What's your take on baiting?

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addisonlee
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What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby addisonlee » Fri Nov 11, 2011 2:26 am

Do you bait? If so, why and how?

Discuss.


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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:01 am

Not legal where I hunt, and would not if I could.....
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:26 am

Staring at a bait pile never appealed to me. Back in the early/mid 90's we used to bait with corn in northern WI but I learned to dislike the practice very quickly. Seemed to bring out the slob hunters and I find it a shame there is a whole generation of hunters up there that only know how to hunt over a bait pile.

It's not for me so I haven't done it for 15 years but if you chose to use bait that's your business and as long as it is legal I have no problem with it.

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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:35 am

Grandpa baits as his mobility and tolerance of the cold as he's getting older is becoming more and more limited. I see no shame in feeding the deer in the late season. I move around and stay mobile and hunt the early season and rut and gun season with no bait. In Northern WI the only way to see a late season deer is to feed them. Its really no different than the guys who plant corn and beans and don't harvest them. Or the guys who hunt public land along a corn field that was left standing because it was too wet to harvest.

The only "tactic" we have is to place the bait out in the open and hunt the trails they are using to access the bait. Pretty simple. If you bait back in the cover then I guess sit over the pile. For me its a late season only tactic with limited success.
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Schultzy » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:40 am

Not legal here In Minnesota. I've saw some big buck kill photo's of people shooting some big guys over bait. I could care less myself what anyone uses.
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby BCam » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:48 am

Schultzy wrote:Not legal here In Minnesota. I've saw some big buck kill photo's of people shooting some big guys over bait. I could care less myself what anyone uses.


I agree. could really care less. If its legal then do what you gotta do. I personally do not do it tho.
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Fri Nov 11, 2011 5:03 am

I think if you do a search you will also find quite a bit of discussion and opinions on the subject.
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Fri Nov 11, 2011 5:19 am

Dewey wrote:Staring at a bait pile never appealed to me. Back in the early/mid 90's we used to bait with corn in northern WI but I learned to dislike the practice very quickly. Seemed to bring out the slob hunters and I find it a shame there is a whole generation of hunters up there that only know how to hunt over a bait pile.

It's not for me so I haven't done it for 15 years but if you chose to use bait that's your business and as long as it is legal I have no problem with it.

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I find it a shame there is a whole generazation of hunters that hunt farm country near an un-cut corn field. Or worse yet a whole generzation that is learning to hunt private ground utilizing food plots. Or worse yet, shooting deer from a box blind with a rifle. The nerve some of these hunters have teaching the young hunters how to hunt only utilizing these methods. ;)

Not to single you out Dewey.....as I think you know the real point I was trying to get across.

I bait second season bow on the public and it is the most reliable way to inventory bucks that are left after rifle season and to pin point locations. Baiting may not be for all, but I do it and don't try and hide it one bit or regret saying I do.

There is a lot more to baiting deer than just throwing out a pail of corn and expecting decent deer to walk in. Anybody that baits bear and sees big bears hit their baits during daylight will understand exactly what I'm saying.

I am 100% convinced there is more respectable bear than respectable bucks where I hunt and no shame is cast on a bear baiter.....but baiting for deer is almost taboo in the whitetal community. I don't understand why?
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Kodiakman » Fri Nov 11, 2011 5:41 am

I have not qualms about it. I have in the past up by the cabin but don't anymore. I was getting mixed results and found that if I baited early fall and left it empty for weeks before the gun opener, I found I had better luck. Now I don't bait at all up there and haven't for a few years running now.

It isn't much different that having a food plot or hunting a corn field edge if you think about it. Ethics wise that is. You know where they are coming to eat and you use that to ambush them. Anyone willing to beller about baiting for deer should do the same for bear.

It doesn't bother me if you choose to or not. It's much easier on the wallet not baiting, but I do feed them around our cabin when we go up there for ice fishing and other whatnot. Winter is way tougher on them up there, event though it's only a few hundred miles away. NO farmland anywhere close for them to try to find some leftovers. So I will dump a bunch of corn for them, they hammer it down so it doesn't last long. I don't know if it helps them that much or not but I have to think a good chow dowm meal for them has to be a good thing. Even if it is just one or two feedings.

The only thing I hate is when turkeys find it first. They eat anything and everything and in a hurry up there. They cleaned up two gut piles one year even. Ate it all excpet the scat in the intestines. Almost all of it. It was almost surgical how they left the scat. I got a kick out of watching mice sneak up to any bits that were left and nervously tug on what bits were left. So even they are looking hard for food up there. There just isn't a whole lot of agriculture to support much up there. All wild. They take what they can, and baiting can be effective.
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Nov 11, 2011 5:53 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:
Dewey wrote:Staring at a bait pile never appealed to me. Back in the early/mid 90's we used to bait with corn in northern WI but I learned to dislike the practice very quickly. Seemed to bring out the slob hunters and I find it a shame there is a whole generation of hunters up there that only know how to hunt over a bait pile.

It's not for me so I haven't done it for 15 years but if you chose to use bait that's your business and as long as it is legal I have no problem with it.

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I find it a shame there is a whole generazation of hunters that hunt farm country near an un-cut corn field. Or worse yet a whole generzation that is learning to hunt private ground utilizing food plots. Or worse yet, shooting deer from a box blind with a rifle. The nerve some of these hunters have teaching the young hunters how to hunt only utilizing these methods. ;)

Not to single you out Dewey.....as I think you know the real point I was trying to get across.

I bait second season bow on the public and it is the most reliable way to inventory bucks that are left after rifle season and to pin point locations. Baiting may not be for all, but I do it and don't try and hide it one bit or regret saying I do.

There is a lot more to baiting deer than just throwing out a pail of corn and expecting decent deer to walk in. Anybody that baits bear and sees big bears hit their baits during daylight will understand exactly what I'm saying.

I am 100% convinced there is more respectable bear than respectable bucks where I hunt and no shame is cast on a bear baiter.....but baiting for deer is almost taboo in the whitetal community. I don't understand why?

Guess I struck a nerve Hodag! :shock: Sorry but I stand by what I said. There are too many young hunters who are set up on a bait pile and never taught any woodsmanship skills and to me that is very sad. Like I said if somebody wants to bait I don't have an issue with it if it is legal. If you choose to bait that's fine go ahead and have fun. I tried it and decided it's not for me. The name of this topic is "What's your take on baiting" and I gave my take. Sorry if you didn't like my answer!!
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:23 am

I guess you didn't get the point I was trying to pull off... :? :lol:

Let me try this again....

Do you really think a kid learning to hunt on private land with no other human pressure, tons of pre-set stands and food plots galore is learning great woodsman ship skills? If you do, you and I are in disagreement.

Throwing bait out back and shooting a doe isn't really that hard for the average hunter. For a kid starting out I believe it's a great way to keep the interest level high along with teaching the way of the woods. My son can walk thru the woods (public included) and read sign better than half the yaa hoos that come here for rifle season.....he is 10 and I'm not exaggerating.

You didn't like baiting in the 90's....that's fine, different strokes for different folks. But to say it's a shame that a generation only knows how to hunt over bait is sterotyping a little too much.

Lets imagine baiting is now illegal, all these kids will magically be "better" hunters now? No, they will just go a lot longer between sits of seeing deer and/or killing one. That is what we want to teach our youth? The "hard way" is the only way?

Heck I know quite a few folks up here who bait and don't even see a deer, much less shoot one. Baiting is far from a guarentee.....as I mentioned beforehand there is a slight art to it to be succesfull. Try and and compare it to bear baiting and see the correlations.

In closing, no hard feelings Dewey, I'll do my thing and you do yours.

Just thought of another point......you hunt pretty hard core in the marsh area.....do you think you could teach a 10 or 12 year old to hunt that way? Walking in miles with a stand and sticks, water and muck up to their arm pits, maybe seeing a deer every other sit, much less shooting one. How long do you think a kid will keep at it like you do?
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Brandon » Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:27 am

I agree with Hodog 110% :clap:

I typed a response twice, but keep getting timed out. :x
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Southern Man » Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:47 am

Baiting is legal here. I don't bait but do feed during the winter. It's a great way to inventory what made it through the season and helps them come thru the winter better. During the early season, it's hard to get a deer to look at a cornpile, much less use it. Too much food around. Late season is when the food is scarce and baiting will draw in deer. But, if there's one thing I've learned is mature bucks won't (or very rarely) come into a cornpile during daylight. Not here anyway. They're regulars at night tho. Suprisingly, I would say the majority don't bait. Those I know that do, shoot the first one that walks by and then done. Doesn't matter to me either way. It's legal and there's alot worse things that bring bring out the slob hunters.
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Southern Man » Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:48 am

Brandon wrote:
I typed a response twice, but keep getting timed out. :x



Me too
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Re: What's your take on baiting?

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:52 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:Just thought of another point......you hunt pretty hard core in the marsh area.....do you think you could teach a 10 or 12 year old to hunt that way? Walking in miles with a stand and sticks, water and muck up to their arm pits, maybe seeing a deer every other sit, much less shooting one. How long do you think a kid will keep at it like you do?

Bad example!! :mrgreen: That is the way I was taught to hunt by my dad at a very early age along with many others. Were all diehards!! :lol:

I understood your point the first time. No reason to explain again. Obviously you are a huge fan of baiting and I respect that. Like I said over and over I have no problem with people baiting where it is legal. If that is how you choose to hunt more power to you. I'm sure you are teaching your son good woodsmanship skills and I applaud you for that.

Guess I should have known better to respond on this thread since baiting is a pretty heated topic for both sides. Kinda like the fixed head/ mechanical head discussion. :lol:


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