What is your opinion on deer baiting?

[GirlGuide]

What is your opinion on deer baiting?  Do you think it should be legal?  Would it matter to you if the laws changed?  Or would you like them to stay the same?  This subject may cause some controversey and that is not what I am trying to do, I would just like to see what everyone else thinks.  I know in Wisconsin that deer baiting is legal during the hunting season, that amazes me..I only found this out recently..my husband was telling me about a guy at work that feeds his deer during hunting season, my husband made some comment about it and the guys said "well, you bait your hook when you are fishing dont' ya?"....hhhmmmm very interesting...What do you all think?  And please remember, everyone has their own right to their own opinion.  What do you would change if it became legal in Minnesota, and would it be a good thing or a bad thing?  I'm just curious to see and learn all the benefits or the downfalls of this.  Thanks for your opinions....gg

[Mayfly]

Here is one thought on the subject. No matter what you do or use you still only have one license and one tag to fill depending in the area.

Another thought I have on this...Talk to the majority of people who feed the deer and I bet they agree with me. I have two feeder locations in my yard. One is tucked back in the woods and one is out in a field. If I had a stand over these feeders (bait) and I sat there from morning until dark I would have the chance at shooting does and small bucks (on a good day) and that is that. Either way I still have a great chance at shooting a similar deer in the woods.  What i'm saying that just like bear hunting deer are not dumb. At least the big ones that we want are not dumb.

[tripnchip]

 Just my thoughts GG, the idea of baiting deer stinks, heck I don't even like the idea of all these feeders out there. Nope we don't need any law changes, don't need to start counting points,earning a buck,aging the deer, or any of this other crazy stuff that has been drempt up the last couple years.

[GirlGuide]

I love to see all the different opinions and everybody's different reasons for having them!  Thanks Mayfly and Pops...two totally different opinions, but both with their own reasons behind what they believe in.  Let's hear some more, I find this subject very interesting.  Hearing other opinions doesn't mean you have to change yours or even argue your point, we all might just learn something by hearing everyone else out. We are never too old to learn new things.  Thanks again guys!  gg

[Grute Man]

OK here goes.  Geesh you're back for one day and stirrin the pot.     OK I see all 3 points (that's including your hubbies work buddie's point.)  We do bait for many animals such as fish and bear.  Then there's the idea that you only have a certain number of tags so what does it matter how you fill them.  The DNR says you can have five deer, then I'll harvest 5 deer (just leave me alone to do it my way.)  And then I see yet another point -- what's the main idea/goal.  Are we doing this just to do it?  Is this for survival?  Well not for me.  I persoanlly do it for the challenge.  Thems some sneeky critters and to beat them at their own game in their back yard is quite the trick (for some of us anyway   ::hittingself:: ) 

But in the spirit of stirring up trouble, I'll add yet another point of view.  What about management hunts?  The cities/counties/some entity needs a certain amount of deer taken out of a certain area.  The hope hunters can do it because other ideas haven't worked like birth control and such.  So they tell the hunters they can take all these deer but the hunter still has to obide by all the regular laws.  The hunters do their best but can only get so many within the law.  Well, here's the ugly question and I don't stand by it but I've heard it asked many times:  if you want the deer out of there so badly, why don't we bait and spot light em to take care of it.  This type of thing isn't about the challenge of the hunt, its land management.  Im not saying Im for this type of activity and actually I don't think I could do that.  Im just saying, there are times when the DNR could use something like that as a tool to accomplish a specific job.

If this were a poll, I'd vote on the challenge of the hunt so don't nobody get me wrong.  I truly enjoy the challenge but I listen to it all.

Grute

[kenhuntin]

 I think Baiting is for lazy people that don't like to venture out of their yards that also could care less about spreading disease amongst the herd. Part of the reason it is hard to find a good buck at a feeder is that as soon as they show up they are killed off. It happens too often. Those that bait year round deter the animals from a natural routine. On the other hand too many deer in an area that cannot support them in a bad winter should be taken in any matter possible. I stand 95% against baiting

[GirlGuide]

oooh....SO many good points..I dont even know where to begin...so I wont..for now...Let's hear some more...gg

[Spinach]

Personally I am against feeding and baiting wild Deer for quite a few reasons:

Feeding or baiting wild Deer increases the spread of many diseases, most people only think of CWD when they hear the word disease and Deer in the same sentence, but there are many more diseases that most dont give a second thought too, Salmonella, Tuburculosis and a couple of others that I cant think of are deadly to other deer and passed to one another through saliva and nose to nose contact.

Feeding wild Deer also makes them more vulnerable to predators, the more deer in a given area means more predators waiting for an easy meal.

Most people tend to only feed wild Deer for a short amount of time (hunting season) which makes them more vulnerable to relying on your food, in the winter Deer do not need a lot of food to survive, cover from high snowfalls, storms and mother nature is generally all any Deer need in the winter months. If you are going to feed deer at all, at least feed them through the entire winter. Being that deer do not need to eat very often in the winter months, they will end up wasting too much energy going from there bedding areas to eating areas, there are plenty of things for them to eat when necessary without having to travel to a feeder.

Lastly, how many Deer cams have you ever watched and saw Racoons or Skunks at the feeders? Racoons and Skunks carry rabies which can be easily transmitted to our wild Deer.

For me, there are just too many negatives on this subject and very few positives, sure we get to see more deer in our yards and feel better because we think we are helping them survive, but all we are doing is hurting them in most situations.

For those of you that disagree, I am definitely not here to stop anyone from feeding, just have an open mind to this debate and maybe a few will change there opinions.

[schwinger]

I don't agree with baiting either. If you want a feeder in your yard  so you can watch the deer I can understand that, but I agree with Spinach it doesn't help the deer it likely will only hurt them in the long run. For hunting purposes it is and should be illegal. For the record this will be my 15th year deer hunting and I have only bagged 3 deer. I guess I just think there is more to hunting than killing animals and finding an easier way to do so. It is about enjoying nature, friends and being able to go into the woods with a gun/bow and not much more and outsmart the animal (clearly I have not mastered the last part yet).  I enjoy the simplicity of it, because of that I don't try to buy the latest and greatest gadget or set a dinner table for the deer to entice them.

[thunderpout]

Grute man touched on it...if youre baiting, youre not hunting, end of story.  Period.  If you bait, and even if ya hunt over food plots, (in my opinion) youre Harvesting....Hunting is using the knowledge you have learned and what others have given you about hunting to take an animal using "fair play".... Thats the respect a "hunter" should have for his/her quarry.  I see where harvesting is a tool for controling populations of a species, or helping handicaped or needy people in harvesting a deer for venison and such, but to me baiting deer is like shooting a pointed grouse or pheasant on the ground, or snagging trout in a stream with a treble hook....             -thunderpout 8)

[Spinach]

I added a poll at the top of this thread.

[T.R. Michels]

I think we've strayed troo far, way too far, from the essence of hunting.

It should not be about killing, anything, it should be about the experience, the work and fudn that goes into scoutiing to get to know the lay of the land, and the patterns and behavior of the animals. 

It should be about trying to figure out where to set up, to se the deer you hope to see. so you get a chance ...

It should be about learning more about the animals, and how they act/interact with their environment.

Too much emphasis is put on 'success'. So many hunters look for every 'edge' they can get - too much new-fangled gear and technology, how is that "fair chase"?

Try going "one on one" with a 4+ year old buck, on a level playing field, mano e mano, you and a weapon, and a buck and his habitat, if you really want to experience satisfaction ...

Read "What is a deer stand"

God bless,

T.R.

[Spinach]

This topic has been read 80 times in 2 days now and only 11 people have voted in the poll and only 7 or 8 members have posted there opinions.

Lets hear from the rest of you please!  ::

[JohnWester]

i hunt for food. period.  i want three deer in my freezer cut up and packaged.  that will get me through until next year.  does, bucks, whatever.  I hunt for meat.  My family likes it.

Now, do I also enjoy being out in the great outdoors?  you betcha.  I love it. 

so bash away, I am ready.

[thunderpout]

Hey, nothing wrong with the if its brown its down mentality....why would any one hunt somthing they dont like to eat?  Thats the bottom line isnt it?  Im sorry to say I know some people that dont...they give away 98% of the ducks and geese they take.  That to me is wrong... John, thats great that is why you hunt, but I'll bet you like the hunt part as much as eating venison, (like me) and I also bet you dont hunt/dont need to hunt deer over a Moultry deer/turkey feeder to put venison in your freezer, like we see em in Texas on the tube on VS./OLN etc......     -thunderpout 8)

[thunderpout]

Also, when I said, if your hunting over food plots, your not hunting, youre harvesting...notice I didnt say I thought it was wrong to harvest, I just said it isnt hunting.... I just think theres a BIG difference between being a hunter, and someone who just likes to shoot and kill stuff....    -thunderpout 8)

[JohnWester]

and I also bet you dont hunt/dont need to hunt deer over a Moultry deer/turkey feeder to put venison in your freezer, like we see em in Texas on the tube on VS./OLN etc......     

true that :gunsmilie: