Baiting. Whats wrong with it?

[JBob77]

Other than being illegal, that is. I have often wondered this. If a person is doing everything else to the letter of the law, purchasing the proper licenses, ect, why is it still illegal to bait. If the DNR is concerned about controlling the antlerless populations in certain areas, which appears to be the case, considering each of the three counties I could possibly hunt in allow a person to take 8, You would think they would want to make it easier to facilitate that. For instance, I work 12 hour days, and work on Saturdays. I have to take vacation time to be able to hunt. My deer hunting property is about 40 acres w/ 5 acres wooded. This is usually not a big deal, except for years like this one when every farmer within 10 miles has all of their crops off. Between my limited amount of time, and my limited amount of woods, it looks like I will be getting skunked this year. Does this upset me? Not really, because I am doing everything by the book. Would baiting help me? Maybe or maybe not, but it sure couldn't hurt. I don't know if the DNR is afraid that it would cause an excessive amount of deer to be harvested, or if it is just against their moral foundation to allow it. I believe several states allow this, and still have healthy deer populations.

 

[G_Stines]

I have always assumed several things, such as, people may not always use a correct bait, or if they use a bait that came in contact with something it shouldn't have, and now the deer population is sick with... whatever. They probably use baiting to identify poachers. I've seen deer out at the horse licks alot this year tho...

 

[redneckmedic]

Baiting has been proven to harm the hunter more than help it. What it teaches the game is that there is a very reliable source of food, no matter what time of day/night they feed. There for why would any animal of prey choose to feed when the risk element is higher? Especially during gun season in IN when deer go nocturnal from hunting pressure anyhow.

 

[IndyMonkey]

Baiting has been proven to harm the hunter more than help it. What it teaches the game is that there is a very reliable source of food, no matter what time of day/night they feed. There for why would any animal of prey choose to feed when the risk element is higher? Especially during gun season in IN when deer go nocturnal from hunting pressure anyhow.

LOL, you should hunt in some states that allow baiting like Texas and FL.

People that bait dont just throw 100lbs of corn on the ground and hope that the animals just show up.

The problem that most people in Indiana have with it is their own ignorance on the subject. It also would not be as effective here as other states. We have an abundance of grain fields and other food available to the animals unlike some of the souther states. Thats why our deer are the size that they are.

The feeders that I have hunted over run twice a day at a time that is preset on the feeder. They spray out enough corn to give the pigs and deer something to eat, but in no way do they dispense enough to feed a deer for the day.

The sound of the feeder going off is enough to get the pigs to come in.

 

[redneckmedic]

LOL, you should hunt in some states that allow baiting like Texas and FL.

I grew up in Texas little feller, lived there just short of 20 years, so please tell me what you know about Texas whitetail, I am very interested.

The problem that most people in Indiana have with it is their own ignorance

Boy did you nail that one.

 

[IndyMonkey]

So tell me why you dont know how feeders work?

Deer are not coming to a feeder at 2 am if there is not food available.

If a hunter has any common sense just enough food would be dispensed during shooting hours to draw the deer in to feed for an hour or so.

I sure would of thought someone with 20 years of hunting experience in Texas would know that.

 

[tyler34]

because bait gets you 15-20, oh wait this WASN'T about jailbait?

 

[Jack Ryan]

Other than being illegal, that is. I have often wondered this. If a person is doing everything else to the letter of the law, purchasing the proper licenses, ect, why is it still illegal to bait. If the DNR is concerned about controlling the antlerless populations in certain areas, which appears to be the case, considering each of the three counties I could possibly hunt in allow a person to take 8, You would think they would want to make it easier to facilitate that. For instance, I work 12 hour days, and work on Saturdays. I have to take vacation time to be able to hunt. My deer hunting property is about 40 acres w/ 5 acres wooded. This is usually not a big deal, except for years like this one when every farmer within 10 miles has all of their crops off. Between my limited amount of time, and my limited amount of woods, it looks like I will be getting skunked this year. Does this upset me? Not really, because I am doing everything by the book. Would baiting help me? Maybe or maybe not, but it sure couldn't hurt. I don't know if the DNR is afraid that it would cause an excessive amount of deer to be harvested, or if it is just against their moral foundation to allow it. I believe several states allow this, and still have healthy deer populations.

Baiting is only affective when it's cheating.

When every one baits like the states where it's legal then it's not near the game magnet. It's illegal for the same reasons shooting them with a spotlight at night is illegal and any number of other laws. Because it's cheating.

Why is it you think people always move their kill away from the fence to take the picture? Why don't they take their big trophy pics in from of their corn pile or the high fence at the shooting zoos? Why don't they get the whole posse in the picture with them who all helped drive a deer right in front of them so even they could kill one?

It's cheating. They know it.

 

[singlestacksig]

it can spread CWD.

 

[singlesix]

Baiting is only affective when it's cheating.

When every one baits like the states where it's legal then it's not near the game magnet. It's illegal for the same reasons shooting them with a spotlight at night is illegal and any number of other laws. Because it's cheating.

Why is it you think people always move their kill away from the fence to take the picture? Why don't they take their big trophy pics in from of their corn pile or the high fence at the shooting zoos? Why don't they get the whole posse in the picture with them who all helped drive a deer right in front of them so even they could kill one?

It's cheating. They know it.

So setting up a food plot, trail cam, using scent block, scope, ground blind, tree stand, or any other means to get an advantage over the deer isn't cheating?

Maybe I misunderstood your reasoning, but it seems you equate cheating with illegal.

 

[printcraft]

..................
It's cheating. They know it.

This /\.

It's called hunting. If I want easy meat, I'll go to the grocery.


Besides, baiting is not easy and it takes years of practice.

I think once you have baited for about 8 years you become a master baiter.

 

[IndyMonkey]

it can spread CWD.

So can deer having sex.

deer feeding and rehabilitation of deer may increase the spread of the disease once present in the heard.

 

[Ashkelon]

The Ohio/Indiana state line runs right through our farm. I do not bait on my Ohio property even though it is perfectly legal for me to do so. I hunt both the Indiana and the Ohio acreage. I have not noticed appreciable difference in the deer take on my land or that of extended family that has land in Ohio that throw lots of corn down. Seems to me the Deer just eat the heck out of their shelled corn as a snack. We have taken many deer on the Indiana side that are full of corn well after the fields have been picked clean.

I have been tempted to put out a pile or two but then I would feel obligated to hunt specific areas. I like staying mobile and setting up my blinds in different spots throughout the seasons.

I don't care to try baiting. Same as I don't run out and buy every little gadget or new no smell stuff that is supposed to give me an advantage.

 

[Mrmonte]

Why would anyone want to "hunt" deer over bait in the first place? It seems alot like shooting livestock at the feeding trough to the hunter uneducated in baiting. Am I incorrect? I would hardly consider it fair chase for me personally. I hunt for the enjoyment of the hunt, not meat.

 

[Ashkelon]

Many people in the area of our farm use homemade PVC tube feeders and go through an incredible amount of corn in their attempt to habituate deer to specific geographical areas. One neighbor told me he could easily go through 20 lbs a day! I thought he might as well get a couple tame steers and build a feed bunk if he wanted grain fed meat.

 

[christman]

Why would anyone want to "hunt" deer over bait in the first place? It seems alot like shooting livestock at the feeding trough to the hunter uneducated in baiting. Am I incorrect? I would hardly consider it fair chase for me personally. I hunt for the enjoyment of the hunt, not meat.

Does that include sitting in a tree stand all morning?

 

[hornadylnl]

With the jack people are forking over to hunt, is it any wonder why someone wants to get a deer? If a shotgunner buys a firearms tag and a bonus tag, he's out almost $50 right there. Now add in the cost of a gun, ammo, camo, etc, I expect to get a deer to. Fortunately, I don't have to buy tags anymore.

 

[Ashkelon]

With the jack people are forking over to hunt, is it any wonder why someone wants to get a deer? If a shotgunner buys a firearms tag and a bonus tag, he's out almost $50 right there. Now add in the cost of a gun, ammo, camo, etc, I expect to get a deer to. Fortunately, I don't have to buy tags anymore.

Agree. I view it as having bought tags with all the property taxes.

 

[Mrmonte]

Does that include sitting in a tree stand all morning?

I dont understand what your asking me. Are you saying that you think hunting from a tree is the same as baiting?

If so, I disagree. In a tree, your trying to place yourself where you think that deer are going be. Baiting is trying to lure them to where your going to be. I would not hunt that way, nor call it fair chase. That said, I think you should have every right to bait deer on property that you own durring deer season.

 

[JBob77]

I don't think putting down enough feed to keep the deer from foraging on their own would be a good thing. I also understand how it could turn into a whizzing contest between neighboring hunters to see who could put out more corn, ect. I guess I am just discouraged that the only deer I've seen this season were either on the road as I was driving, or moving between the larger woodlots in the area I hunt. Guess I'll pray for the corn to still be up next November, so they might be moving through my small woodlot.