GMAC to discuss deer/elk baiting in the future.

[huntnphool]

Like I said, the majority of "hunters" that are opposed to bait dont think twice about hunting next to a alfalfa field, water hole ect.

[huntnnw]

What cracks me up is the guy against baiting, but hes the guy with a 338 edge shooting deer at 1000 yards

[csaaphill]

damn

[Seabass]

I too hate the baiting topic because most of the detractors have never had experience with it. Those of us that do it know how much time, effort, and money go into the process. When the season started my partner and I had 1200#'s of corn, 2 giant cedar apple crates (the kind you lift with a forklift) and I don't even know how much alfalfa. It's ALL gone as of yesterday. It all got packed into the woods on our backs, many times after our kids all went to bed and we made the 2 hour drive (one way) to haul it in and drive back home. It is a TON of work and the odds of a mature buck burrying his head in a pile of it during shooting light is slim to none. I honestly have questioned it's effectiveness from time to time.

My kids have all shot does and now bucks over bait but none of them were mature animals and certainly not wall hangers. However I have two and soon to be three little kids that are turning into white tail psycho's because of it. We only get to hunt a certain number of days each year but baiting and trail camera's give us additional days in the woods together. My kids have grown up in a backpack setting baits and checking cameras. They tell there friends about it all the time like it's there version of video gaming. It is unfortunate that we have to have this discussion every year and it even more discouraging that the fight usually starts amongst ourselves.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I don't feel like baiting deer is "fair chase" but I wouldn't try to make it illegal.  I hate seeing all the bait piles around NW Washington during the late archery elk season.  I choose not to do it, but if others want to- i think it's ok.

[Seabass]

Wacoyotehunter-

I am asking this respectfully, have you ever tried baiting a deer or elk?

[WAcoyotehunter]

nah.  My wife puts out hay for the deer and elk and I have sat with her while she waited.  It was fun watching the deer and elk on the hay pile, for sure, but certainly not what I would consider a fair chase.   It's just not my thing- that's all.

I would strongly support bear baiting too, but I don't think that would be my thing either.

[Seabass]

I understand based on what you said why you feel the way you feel. My followup question would be, how many of those animals were mature trophy quality animals?


I 100% agree that it isn't difficult to get deer to show up at a bait site and if JUST killing a deer is your goal then I understand why a person would say that the chase isn't fair. However, for may of us, the goal isn't to simply kill a deer or elk. The goal is to kill an exceptional deer or elk. Typically that means an older mature animal. That is never easy regardless of method and I can promise you if baiting made all of these monsters on trail cameras easy to kill we wouldn't be so excited about seeing one dead.

I personally believe baiting makes an old wise buck even more difficult to kill. Maybe easier to see but getting drawn on a mature animal at the time his senses are at their highest is very challenging and sometimes feels impossible. All animals are at their highest level of alertness when feeding regardless of the source. It is when they are the most vulnerable. I think that level goes up even higher when the source of food is unnatural i.e corn pile in the forest.

I have no opinion on elk because I have had very few ever show up.

I appreciate that you are of the thinking that regardless of your opinion you are in support of free choice.

[deerslyr]

I've heard people say it's unethical to hunt out of a tree stand. So let's make that illegal as well. And while we're at it, I think ground blinds offer an unfair advantqge as well. The deer can't see you while you're in there, and if it rains you don't get wet. That's not fair to the hunters who are doing the real hunting out in the elements!

How about binoculars and spotting scopes? Wow what a huge unfair advantage when you can spot a buck in his bed several miles away when he has no idea your there!

Yep, good point! Optics is next on the list of things to be banned.

Oh, and let's not forget GPS and rangefinders.   

In all honesty optics behind the right user creates a FAR greater advantage to mule deer and elk hunting than bait does for whitetail hunting. Id say 90% of serious hunters couldnt imagine hunting the west with out quality optics. I think its a very fair comparison as well, especially with the quality of optics out there today. Its not uncommon at all for guys to spot bucks or bulls 1,2 or even 3 miles away and move in on them to make a kill. How is that more fair chase than baiting? For the record, I dont even hunt over bait, I get to antsy sitting in the same spot for that long 

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I too hate the baiting topic because most of the detractors have never had experience with it. Those of us that do it know how much time, effort, and money go into the process. When the season started my partner and I had 1200#'s of corn, 2 giant cedar apple crates (the kind you lift with a forklift) and I don't even know how much alfalfa. It's ALL gone as of yesterday. It all got packed into the woods on our backs, many times after our kids all went to bed and we made the 2 hour drive (one way) to haul it in and drive back home. It is a TON of work and the odds of a mature buck burrying his head in a pile of it during shooting light is slim to none. I honestly have questioned it's effectiveness from time to time.

My kids have all shot does and now bucks over bait but none of them were mature animals and certainly not wall hangers. However I have two and soon to be three little kids that are turning into white tail psycho's because of it. We only get to hunt a certain number of days each year but baiting and trail camera's give us additional days in the woods together. My kids have grown up in a backpack setting baits and checking cameras. They tell there friends about it all the time like it's there version of video gaming. It is unfortunate that we have to have this discussion every year and it even more discouraging that the fight usually starts amongst ourselves.

 

My daughter has been carried in a backpack since she was a year old while we go on our summer mineral setting/trail cam trips.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

nah.  My wife puts out hay for the deer and elk and I have sat with her while she waited.  It was fun watching the deer and elk on the hay pile, for sure, but certainly not what I would consider a fair chase.   It's just not my thing- that's all.

I would strongly support bear baiting too, but I don't think that would be my thing either.

Thank you for supporting hunters rights despite the fact they don't mesh with your own personal ideals about what constitutes fair chase.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I'm a hound hunter... I understand the frustration of having a group divided.

[bearpaw]

I have hunted by just about every method there is and I have to admit, I like it all. I am actually more of a still hunter or spot and stalker and my favorite hunting is with my hounds, which Washington outlawed about 15 years ago, but the WDFW and timber comapnies still rely on hounders to catch problem cougar and bear, so the nay sayers didn't eliminate hound hunting, they simply took it away from the average hunter in WA. What still amazes me is that there was a significant number of other hunters who voted for that, now they will never have the opportunity to hound hunt cats and bear or bait bear.

I would say that many of the hunters doing baits are definitely some of the more dedicated hunters, most hunters do not have the dedication to keep a bait properly stocked. For a long time I resisted baiting with my outfitting business due to all the extra work. We catually have nearly as good of luck by hunting alfalfa and grain fields or watching orchards. But I decided that I want my business to appeal to the largest percentage of hunters, I figured I should offer baited hunts, after all that's how half the hunters in some eastern and southern states hunt.

We have baited in WA for a few years now, I have learned that the biggest advantage with baiting is getting people closer shots and having fewer wounded deer escape. Our shot opportunity really hasn't changed much, but we do a lot less shooting for the same number of deer killed and the number of wounded deer escaping is much lower with bait due to closer shot opportunities.

Another important factor is that Deer who get a little grain go into the winter fatter. Now before someone says that grain isn't natural and it's bad for the deer to eat grain please realize that many deer in this state are getting as much grain out of farmers fields as any deer are getting at any bait site.

The biggest problem baitng faces is that so many hunters will say: "I don't bait so I don't agree with it, it should be illegal."

That's exactly the mentality that is causing so many hunting, fishing, trapping and other every day life practices to be outlawed. 

[huntnphool]

Its really a non issue, it was soundly defeated in the meeting...................again!

[popeshawnpaul]

GMAC might discuss it again but it will come out the same every time.  All but a couple vote to advise the WDFW to keep baiting legal.  We just discussed it last year.  I tire of the discussion every year.

It just comes down to worry about yourself.  If you don't find it ethical, then don't do it.  When you try to put your morals and values upon others and force their conduct, the issue arises.  More rules, codes, morals...yeah, that's what we need...