This is a touchy subject but I must chime in. Here in deep S.Texas I use feeders because of one main reason. Not bashing anyone, but try to comprehend. We can't go 'pussyfooting' from one tree (or woodlot) to the next looking for game. Just try stalking thru thousands of acres of dense, thorn and cactus infested brush and you'll understand. Set up on a 'trail' and wait for Mr.Horns? Forget it. Why? Well, there are thousands of trails-is it a wild hog trail,a javelina trail or simply a cow trail. Sure, you can look for tracks but one deer print doesn't make it a deer highway;in fact, hogs seem to cover every square inch of land so they obliterate everything. Sure, I would like a food plot but a John Deere tractor is just not in my budget. Kix
As I said. Baiting makes it easier to kill deer.....Regardless of how it's rationalized.....We end up at the same place.
BTW: Before I had access to a tractor I put in food plots with a hand tiller and lawn spreader. I also walked around carrying bags of 10-10-10 and fertilized green briar,honeysuckle,Oaks and Muscadine Vines....It works. Granted it's much harder than going out and pouring a pile of Corn and setting up to "Hunt"..... but baiting is not legal here......?Thank goodness.
Robert
Not legal maybe, but that is EXACTLY what your doing legally. You can paint it however you want. But you are doing NOTHING different and something that is TEN times better "bait" than any corn feeder.
I've hunted both types of "bait" many times my whole life, I'll take a oat, wheat, bean, or "deer magic food plot" over a corn feeder ANY DAY!!!!!! MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more likely to take a mature deer over a food plot any day.
Bill
Bill,
In the interest of healthy discussion.......Everyone I know who hunts over Bait throws out the "Food Plots are Bait" "Oak Trees are Bait" "Green Briars are Bait" . You can of course even go as far as stating that hunting where a Hot Doe is located would be considered baiting....etc.....
This is where the distinction lies for me......
Is it normal to find Agriculture in Deer habitat?YES
Is a food plot,Fertlized Oak Tree,Green Briar or Honeysuckle beneficial to the deer and other wildlife?YES
Are These things available year round? YES
Are these things Healthy for the Wildlife?YES
Is Corn poured from a bag or thrown from a feeder intended to benefit the deer herd and other wildlife? NO, in fact most baiters I know complain of Coons,Squirrels,Hogs etc...Eating THEIR DEER CORN.
Is Corn more economical for a year round supplemental feed?NO, In fact in order to supply the same 20,000lbs of forage grown in a 1acre food plot for $500.00 you would need to spend almost $5,000 for Corn. So the only advantage to Corn is buying a little during hunting season for the purpose of drawing in deer to shoot....Not Hunt.
Are the timers on feeders set to go off at dark or at daylight for the purpose of killing deer near the feeder? Daylight
Are the benefits of Corn equal to Food Plots or even fertilized native browse? NO, Corn contains less than 8% protein while native browse averages 11% and a quality Clover plot can exceed 20%.
Will deer walk through a food plot to get to a pile of Corn? Yes, I've seen this first hand during the Summer here in Georgia in my back yard. I can set up my camera in the food plot and get 10 pics a week and then pour out a bag of corn and get 300 in 2 nights.
Who is behind legalizing Corn Baiting in most cases? The Insurance Industry.
Why? In order to decrease the number of deer and therefore decrease the number of vehicle collisions with deer.
Bottom Line. If you want to Bait and it's legal where you are located then so be it. Just don't try to compare it with food plots or fertilizing native browse.....And call it what it is.....Population Control.....Not Hunting.
Robert
