Question on deer feeding on dumped food (preseason)

[Christopher Quast]

AMEN!!! ROOFER I couldnt agree more and actually I cant believe this post is even up anymore since all it has to do with is people that don't know how to hunt the way our fore fathers did and were very successful, because they actually got out there and did the footwork to be successful and not want everything handed to them on a silver platter and then brag how they killed this mature buck over bait. thats it Im done I said my piece and I'm going to quit now I'm getting way to fired up about this.

[tealitup]

Those against food plots are assuming the only reason a person would make a food plot is for hunting. There are many other reasons:

1. Create a healthy deer herd with nutrients

2. Available food source during scarce months

3. Attract other non game species

4. Attract other game species

I would also say that our "fore-fathers" hunted near their fields if there was game close by.

[Jameson]

...We have 80 acres with trees in every direction for miles. If I went out and planted a few acres of corn. What would a CO think that was for? Is that legal?...

Yep, legal.

Roofer, might I suggest doing some "forest management" on your property. "Forest management" might include thinning of the trees to allow more sunlight to get to the forest floor, thus allowing more/better deer browse to grow. (If you have shooting lanes cut you have already done this.) Or "forest management" might include hinge-cutting an area of trees to create a very thick area in hopes that the deer will bed in the hinge-cut area. .......nevermind, with the sole purpose of enticing game to the area I guess this would be baiting in your book.

[Roofer]

Tealitup, a feeder can do the same thing if it is replenished. Depending on where you are though, it may need to be replenished daily. We used to put 100 lbs of corn in a feeder every 3-5 days. I really think it helped our local herd. Now if a person was to hunt over it, that would be illegal. If a person hunts over a small food plot, that is legal.......

Thanks for the tips jameson. I didn't need the remark at the end though.

My point is that the rule is flawed.

[UdeLakeTom]

I think this subject has been brought up every year. There are pros and cons to "food plots". All the less, baiting is illegal in MN. If you don't feel right doing the food plots, then don't.

We did one last fall. The deer were on it, but during the season, even the does stayed away. It is not a guarantee. Sometimes one has to do footwork to get back to where the deer go and hide.

The only deer we saw was one being chased by dogs, we decided not to use that stand due to the activity involved. When one of the hunters was leaving a neighboring stand, the deer went right under the stand that we abandoned. He couldn't get a shot off because all he saw were the white flags.

This was 1/2 mile from any food plots.

You still have to be a hunter to get your deer, unless you can get away with baiting and that is why the DNR does not allow baiting.