Minnesota Deer Baiting

[Gary Korsgaden]

With the recent increased number of violations for deer baiting what are the thoughts on this practice. Personally I find it unethical, but other opinions besides mine I am open to listen to. Some feel it is n o different then having food plots. I say there is a huge differfence. What do you think. Thanks Merry Christmas

[reelman1]

I look at it the same way as a food plot. I do not like either of the methods but I do not call them unethical. I do however wish that they would both be outlawed.

[Gary Korsgaden]

I feel the difference between baiting and food plots include the fact that food plots are available all year not just during hunting season. Secondly isn't a food plot like habitat development and other
animals etc access the plots for a number of reasons including food and cover. Just my thoughts on the difference/

[Tom B]

I'm with Gary on the diff between baiting and food plots. Food plots provide year round habitat for alot more than just deer.

Tom B

[Tackle Guy]

I agree with both of you on food plots. I see some like to justify their means with the end result. Keep baiting illegal......

[Hunter1]

Nice opinion letter in this weeks Outdoor News about deer baiting as it applies to the deer herd. Might want to take a look.

[orchard frank]

With an orchard, I always have deer around, like a food plot. I also put in a rye field and corn just for habitat. I also sell a lot of apples to hunters to use for bait, so I guess I'm on both sides of this. I love the opportunity to develop my land as I see fit, but it is MY land. Hunters who are hunting on public land do not have this opportunity. Neither do they have the opportunity to study the movements of the deer in the areas that they are hunting. There are a lot of hard working sportsmen (and women) who simply do not have the time or means to do anything other than weekend hunting or maybe a few days around the opener. If baiting can help them out a little, I have no problem with it. I was in their shoes most of my life. I don't know what problems have occured in Minn., but here in Mi. baiting seems to be pretty widely accepted.

[chamookman]

Get rid of it if You can ! Here in Michigan it has become a crutch for "hunters". It's deer harvesting, not hunting. I don't buy into this "don't have time to scout" thing either, if You don't have time to scout/do You homework, do the real Hunters a favor and stay home. IMHO, it's akin to the Salmon snagging problem We had years ago, now it's illegal, but still goes on to a certain extent - lazy fisherman/ lazy hunters. My .02 - Bob

[Gary Korsgaden]

I am with you.......is it deer hunting or deer shooting........."I call it just add water mentality" we want and we want it now.......
Get rid of deer baiting... period......that is if we care about the true sport of hunting. Thanks

[tomhowellsfishing]

Gary, this is a great topic, and one thats going to fire up a lot of hot debates over the course of the next year. I believe in Minnesota, you are going to see much stiffer laws this next deer season. In my opinion, the stiffer the better.

In the area I hunt, a party just accross a county road from me has been actively baiting deer. They leased the land, put up a hunting shack, and I believe even planted some food plots. What it has done to my hunting is nothing short of destroyed it. There isn't a track over on my side of the road, and why should there be, everything they need is on the other side. not to many years ago, I enjoyed some great hunting on this side.

Hows a guy suppose to compete legally?

[Gary Korsgaden]

Tom: Do you have access to this past weeks Outdoor News. There is a great column from Curt Wells. He talks about a number of reason why deer baiting is not right. One he lists is how it impacts neighbors.
I feel it is dead wrong, selfish and unethical. However some go the limit to defend baiting. One last point food plots should never be compared to deer baiting..if you can't get the column go to the link www.outdoors.com

[orchard frank]

One thing that still remains is that food plots are only available to private land owners. Baiting or no baiting. I am a little uncomfortable with the terms being used such as "real" hunters or "true" hunters. Like it or not every legal licensed hunter has the same rights. And, there are people on limited budgets and time schedules that cannot spend a lot of time pre-hunting, but this does not make them second class hunters or any less real than anyone else. This type of reasoning could apply to archers considering themselves the only real hunters. I respect the time bow hunters put in, and their skills, but am not interested in taking up the sport. Unethical seems like a strong verdict of legal hunters, hunting in a legal manner. It is devisive and elitist.

[Gary Korsgaden]

Orchard I suggest you read the article by Curt Wells in last weeks "Outdoor News". You just have a different perspective when you see how it impacts the sport as a whole. Also the impact it has socially. www.outdoornew.com

[Burr]

Baiting and food plots are very different.

One thing that is starting to become a problem for me - is 'feeding' deer. I wouldn't call if baiting.

A neighbor to our hunting ground puts out piles of corn when rifle season ends. He does not hunt over it. Depending on the snow cover, the deer literally empty out of every other area within a mile, and hang out 24-7 by the feed.

Well, I muzzle loader hunt, which opens a week after rifle season. Not a single deer moving on our own land as they are all drawn to the feed a quarter mile away. This feed has completely ruined my muzzle loader intentions to hunt on our own land. It has not completely ruined my muzzle loader hunting, as I am able to obtain permission to hunt other nearby private land, and access some public land - both are realistic options only because rifle season is over.

I'm working on trying to strike up an agreement to put the 'feed' out for him after muzzle loader season so I can hunt deer on my own land again.

Again, I wouldn't call it baiting, since it is not being hunted over, and I wouldn't call it a food plot either... There seems to be too much 'feeding' done in a lazy way. There is not enough deep snow in the middle of November to make feeding necessary, but landowners who live 70-100 miles away don't want to take the time in Jan-Feb to feed if it is needed - so they start feeding right after rifle season, and don't feed again until springtime? Hate to bring it up but some rules on feeding are probably needed.

[Lacy Blankenship]

>With the recent increased number of violations for deer
>baiting what are the thoughts on this practice. Personally I
>find it unethical, but other opinions besides mine I am open
>to listen to. Some feel it is n o different then having food
>plots. I say there is a huge differfence. What do you think.
>Thanks Merry Christmas
Most people that are against someone else baiting feel that someone is gaining an advantage over them. I hunt with a bow, alot. I used an old wheel bow for years and thought I had an advantage over the traditional hunters. I went "high-tech", and now use a Mathews. I do not condemn the rifle, shot guns, or muzzle loaders for killing deer. It makes them hunters and keeps the sport available for me with their support. Look at muzzle loaders and how far they have come from the round ball guns of the past. I think it is great, it keeps the people into hunting.
Baiting does make it easier, but high tech equipment does the same thing. Are we all to be quilded because we choose different methods. Why don't we all just use our bear hands, no tree stands, no weapons, no camoflage, and soon nobody hunting because we can't support each other.
I have hunted bear over bait, others use dogs, some spot and stalk. Whatever winds your clock. As long as the D.N.R. views it as fair, it is fine.

[Lacy Blankenship]

We are all hunters and should support each other and the sport or the anti's will divide and conquer us. Baiting within the law, is fine. I have hunted bear many times over bait. Some spot and stalk and some use dogs. For gosh sakes look the at the equipment that we use. I used to use a wheeled bow and knew I had an advantage over traditionalists. I never resented rifle hunters. Look how far muzzle loaders have improved. It is like shooting a high powered rifle in some instances. People that worry about baiting feel that someone is getting an advantage over them and their competitive spirit kicks in and they whine. As long as it is legal fair chase, it is fine. Should we give up treestands, camo, decoys, game calls and just use rocks to hunt with?

[tomhowellsfishing]

Lacy,

The DNR doesn't consider it fair chase, and it is illegal, but the penalty is so slight that most choose to ignore it.

If anything gives the anti's ammunition against us its unethical behavior on our part. I say, clean up our act! T

[lacy]

Baiting is legal in many states and provinces of Canada. In Michigan, when I lived there, they sold carrots by the sack for baiting. Putting out a food plot and hunting over it is baiting. Like I said, if it is ok with the D.N.R. (in that particular location) so be it.

[tomhowellsfishing]

Its turned the art of hunting an animal into merely shooting an animal. You may as well pay a farmer to shoot one of his cows, it requires as much skill.

Some places it may be legal, but is it ethical. Don't we owe it to the animals we hunt, to do it ehtically, and within the rules of fair chase?

[boondocker]

I am so sick of this baiting...... We are surrounded by baiters in northern Minn. One group even has electronic timed feeders out that spray food at certain times. We need to get back to "hunting" and not just flop down in front of a corn pile and shoot a deer and then run back home and brag what a great hunter I am. We have been planting clover for the critters since longer than the term food plot has been around. The food is there all year, and benefits all other wildlife in the area. What with the wolves and harsh winters they need all the help they can get. Food plots and bait piles are nothing alike except they both provide food, although the baiter only provides it for a short time. The food plot take a lot of time and money and, I might add gets a person outdoors and into the environment of the deer where a little learning can take place.
Well I could go on and on and on but just suffice to say I am all for PLANTING food for wildlife but am totally AGAINST BAITING.