Cabela's Journal (Hunting Show)

[tealitup]

So I was watching television last night and saw Cabela's Journal - a Saskatchewan Whitetail Hunt. Monster bucks came out of the woods into a clearing.

I look a little more closely. Birds coming down into the same two foot area of the field. Deer chasing birds and other deer away. What could do this?

Well my television has the capability to "zoom" in on a still picture. So I recorded a five minute piece of the show. Can anyone guess?

Yup, a corn mixture placed in a depression of the ground. The birds would fly down and then lift their head eating the seeds.

A guy took a nice deer on the show - right off the bait pile.

I EXPECT MORE from a show based on Cabela's. What do you think?

I am going to email the show - if I get a response I will post.

[CommonSense Guy]

Maybe it's legal there.

[chucker34]

You may not like it, but I think that's pretty common on hunting shows in general and in Sask.

In fact some of the hunting articles about trips to Sask I've read have said its about the only way to hunt deer in the thick brush and terrain there where there would be no other motivation for the deer to show themselves in such a clearing.

And on a lot of the television hunting shows I see, they are in states where baiting is allowed. They don't show the guy shooting the buck over a bait pile but I bet one isn't far off the trail they did shoot him on.

Do I agree with this style of hunting personally? No. But if its legal, then they're not doing anything wrong.

What I would disagree with is how they tell you and I that we too can get that big buck EVERY YEAR if we put in the time in the field and buy their sponsor's products to help in our quest. When in reality, the average guy is going to get a chance at a really huge buck a few times in his life even if he's doing as instructed. Unless of course, you're playing by the same rules as some of the hunting shows (not all of them mind you) where you have dozens of corn feeders and bait piles set up throughout a big, unpressured private piece of land.

Again, this isn't all hunting shows. But plenty of them would rather not tell you about the feeders and apple piles to make it look like they put in more work than they actually did.

[roosterslayer]

Yeah from what I understand almost all outfitters use corn or hay as bait so hunters see good numbers of deer. And as for me hunting over bait to kill a big deer, I would do it in a heart beat especially if i am paying $2500.00 to kill a deer 130" or better.

[tealitup]

My point was that a company with the reputation of being "sportsmen" and ethical should conduct themselves in the manner which they are seeking. By hunting over bait and making it seem like a skilled hunt leaves their behavior questionable.

[chucker34]

tealitup, I understand why its irritating to you because of your personal beliefs, but then again, I find it hard to think their actions are unsportsmanlike if they're following the local hunting regulations. And I agree with rooster that if I participated in outiftted hunt in a state that allowed baiting, I'd play along as well - even though I'd rather not bait. When in Rome... Of course, I wouldn't try to hide the fact that baiting was involved when showing off my trophy and even it make it part of the story. "Of course, they allow baiting out there so it's a different type of hunt..."

[Nate McVey]

The "hole" may not have been to conceal the bait, but rather to make it last longer. In MI where it is legal to bait, that is one of the ways that we make it last so we don't have to go out everyday. You dig a hole about 8-12 in., then loosly cover it up and spread bait around on the surface. The deer will eat the spread out corn off the surface and then find the buried corn and dig it up, spreading it again.

Just my $.02

[1runhotshot]

It is legal to bait in Saskatewan, I personally would not do it. Usually alfalfa is the bait of choice. If the notice you will not see the Dury bunch hunt there.

[Flatlander]

They may not hunt Sask., but they sure do like shooting bucks in Wisconsin. Is baiting legal there?

[WaveWacker]

I believe some parts of Wis. it is legal. I don't think they are being unsportsmanlike or unethical at all. As stated above "baiting" is legal in SK and your only choice as a non-res. is to go through an outfitter and if that is the legal method that they use what is one suppose to do?

Instead of using a single word "baiting" maybe we should stick with the statement of "the physical placement of food material by humans that doesn't consist of planted or harvested crops". After all, couldn't one consider a strategically planted food plot as bait?? Hmmm, lets see...it's planted and hunted over (oh yes to provide nutrition as well buts lets face it however that in a good portion of MN there is enough nutrition to grow big deer) with the intent to lure, hold or "bait" deer into a certain area.

Or better yet, a freshly harvested corn field that typically has a good amount of waste grain laying around. How many of you are invisioning this? Ah, perfect! Hunted the situation myself this fall. Now just because the grain laying on the ground was ran through a combine and not put out it's not considered bait?

Let's stretch it a bit. Scents or aromatic lures. Put out by someone to try to entice, lure, bait game to come in for a close shot. Think I'm crazy in thinking this way, well these exact statements were worded by Ted Nugget on one of his shows when asked the same question regarding "bait". Now, yes ol' Uncle Ted may be a tad on the the crazy side, but you have to like what he stands for.

Lets not forget that the placement of food is legal in MN for bears and proven as the most affective way to harvest/manage the bear population. Do I think this act should be allowed in MN for whitetails? No, but I'm not going to degrade others for legally hunting areas that it is legal.

[Flatlander]

No degradation here WW. You seemed to have missed the jist of my barb. I was making light of the response that the Drury boys wouldn't hunt in Sask. because baiting is legal there. Baiting(as defined by the WI hunting regs), is also legal in west-central WI, which coincidentally, is where the Drury bunch shot 2 monster bucks this fall.

Nowhere in my post did I mention the words unsportsmanlike or unethical. And I never made any comments pertaining to the outfitter's methods. Most every outfitter in Sask, Alberta and Manitoba(even Jim Shockey ), hunts over bait. Please don't put words in my mouth.

I grew up in northern WI, and have put up with this baiting nonsense my whole life. I get into an arguement with my uncle at Thanksgiving dinner every year. He shoots little bucks over a bait pile, and I shoot older bucks by hunting. I won't shoot little bucks, but will fill my antlerless tags. He calls me a fawn killer, and I lovingly refer to him as a lazy, slob hunter.

I will disagree(with no scientific data), that your statement about baiting being the most effective way to harvest bears, is incorrect. The boys back home that have 5-10K in dogs, running bears, are much more efficient at harvesting bears(in my humble opinion).

I don't believe in that either, but it is legal, and they will continue to do it.

And just so there are no more misunderstandings about my post- As long as you are within the laws, I don't care how you hunt. Nor do I look down on anyone's methods(except lazy ol' Uncle Bob).

[Nate McVey]

To be completly honest guys, this topic has been beat to DEATH!!!! The conclusion has always been to hunt the way YOU feel is ethical....that is the only way this conversation gets solved. Do a search and you'll find pages of baiting arguments. Hunt the way you want to hunt and enjoy it

[WaveWacker]

Flatlander. You took my post wrong in thinking that it was pertaining directly to you. The only part that directly pertained to you was the first sentence concerning WI. The rest was just some general statements. Sorry if I made you think that I put words in your mouth.

[tealitup]

I think many of you have taken the meaning of this post the wrong way. I do see where baiting maybe best for the average hunter, one that does not truely "hunt" but from a cabela's production one would think they would want to show a hunt in the true meaning.

Hunting over bait? What skill is involved? Do you have to know where your game trails are? Do you have to scout? Or do you have to have general information and put candy down for the deer to find 1-10 days later.