Baiting Deer

[Kent Hunter]

Okay. I don't bait or hunt over bait to speak of. But that being said, as part of my dad passing knowledge down to me when he first started taking me hunting (45 years ago). He pointed out and showed me the different plants and shrubs that mule deer like to eat especially in the later season. It was back when you could hunt all the way into November.
 That being said, when we would find an area way back in, (we always did drop camps with Claude Miller) that had a bunch of those short bushes that had leaves that looked like Aspen tree leaves, we would sit and watch those areas alot. I think you guys know what vegetation I'm talking about. The leaves turned yellow that time of year and the deer just loved them. We shot alot of deer in those areas. I know that isn't a food plot or baiting but it was JUST like a food plot. They loved eating that stuff more than anything else. Over the years I've found wild apple trees while I was out hunting and have stayed and watched those tress and the apples on the ground for hours. Shot more than a deer or two while doing that also. Should I have left and just kept still hunting because it was like having a bait site around those apple trees?
 The bottom line is that it is not illeagle to bait deer in this state. It's not my cup of tea but if it's someone elses than by all means go for it.

[deaddog]

Robo-dad,you said it ALL....I think alot of anti-hunting peaple would go neutral if they new we ALL hunted "fair chase", like I said before just cause it's legal doesn't make it right. Baiting falls right into the category of canned hunts,high-fence etc. and only leads to the demise of ALL hunting sooner or later.

If you think that , you dont know the enemy at all. You guys might want to realy bone up on what these kind of issues are realy about. Between pita,the other anti-hunting groups and guys that spew this kind of mindless crap about, if I dont do it none should, we will lose our hunting one step at a time, crap, I cant even take my dog to shoot yotes anymore. Mark my words, keep it up and eventually, all we will have left is high fence hunts over bait and you will pay out your ass for that privilege.

[300UltraMagShooter]

There is not one point here that is factual.  I couldn't disagree more.   

Habitat distruction?  Look at all the the whitetail habitat and tell me that that is hurting them.  There in EVERY yard back east and in pretty much in every town. 

Predators = zero cwd.  No freaking way.  That is so silly.  So predators now stop bugs from biting deer? 

Divide and conquer is the ONLY way they are going to beat us and looking at this thread doesn't give me high hopes. 

Come on guys, you are really willing to take away someone elses rights just because it is not how you view "hunting"? 

 

the anti folks are bad news no doubt,,, but imo the REAL enemy is habitat destruction. with the money put up by us<hunters> all game management would fail. ordinary people understand this.. as far as baiting goes. why does it need to be legal?..crossbows?..no way...i think we should police our own ranks.. the old divide and conquer tactic doesnt have the muscle like some folks believe it does...wolves.. not too bad.. look at regions with healthy predator populations and you will find zero cwd

[xXx Archery]

and we should ban baiting fish to....I think we need to all support others or we will be like the bear and hound hunters...stop all the Bows VS guns .... meat VS Trophy ......to bait VS not to Bait.....should we ban Camo? or Tree stands? ...Why cant we support ALL Hunters?

[SHANE(WA)]

a few on here need to listen carefully, the end is the best, keyword CHOICES!! some will never get it!

[xXx Archery]

So TRUE...lets hunt ans stand together

[upriver]

Ted is on the money on this one. If some one does not agree with baiting it's pretty simple- DON'T. Don't restrict what others do just because you don't agree. We really don't need to go after each other- there's enough antis. We have enough odds against us.

[bearpaw]

deaddog...you are dead right, this attitude of wanting to outlaw whatever someone doesn't agree with is taking away all our rights and privelages one at a time. No matter what you do, there is someone who wants to make it illegal. These guys are playing right into the anti's hands with this outlaw everything attitude....

Robo-dad,you said it ALL....I think alot of anti-hunting peaple would go neutral if they new we ALL hunted "fair chase", like I said before just cause it's legal doesn't make it right. Baiting falls right into the category of canned hunts,high-fence etc. and only leads to the demise of ALL hunting sooner or later.

If you think that , you dont know the enemy at all. You guys might want to realy bone up on what these kind of issues are realy about. Between pita,the other anti-hunting groups and guys that spew this kind of mindless crap about, if I dont do it none should, we will lose our hunting one step at a time, crap, I cant even take my dog to shoot yotes anymore. Mark my words, keep it up and eventually, all we will have left is high fence hunts over bait and you will pay out your ass for that privilege.

[SHANE(WA)]

Hey Polar how do you like to bowhunt deer?? probaly alot and I bet there are some people with the mind set that you have on baiting with bowhunting. Think about it, we might not be bowhunting deer one day, very realistic in this state.

[PolarBear]

I don't think that it should be banned just that I see no sport in it and it is something that I will never partake in.  If the only way some folks can get their deer is to bait then fine, I just don't want to hear any bragging about how hard of a hunt it was.  Before you say how much work it is to pack all that feed and salt into the woods, I don't care, I have had to pack salt blocks several miles through the woods for cattle on Natl Forrest land.  The result is the same, artificially conditioned animal behavior.  I hunt fair chase and to me that means no food plots, bait, salt, cameras, scents or anything other than reading sign and the land and setting up on travel corridors.  It is more satisfying to me but if you need the other stuff, have at it as long as it is legal.

[bearpaw]

polar not trying to start a huge argument here but rather make a point....

If you go to the polls and baiting is on the ballot, will you vote against it since you do not beleive in it. My guess is that you will.

Now, I can tell you there a tons of gun hunters who hate bowhunters and think bowhunting is the ruination of elk and deer hunting in this state. If they go to the polls and bow hunting is on the ballot, will they vote against it? Again my guess is that yes they will.

My point is simple, we are all voting each others activities and rights away. We must support each other or you will all continue to lose.....period....

[NWBREW]

Bearpaw, Is there really a ton of gun hunters who hate bowhunters? Honest question. Some of my best friends are bowhunters and riflehunters (I do both) and I don't see this. Is this ignorence on my part and do I need to open my eyes more? Again...Honest question. Don't get me wrong I am not new to bow or rifle hunting (30+ years). I agree with you..we MUST support each others activities, because for the real hunters.. the end result is the same. I believe if one loses....we all lose.

[KimberRich]

Hunting over agro fields is the same as baiting?? Maybe in some people's eyes but the farming and agriculture in this country is the reason the WT population is what it is.  I read a study that says there are something like 25 times more deer in north america now, than there were when Columbus landed.  How they determined how many deer were here in the late 1400's I have no idea but moral of the story is farming increases deer population.  I believe this was only taling about WT's to clarify.

[NWBREW]

  and clearcuts

[bearpaw]

NWBREW
First let me say, I am an everything hunter, love bow hunting and any other type of hunting, I support everyone that is a legal hunter or recreator, or whatever.

But honestly, I will stake my reputation on the fact that there is a significant portion of rifle hunters who believe bowhunters cause undue damage to the herds. I hear it all the time with clients about how bowhunting is ruining hunting.

I don't beleive that at all, but when bow hunting is on the ballot someday, these guys will be voting against it.

This is one of the big reasons I am trying to get people to understand that we must all support each other. Hunters commenting on this site alone confirm in my mind the fact that they would readily go to the polls and vote against all kinds of activities they don't personally beleive in, the problem being they simply cannot understand that they may be next on the ballot.