Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Pros and Cons to "Baiting" of deer; those that live and hunt where bait is legal

Bill,

I have more than a clue.....I have facts.

You can verify here.....This is where I buy my supplies.

http://www.cooperseeds.com

The cost of producing 20,000lbs of quality forage with a food plot versus the cost of the same 20,000lbs of Corn.

Duranna/Patriot Clover Plot Costs (1 Acre)

4lbs of Duranna $32
4lbs of Patriot $32
100lbs of Winter Wheat $50
100lbs of Buck Forage Oats $50
50 lbs of Austrian Winter Peas $35
300lbs of 10-10-10 $150
Tractor Rental Weekend $300
Total $650

Corn
Feeder $200
20,000lbs of Corn $3,200
Gas for trips to refill feeder all year $600
Total $4,000

Even with renting a tractor for the weekend it's much cheaper than filling up a feeder all year.......Unless of course you only fill up the feeder when you plan on hunting or just prior....Which I believe is probably the case for most baiters.

Robert

Bruzer, I plant food plots (about 40 acres total) and I use corn feeders, so what does that make me a hunter or a shooter? Often times I don't hunt on either but hunt draws and passage areas, so what does that make me?

Bill

I don't see how hunting over a fertilized food plot that put there for the main purpose to attract deer is any different "BAITING" than using corn.

It can be alot different, especially for a bow hunter. One trick is to put the bait on the ground behind a stump so the deer can't see you get in position. With bait you can do a lot to set up a shot that can't be done with a food plot.

BTW Bruzer nice plots in the pics above.

Obviously we will have to agree to disagree.

I don't see how hunting over a fertilized food plot that put there for the main purpose to attract deer is any different "BAITING" than using corn. And don't give me the nutritional thing excuse, if that was your main purpose then you wouldn't have a nice cozy box stand sitting right on top of it to shoot (not hunt) deer out of.

To state in an earlier post that your a "hunter" because you shoot deer off a food plot put there to attract deer and someone who does the exact same thing but with corn is a "shooter" is one of the most hypocritical things I've heard. That has nothing to do with the nutrition factor, BOTH of the above persons are actually "shooters", they are just using different bait.

Planting food plots here is much different here than in Georgia, much more labor intensive than what you have to do, trust me. If you ever came here and tried it you would understand what I mean and I'm sure your attitude would change slightly. It's very easy to sit in your personal locale and say "oh its not that hard here, so it must be like that in the rest of the country". I can do it because I own my own tractors, plows, grain drills etc. But the average Joe living in the big city working 50 hrs a week and a house full of kids, etc., etc. it just isn't quite that easy.

To end this, believe it or not, I'm not actually a big fan of corn feeders, but if a person stands a chance of holding deer on his property here he better have one or two because every other swingin' joe within the area will have several. Not saying thats right or wrong that's just the way it is.

Good luck to ya',

Bill

Bill,

I have more than a clue.....I have facts.

You can verify here.....This is where I buy my supplies.

http://www.cooperseeds.com

The cost of producing 20,000lbs of quality forage with a food plot versus the cost of the same 20,000lbs of Corn.

Duranna/Patriot Clover Plot Costs (1 Acre)

4lbs of Duranna $32
4lbs of Patriot $32
100lbs of Winter Wheat $50
100lbs of Buck Forage Oats $50
50 lbs of Austrian Winter Peas $35
300lbs of 10-10-10 $150
Tractor Rental Weekend $300
Total $650

Corn
Feeder $200
20,000lbs of Corn $3,200
Gas for trips to refill feeder all year $600
Total $4,000

Even with renting a tractor for the weekend it's much cheaper than filling up a feeder all year.......Unless of course you only fill up the feeder when you plan on hunting or just prior....Which I believe is probably the case for most baiters.

Robert

Funny you should mention that. One of the best ways to hunt a corn feeder here, if you want to kill a mature buck, is too hunt 200-300 yds away from the feeder on a main trail or draw/canyon the deer use going to the feeder. The reason is mature bucks usually avoid permanently placed corn feeders like the plague except at night. Sure young bucks and most does will stroll right up to a feeder, but your big mature deer will hang back well out of sight of the feeder. I have seen this several times and have taken some of my best bucks that way.

Even if their is a hot doe at the feeder I have personally witnessed a buck come out the brush chase her away from the feeder and out of sight of the feeder. He usually running the whole time until he is out of site of the feeder. If he can he will keep her blocked away from ever going to the feeder.

BTW on our place our tripods or stands are placed 130-175 yds away from, but in sight of the feeder. Many of our deer are killed a hundred or more yds away from the feeder, even the complete opposite direction in the stand from where the feeder is. We in fact discourage shooting deer right next to or under the feeder unless it is a kid hunting with us, because it offers them a clear broadside shot at an animal standing still. Less chance of them making a gut shot etc. due to their inexperience and excitement.

So if we kill a deer 200 yds away from the feeder that wasn't even coming directly to the feeder, does that still make us "shooters" because their was a feeder in that general area? Be honest now, how is that any different than you "shooting" a deer that was 160 yds from you "food plot"?

Bill

Huntz,

If you look at the link I posted you can go online see the prices we pay.

www.coopersseed.com

As far as the tractor we used to rent them with attachments for $300 a weekend or use our 4 wheelers. Now we give a free membership in exchange for doing the tractor work.



This is my 4 wheeler set up, 900lb Tuffline Harrows,Electric Spreader and Chain Drag....The one overseeing the operation is my youngest.:)



Robert

You have to tell me where you are getting seed at that price????Up here in Northern Wi. Red Dyno Clover is $13.50 a Lb ,20 lbs per acre,a 50 lb sack of Rye seed is $35.00, Lime 10.50 per 40 Lbs X 2,000lbs an acre you dont even want to know how much Biologic is.We havent even discussed My Tractor$25,000,Fuel, cost of used disk$2,500.00 ,used seed drill $5,000 and I have not even brought up how most seed and fertilizer has doubled in cost since last year.Take a guess at what 2 acres of alfafa cost to plant.Much cheaper to bait.