Baiting Isn't as Bad as You Think
Wisconsin
Baiting gets a bad rap but we bait just about every other game be trapping or fishing. If we're going to give baiters a hard time when hunting then maybe we shouldn't use lures and bait for fishing....just a plain hook.
You do not know what I think of baiting. Provocative heading. Do we need more controversy? Think about.
I say if it's legal have at it and people should mind their own business and not worry about how the other guy is doing it.
Hard to find a thread without someone introducing crossbows into the mix! Getting really old...like me!
Well I tried......
I'm starting to wonder if some of these commentators are paid bots.
Baiting is allowed in many states. I don’t dump piles but I do plant food plots. I think the food plot offers wildlife much more than does a pile of bait but I am not against it.
When I dunk a worm in a lake I can't leave it there until the next time I can fish and assume nobody else can fish that spot.
It amazes me how much corn gets sold at gas stations in non baiting counties.
All I will say on this, as I have said it a lot in the past. Baiting is the worst thing that happens out there, for all people trying to hunt. All my years of hunting, the point at which baiting started, started the sharp decline in deer sightings while hunting. the more bait piles in the woods, the less the deer filtered around. I could add much much more to the stupid act of so called hunting, but its not worth it. As with Xguns, the ones who have to use the crutches to kill a deer will spin it to oblivion.
Think what you want but it really isn't the baiting its the feeding . People get to feed all year . Bait doesn't start to the day before . Most of the deer up here now have been raised around the houses . They feed up at the houses and when that's gone they go to the baits in the woods that why there's so much night pictures on bait . The houses now hold the deer so where do you guys think the bucks usually end up .If they were to ban feeding during hunting season it would be a whole different thing plus there would be less cabin shooting . To me that's why more deer got shot on baits in the woods when they started baiting early and deer had a chance to get use to the bait before they hunted it. Now when they hunt right after placing it they kill the spot . But what do i know I only talked to 100's of guys when I had the registration station for many years .
I don't really care if it's legal or not, just wish they'd bait from sept first until end of season if baiting. It does get frustrating if you pattern deer and then first week of November the baits show up and suddenly routes change. When people feed at home they maintain a pattern which is fine by me. Id feed at home if I could for sure. Favorite part of eating dinner at the cabin is watching the deer eat theres at the same time. We run spin feeders there (legal in michigan) year round
Here's a semi trailer full of corn that I drive by twice a day. Corn is $7 a bag when you buy 5 bags or more...
Here's a semi trailer full of corn that I drive by twice a day. Corn is $7 a bag when you buy 5 bags or more...
That's a very poor comparison Tweed. You have to reel up your fish bait when you leave and go home. On public land you shouldn't be able to leave bait out and claim land and deer. If you want to bait on public land you should have to take it home with you when you leave just like when you're fishing.
I live in Polk County and for a few years it was bait free due to finding CWD in neighboring Barron County. A lot of guys complained that they could no longer hunt or didn't have a chance to kill a deer without bait. Meanwhile, I passed up over 20 bucks the last year that bait was illegal. Baiting is legal again now that the law got changed and I think a lot of baiters went gangbusters on it now that they were allowed to have their addiction back. Now many hunters are complaining that there are very few deer and they see very few. Again, meanwhile I have passed up dozens of bucks the last couple years hunting without bait.
I'm not criticizing any baiters but I honestly believe that they are for the most part shooting themselves in the foot and they would see more unalarmed deer moving naturally during daylight hours over larger portions of their habitat if there were not bait piles on nearly every 40 acre parcel. I believe that the resurgence of baiting is one of the biggest factors in hunters not seeing deer during daylight hours. The quickest way to make deer wary, aware of your presence and often nocturnal is by dumping out a bait pile and visiting it on a regular basis (which is required if you bait with the legal amount), not to mention all the human activity associated with checking the trail cameras placed over the bait.
My 60 acres that I live on is sort of a "bait free" sanctuary surrounded by neighbors that all bait. I believe that the deer know it and they are more at ease on my property due to the lack of bait and less human activity. I see deer nearly every time I am on stand on my property and I see numerous bucks during legal shooting hours.
Well played Tweed. We could use a fixed vs mechanical BH thread too.
Use to hunt the UP early bow season, can hunt the deer in natural movement before the gravity boxes of corn were dropped then the pattern change to the negative.
Seen the same when lived in the Central Forrest Zone for 21 yrs, bucks went nocturnal and with CWD on the forefront why do it. Fought against baiting back in the 90s and 2000, still would like to know what happen to the $1 million on the Deer 2000 committee?
Living in Mn. where baiting is illegal and prosecuted and the deer are usually in their natural movement.
When it comes to deer hunting it is anything that makes it easier for the kill, could never understand this mind thought that afflicted in deer hunting.
I don't judge people on whether they bait or not just like I don't judge people on their weapon(s) of choice or what they choose to shoot. I use food plots on my land and don't care what other people think about that.
People hunt for different reasons and people have different amounts of time to put into the hobby. If baiting allows them to see more deer and makes them content, I say do what makes you happy as long as it is legal.
Seriously? Really stoking the fire here with this. Enough said. Think I will start a POSITIVE thread
Tweed is rolling on the ground laughing right now. Lol. For the record, if you want to put out 2 gallons of corn for the coons/squirrels, have at it.
Cheesehead - The one positive CWD deer was in Washburn County.
Many people fish with bare hooks, Rapalas, jigs, spinners, plastics, flies and any other type of artificial lure...not bait.
Hoot, if it was in Washburn County why was baiting banned in Polk? I thought it was only banned in the adjoining counties... but I could be wrong...
Mike - Polk, Burnett and Barron must've been in a ten mile radius of the property where the so-called positive was discovered. Those were the only counties that had a ban. I always thought too any adjoining county was no baiting. I would think Polk County was more than ten miles from where the deer was taken. just outside of Shell Lake.
"Baiting thread isn't as bad as I thought?" its right up there w/ crossbows. I think were all stuck w/ cabin fever
Tweed, Cheesehead definitely countered your argument beautifully! Lol
I know this thread was created for laughter. So I won’t give you a hard time for it!
Not at all. When I chum the water that is my fishing hole from now until my vacation is over.
Baiting.....another govt regulation that does nothing for the sport other then divide hunters. Now that we can not bait in much of the state the legislators are moving to eliminate hunting contests. Next it will be shortening all the season because the animal populations will be so low from all the extended season. Then after that season will be eliminated and then it will be time for weapon elimination. It’s years away but watch it happen.....some of you want regulations but don’t look at what is happening or to the future. Both sides of govt are guilty and neither will take responsibility for their actions. Really side to watch.....
Baiting.....another govt regulation that does nothing for the sport other then divide hunters. Now that we can not bait in much of the state the legislators are moving to eliminate hunting contests. Next it will be shortening all the season because the animal populations will be so low from all the extended season. Then after that season will be eliminated and then it will be time for weapon elimination. It’s years away but watch it happen.....some of you want regulations but don’t look at what is happening or to the future. Both sides of govt are guilty and neither will take responsibility for their actions. Really side to watch.....
If not for the controversial what else would we talk about on here? Kind of boring sitting around agreeing with one another all the time, ain't it? :)
And I forgot the fact that someday a researcher would instill fear of CWD transferring to humans. But fear no more because the University of MN just posted that very info.
Expert, “yes chronic wasting disease is a public health issue.....for people.”
Guaranteed that quote instills fear in thousands of hunters who quit going. The anti’s will win. They are more prepared than any other group as their numbers are growing and ours are decreasing. Continuing to banter against what some hunters use as tools only decreases hunter strength. I’d rather discuss what other agree upon as that is positive and reinforces what we are all here to do....enjoy the outdoors.
my big question is since the "Native Americans" can do it, how long before we can hunt at night as well?
dbl lung, you say: "continuing to banter against what some hunters use as tools only decreases hunter strength"
How about I throw it back at ya...? Maybe the hunters that use it as a tool could admit that it causes problems and disagreements and agree to stop using it and end the banter that divides and weakens us...? Why should the non-baiters have to give up their stance on it? Maybe the baiters should... After all, it is the baiters that are doing something that causes the problem, not the non-baiters and stopping baiting would end the banter and arguments...
And talk about the strength of anti-hunters; ask them what they think about shooting deer over corn piles...
Just had a conversation about dbl lung post with a friend this morning. Smoking was his example, first it was take away smoking while in airplanes . A reasonable request so people even conservatives allowed it, from there it snowballed. Smoking sections in restaurants. To currently basically banned anywhere. Sure we're likely better off this way but it's prime example of how giving up freedom in a way that isn't such a big loss will expand into other freedoms. 30 years from now someone may use hunting as the example instead of smoking. Population controlled by wolves and maybe spay and neuter wild animals like Ann arbor already has been doing with deer.
My thoughts exactly Mike, well said.
northbound, you and your friend might look at it as taking away your "freedom" but again, it's very easy to turn it around. What about my "freedom" to breathe smoke-free air?????
Actually smoking and baiting might be a pretty good analogy. It seems that those who participate in both are more concerned with the short term fix rather than the long term effects and neither seem to care much about how they affect those around them...
btw, I just read where Ann Arbor has discontinued sterilizing deer.
Where are all these people that complain about baiting . 1/2 the state you can't bait so they have no real reason to complain . I have a archery shop and in my front store I sell corn and salt blocks . I have maybe 6 people that are against baiting and I know for a fact that two of them bait . Most of the complaining is about those that shoot at night from the roads and about wolfs . All the rest of the complaining is on here . Most of the complaining in our area is about spearing .
Mike I agree completly that the other side gets shorted. The smoke air is exactly that, some want clean air and some don't. Maybe the government taking away that choice from business owners was easy due to the baby steps along the way? I'm not complaining, just don't think it was right to take away the choice from owners.
I don't like to see people who wear pajama pants and slippers in public while spending EBT money so I keep myself away from Walmart. Just like I could stay out of a smokey establishment if I wanted clean air. I personally get ticked off every year when bait piles show up screwing up what Intel I had prior. But everytime a hunting tool/ option/ whatever we wanna call it gets officially banned we get closer to losing things that we may personally value.
You will get no sympathy from me with the smoking analogy. Smokers/smoking stinks, no reason to spread their stink onto everyone else. That's just part of it that you can smell, it's a vile, disgusting habit.
upnorth, you're right... nobody has ever complained about baiting and there have never been arguments about it on Bowsite or anywhere else. I must be confused... ;^)
northbound, I know of a bar in Polk County, the Kassel Tap that still allows patrons to smoke. I drive by it twice each workday and the parking lot is often full. Lot's of people exercising their right to stink and die. I stopped in their once with some friends who wanted to stop, but never again... Ironically it's almost right across the highway from the store with the semi load of corn.
I also know of a bar in Burnett County, not far from the Government Center that still allows smoking...
When 2nd hand baiting starts causing others cancer, I will surely change my opinion on it.
The smoking thing was just a reference my buddy used. I do prefer a fresh air tavern like most but feel private business owners could have made the decisions on their own without laws being made.
Like is being said in the hunting contest thread, 'stepping stone' I believe was Mike's take on it. I hear it all the time, let's ban this and limit that. I'm guilty of it as well but in long run will these baby steps or stepping stones let a anti hunting stride keep gaining momentum?? Easy to say let's ban everything we personally don't like but to the non hunting type if we bait or not we're still 'hunters' to them.
And very glad to hear of ann arbor giving up on the deer spaying program. That was certainly a idea we don't need picking up any momentum
northbound,,,,, stop at Knot Heads, on 139,,,,, they always have allowed smoking, its a smoking bar,,,,, its south of Whitetail Inn.....
I know guys that have very high quality food plots, in areas where no bait is allowed, and the amount of deer they suck in, is impressive..... them deer like those treats
