top of it. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to ban baiting for deer.

Bear are a completely diffferent animal so lumping them in with deer is foolish. It would be like saying that Muskie fishing is the same as Panfishing because they are both fishing. There are 30,000 bear in the state, and roughly 1.7 million deer. With the terrain in WI, the chances of a spot and stalk bear hunt are pretty nil. Hound hunters would still be able to harvest a fair amount, but it would take a lot more legwork. The bear complaints would shoot way up and the cabins, dumpsters, birdfeeders would take a pounding. The bear would also be more concentrated on private land/or close to it because of the food there.

Some people really enjoy to feed the wildlife in their yard, especially older people. We usually put out a gallon or so a night and have a couple small bucks, few does and a bear. It's pretty neat to look out back window and check them out. I don't want to take that away from anybody that enjoys that but think that feeding should be banned from a week before bow season till the end of rifle season. The majority of hunters are all done by then anyway. I know it sounds hypocritical to allow baiting for bear, feeding for viewing in off seasons, and NO baiting to hunt deer but it's just my opinion.