What's your take on baiting?

[Dewey]

My take on baiting is if it is legal and you are following the rules I don't have a problem with the practice at all. My first post stirred a few people up and that is understandable because the way I projected it. By saying that baiting brings out slob hunters and a whole generation of hunters that only know how to bait was wrong. This comment was made more out of frustration because of what our group had to deal with over the years in the northwoods of WI. We saw a total lack of sportsmanship going on up there due to baiting and it was pretty sickening from the mid-90's to early 2000's. People were claiming large acreages on public land were their spots, using excessively large amounts of bait, hunting after hours and on and on. The year the DNR banned baiting was the best year we ever had for deer sightings. It was unbelievable!! Since that time baiting is considerably less and all of the problems seem to have disappeared.

We choose not to bait but that does not mean that our method is better. It is just our preference and both methods will kill deer.

BackWoods is correct that it is ridiculous to argue about this. What we need to do is police ourselves and turn in these "hunters" that are violating the rules and giving the rest of the honest hunters a bad name.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[BigHunt]

We choose not to bait but that does not mean that our method is better. It is just our preference and both methods will kill deer.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

agreed 100 %

[muddy]

Not legal here so it's pretty taboo to me.

Then again I have no problem hunting over standing beans, corn, or acorns.

Having never baited before, even if I moved to a state where it was legal, I'm not sure I'd do it.

[adrenalin]

I base my opinons and views on what I see. Kind of like the law of averages or statistics. Last gun season hunting in Forest county Wi I walked alot of miles mid week. I came acrossed over 30 bait sights on public land. Heres what I found:
Unoccupied treestands over 90% of them
screw in steps
all within 200 yards of a trail
most with 4 wheeler tracks on the trail
garbage left in ground blinds by bait piles
ribbons and thumb tack galore
Excessive amounts of bait
Not one was what I consider legal or respectful of other hunters on public land. If a guy can't form an opinon about bait hunting by these findings what else does it take. I know most other guys who find bait sights are finding similar occurances. I believe that the guys on here are respectfull of the land and other hunter, but if a guy can't use the word majority to discribe something when that's what you see the majority of the time, how would you describe it??? Hence, my take on baiting...

[BackWoodsHunter]

I'm on a role...I'm in rut

In all seriousness this relates back to a previous thread, I don't remember the title but it was a discussion on hunters vs poachers/violators etc. I'm not saying everyone who leaves a slim jim wrapper in the woods on public land is a thief or poacher BUT the people you guys are observing breaking the laws (over baiting, hang on stands over night, screw in steps, shooting lanes pruned up, littering, atv's on public lands, did I miss any?) are not hunters in my eyes and they shouldn't be in yours either. Sure if a hunter is defined by a guy with a gun and a valid license they are hunters but honestly I don't consider like to compare those people to myself. They are not hunters in my eyes they are users and violators, BIG DIFFERENCE. Just my $.03 for the day (I gave a little extra today )

[adrenalin]

I'm on a role...I'm in rut

In all seriousness this relates back to a previous thread, I don't remember the title but it was a discussion on hunters vs poachers/violators etc. I'm not saying everyone who leaves a slim jim wrapper in the woods on public land is a thief or poacher BUT the people you guys are observing breaking the laws (over baiting, hang on stands over night, screw in steps, shooting lanes pruned up, littering, atv's on public lands, did I miss any?) are not hunters in my eyes and they shouldn't be in yours either. Sure if a hunter is defined by a guy with a gun and a valid license they are hunters but honestly I don't consider like to compare those people to myself. They are not hunters in my eyes they are users and violators, BIG DIFFERENCE. Just my $.03 for the day (I gave a little extra today )

Like I said, Not talking about the guys on here, You or Hodag.... I'm assuming you guys are different, but I personally haven't seen anything different in the wood myself.

[BackWoodsHunter]

I'm on a role...I'm in rut

In all seriousness this relates back to a previous thread, I don't remember the title but it was a discussion on hunters vs poachers/violators etc. I'm not saying everyone who leaves a slim jim wrapper in the woods on public land is a thief or poacher BUT the people you guys are observing breaking the laws (over baiting, hang on stands over night, screw in steps, shooting lanes pruned up, littering, atv's on public lands, did I miss any?) are not hunters in my eyes and they shouldn't be in yours either. Sure if a hunter is defined by a guy with a gun and a valid license they are hunters but honestly I don't consider like to compare those people to myself. They are not hunters in my eyes they are users and violators, BIG DIFFERENCE. Just my $.03 for the day (I gave a little extra today )

Like I said, Not talking about the guys on here, You or Hodag.... I'm assuming you guys are different, but I personally haven't seen anything different in the wood myself.

Right I get that but you're hurting all of us even acknowledging them as hunters...they aren't hunters they are violators, wildlife thieves and land destroyers.

[swamp-assassin]

Wow so many different views on this its incredible really that it stayed so calm. Beasts are a respectable group!

I think its interesting to make a claim against the skills of a bait hunter and a generation as a whole. Maybe laziness is to blame for lack of woodsmanship not the baiting epidemic? If I am no woodsman because I spent 3 of the last 6yrs hunting over bait then neither are any farm country kids sitting in a box blind over a corn field. The farmers who leave one pass of standing corn in the field for deer season. Poor hunters. The food plotters who plant a crop that is tasty when the frost hits-just in time for gun season? They are great hobby farmers but must be poor hunters. Sure corn draws deer into a specific spot to get them feeding but here's a tip. Scatter it out like chicken feed. They work hard, they aren't in a central spot and they know they have to compete for every kernel so they focus more on each other than potential danger. But what would I know I'm a silly bait hunter? I am gravitating away from hunting bait but don't be fooled its my favorite late season tactic. I hunt Oneida County west and south of Rhinelander area. Hunting around Christmas with highs of -5 degrees over a corn pile is definitely hunting I can promise you that. When you get up 16ft and are rocking in the wind I bet its colder than -5. I think that makes me MORE of a hunter than the guys who hang it up and sit around the fire place inside. But whatever, I'm a silly bait hunter. Deer are slaves to their stomachs and baiting is a great technique. Where we hunt a 2.5yr old buck is a rare occurence and a true shooter. Last year we would drop bait midday and cameras were showing bucks on the corn within 45 mins of the truck leaving the picture screen. So now I see these pictures. I study the tracks in the snow. I back track them and play the wind to set up on the proper access trail. But I'm not woodsman just a bait hunter. I read the tracks, studied the tracks, played the wind and chose my stand accordingly. But the kid who sits in a box blind over a marsh where the deer run for cover when the vietnam war zone fires up on opening day is a successful hunter and woodsman? Gimme a break!

I just find this frustrating that there can be such a debate amongst a small community such as hunters. We are losing hunters all the time and have anti's against us and we are going to bicker about who is "more" of a hunter or what is "more" of a hunting tactic than another? Come on now guys. I think it's foolish. I hate to be the guy to say this but I'm gonna. Ever since this "beast style" has been the new hot thing its all guys talk about on here. Guys who don't hunt it pretend too, guys who have tried it are qouting Dan and preaching like its their own freakin tactic and they perfected it, and the guys who do it regularly are still not entirely successful. It's too the point where if I shoot a deer over bait, or in a funnel or on a field edge I don't want to post it because I'm not as "hardcore" as the next guy. Its kind of a shame honestly. I love Dan's tactics, videos and the Infalts as a whole (maybe not love that's weird) but anyways that is what HE needs to do to get it done where HE hunts. Some of us hunt there some of us don't. Quite honestly hunting beds isn't successful everywhere you go. The day I see a guy on here CONTINUALLY knocking down BIGWOODS BUCKS on their beds, is the day I will put down my late season bait bucket. Sorry for going all whacko and typing too much but its asinine that we are a small group of people and are going to debate who's tactic is right and who's is wrong.

Relax backwoods...nobody said anything about baiting being evil or anything...i just said that around HERE ...baiting is typically done by people who hunt the same stand sitting over a cornpile and a trailcam over and over and expect different results...i know plenty of them...from what you described of how you hunt, it sounds like a successfull tactic..my issue was not that it baiting is for "poor hunters:" but that around here, the way people do it is unsuccessful and actually a reason why the are NOT successful...im familar with the bigwoods of the north and can see baiting being a good technique late season when food is key..but around here..its just what people do because thats what "your supposed to do" they never shoot big bucks that come into their bait...oh sure they might knock down a nice buck following a doe into the bait but thats NOT because of the bait..if that doe was moving through the area anyway and just stopped to take the bait, why have the freaking bait there in the first place???

[goldtip5575]

Straight bait piles vs food plots or standing corn/beans is totally different.Most that plant plots or leave corn and beans standing are doing so as a segment of total land management.Most have planted trees,native grasses,etc....to make there land what it is.Basicly they are providing more than a meal to lure a deer during deer season.Please try to see the difference between land manangement and corn dumping.I f you dont have your own property to do land management and baiting is legal have at it.

[UntouchableNess]

Not legal here so it's pretty taboo to me.

Then again I have no problem hunting over standing beans, corn, or acorns.

Having never baited before, even if I moved to a state where it was legal, I'm not sure I'd do it.

Hunting over bait is illegal here. Nothing in the current law says you can't have a bait pile or mineral lick. Still made me feel dirty so I stopped running a mineral lick.

I don't have a problem hunting over ag fields, uneasy about food plots.

Along the same lines, I was raised that spot lighting=poaching. Even though it is legal (as long as there are no weapons in the car), I still feel weird accompanying people who do it. I won't do it myself.

[Hodag Hunter]

Looks like I missed all the fun the last few hours.

I agree with a lot of what backwoods wrote.....Dewey seems like a standup guy, he took back a statement he made earlier and that's cool with me and shows pretty good character on his part.

For the guys that think you can't shoot a respectable buck over bait? Head over to Ontario or Saskatchewan......the real big woods and tell those boys how to hunt.

I use bait as a tool, one of a few in my bag of tricks.....wish I had more tools in the trick bag, Baiting is not a cure all or a detriment when utilized correctly.

The one sentance I read from backwoods post and loved was along the lines of; show me a guy that consistantly kills a 3.5 or older buck every year during bow season on Nrthrn WI public and then you found a die hard hunter.

I'm sure somewhere there is such a guy.....I personally knew a few who were close and now quit hunting the North becasue it has changed so much in the last 20 years. It isn't bait that has changed the northwoods, it's predators, paperland that is being privitzed, way to many doe tags years past and horded deer on the private ground. The baiting was here long before the internet was and was thrown out in larger quantities than it is today. Bid deer where shot with more consistancy then vs in todays age.

One poster said he found 30 bait piles last gun season......if you found that many piles that tells me the bait is in the "wrong" location and/or (more than likely) lthere isn't even a decent enough population of deer to eat 2 gallons of corn from a pile that was left days ago.

In closing.....think I'm going fishing. Just got a text from a buddy a state over with a bona fide 50 plus pounder. 2nd bow season is only a few weeks away..............

[DEERSLAYER]

Swamp-assassin, you would be amazed at how many mature bucks are killed over bait. Early season, mid-season, rut, gun, late season it don't matter. Most of the time I get looked at funny, in my neck of the woods, when I say I don't bait. Many around here put more time into baiting then they do actually hunting. Many of them are guys who don't have the time or that much interest to be in woods bow hunting every minute they can. They do other things until a buck shows up on camera at their bait and then they go hunt.

i would be amazed...i know of alot of the people that you are describing but i dont know any of them that ever take a respectable buck. seems like all the human scent involved in baiting and checking cameras would mean nocturnal deer.

There are mature deer that are shot on bait, but most of the time it is does and yearling bucks. Combine the high hunter numbers of Michigan with baiting and you get almost every yearling killed in most area's which means almost no mature bucks. Almost none of the few that survive make it past 2 1/2.

I base my opinons and views on what I see. Kind of like the law of averages or statistics. Last gun season hunting in Forest county Wi I walked alot of miles mid week. I came acrossed over 30 bait sights on public land. Heres what I found:
Unoccupied treestands over 90% of them
screw in steps
all within 200 yards of a trail
most with 4 wheeler tracks on the trail
garbage left in ground blinds by bait piles
ribbons and thumb tack galore
Excessive amounts of bait
Not one was what I consider legal or respectful of other hunters on public land. If a guy can't form an opinon about bait hunting by these findings what else does it take. I know most other guys who find bait sights are finding similar occurrences. I believe that the guys on here are respectfull of the land and other hunter, but if a guy can't use the word majority to discribe something when that's what you see the majority of the time, how would you describe it??? Hence, my take on baiting...

There are of course many respectable people that bait, but your findings seem to be the predominate situation I come across here on Michigan public land.

I'm on a role...I'm in rut

In all seriousness this relates back to a previous thread, I don't remember the title but it was a discussion on hunters vs poachers/violators etc. I'm not saying everyone who leaves a slim jim wrapper in the woods on public land is a thief or poacher BUT the people you guys are observing breaking the laws (over baiting, hang on stands over night, screw in steps, shooting lanes pruned up, littering, atv's on public lands, did I miss any?) are not hunters in my eyes and they shouldn't be in yours either. Sure if a hunter is defined by a guy with a gun and a valid license they are hunters but honestly I don't consider like to compare those people to myself. They are not hunters in my eyes they are users and violators, BIG DIFFERENCE. Just my $.03 for the day (I gave a little extra today )

Regardless of how you view them they are there doing it and killing deer.

Also, I have unfortunately noticed a HUGE increase in the number of slob hunters when baiting became popular. In some places (many) it may not be a problem, but in Michigan it is a problem. Especially if you want a somewhat balanced buck age structure.

[Uncle Lou]

I am glad they brought it back in MI. I am not much into myself, but am glad for the people who only go up north once a year, pick up a load of sugar beets carrots or corn, go drop it in the woods and set over it for the weekend and enjoy the outdoors.

I couldn't imagine if all 700,00 + hunters in MI hunted hardcore, or BEAST style or Benoit style, etc... No more than I could imagine if some state DNR could magically pass some regulations that help all these hunters kill mature bucks.

[dan]

I don't bait... But I support baiting. I think we should not try and ban certain things because we don't personally do them. I shine deer and find it a great tool for scouting and loved to take the kids and wife out shining just for family fun, but there are a lot of people trying to ban that away from me and others... The worst part is the people trying to ban it from me call themselves hunters.
So I understand where baiters are coming from... I know some guys who used to do really well baiting and shot some large bucks, but now with the new laws in Wisconsin they might as well of just outlawed it. 2 gallons is not enough to bait effectivly without getting human scent around the bait daily... There is some skill in baiting effectivly. If its put on the edge of a staging area in a large amount and broadcast rather than in a pile and left alone for 2 weeks before its hunted over, well I know thats deadly... Just not my cup of tea.
I prefer to learn the deers bedding areas, learn his habits, learn the woods, and take my bucks by outsmarting them on there own terms, in there house... No manipulting. Well, maybe a little as Hodag would likely point out with food plots and such... But you get the idea.
I think the true issue is some people worry to much about whether other people are shooting more or bigger bucks. Who cares? Worry about your self, and your own ethics, and we will all live a little more in peace. Its not supposed to be a compitition.

[Zap]

The reality is that it is a competition to most folks..

Not just about bigger, but about how you got it done also.

Public vs private...
Bait vs no bait..
Bow vs gun....
Rut vs non rut/early season..
Food plot vs cut corn field...
Trail cam vs no cam...

The list could be longer...

I figure if you scout for yourself and set your own sets..it really is all the same...no method is a sure thing at all.
And it aint easy to get a big one in range.
Bow does shorten the range for sure.