posted
Fellas here in MI we have had a heck of a time with baiting. For years and years it was allowable and then for a couple of years it was banned.
Those two years were great, it really cut down on the numbers of hunters, and it really let the deer settle into natural movements through out the day...as natural as it can be here.
And I am not saying that I am for or against baiting ethically, other than it really effects my way of hunting when others do it,
but I kinda wanted to know everyones feelings on it, and how you adjust to people baiting around you, when you don't bait?
An old bowhunter once told me, "keep those does close, and when the rut comes, the bucks won't be far behind."
Now we hunt for meat, first and foremost, but a nice buck sure is pretty exciting to see every once in a while.
posted
I personally don't like baiting and in Indiana it's illegal. I have noticed some people around me must have a snack of apples while they're in the stand and accidently drop all of them on the ground beneath their stand...
-------------------- 55# Kodiak Mag
"Stay calm, Pick a spot."
Zwickey, the 1911 of Broadheads. ->>>--------> Posts: 269 | From: Indiana | Registered: Sep 2010
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posted
i hate to say this but i dont see a difference between a harvested field and a food plot or a bait pile.i like to hunt the big woods,really get in natures lap...i dont judge anyone for the way they hunt...
-------------------- i like biscuits Posts: 959 | From: Indiana | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
That was something you saw a lot of in the woods.
But, economically I think MI was taking such a hit on all those people who just didn't hunt if they could not bait. I remember hearing some figure like in the billions of lost revenue.
Posts: 466 | From: Michigan | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Steve, that is why I mentioned that in the first comment, Im not judging one way or another, just wanted to get some ideas on how to work around it.
I agree with you Steve, biscuits are great, and to hunt a little patch of hay or clover, in an attempt to not call it baiting is just the same thing.
Really not judging, just trying to get some advice
Posts: 466 | From: Michigan | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
I dont see why everyone gets so tore up about others baiting, you will rarely ever see a mature buck in a bait pile. If they are its at 3 n the morning. So really their not hurting anything, they may actually be helping you.
-------------------- ------------ Dalton Team By the Book Gen. 21:20- "And GOD was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." Posts: 682 | From: Ashe County, North Carolina | Registered: Dec 2009
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quote:Originally posted by huskyarcher: I dont see why everyone gets so tore up about others baiting, you will rarely ever see a mature buck in a bait pile. If they are its at 3 n the morning. So really their not hurting anything, they may actually be helping you.
it dosn't take long for them to get conditioned to corn pile..... i think the origional post say that baiting makes them feed more at night therefor hurting people that don't bait.
-------------------- "It's not the trophy ,but the race. It's not the quarry ,but the chase." Posts: 789 | From: West Columbia, SC | Registered: Dec 2005
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Thanks Blaino, that is exactly the point that I am speaking to. Just seeing if there is any good ideas out there about working around it.
These last couple of years were great, but they will be more nocturnal. Just trying to figure a way around it without offending.
Posts: 466 | From: Michigan | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
gorillabows, a 50lb bag of cob is going for $12 here. that will slow a good many down. from what i have noticed the deer don't mess with a bait pile until the crops are finished in the fields and all the acorn are done.
find oaks that are droping acorns like rain (i'm being 100% serious) and you will have deer all over you. most of my scouting is looking at the acorn crop and finding active trails.
-------------------- "It's not the trophy ,but the race. It's not the quarry ,but the chase." Posts: 789 | From: West Columbia, SC | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
That is real good advice, we do have some good oaks on a good year will drop "like rain". I have seen it where you couldn't even set up below the thing just cuz of the acorns plinking off my bow.
12 dollars is a lot of money for corn....on the cob!
Posts: 466 | From: Michigan | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Baiting's effectiveness is somewhat determined by the availability of natural crops. In Wisconsin, for example, it's prohibited in the southern part of the state, which is mostly agricultural, and where CWD is prevalent, and permitted in the northern part of the state, which has big woods and few agricultural crops.
Baiting is quite effective in the northern part of the state, where deer don't have a lot of alternative field crop food sources. There's no doubt that baiting pulls deer from their normal haunts, consolidates them and changes their feeding patterns and the distance they'll travel to feed. This isn't my opinion, it's fact born out by several scientific studies done by our own DNR and others.
I haven't figured out a work around. When folks move in and place bait where I'm hunting, I move, but I've about run out of places to move.
Baiting in this state leads to high level of hunter conflict as well because baiters consider the land adjacent to their baits off limits to other hunters, even though it's on public land; a lot of the land in Northern Wisconsin is public. Hunter conflicts caused by baiting is the no. 1 enforcement problem in this state and has been for several years.
I'm amused by those who argue that baiting doesn't guarantee an animal and that it's no more effective than hunting. Sure seems to give one a leg up on those who don't bait. I can't see why folks would do it if it weren't easier and more effective than hunting. OK, have at it. I imagine I'll take some heat on this one. Posts: 5852 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Baiting is an issue because of the disturbance. I'm not gonna argue that baiting makes hunting too easy...that's a side issue. Baitign withotu a doubt disrupts normal deer travel and density patterns. It's also a great way to spread disease through saliva and droppings, since deer yard together around bait.
No baiting for me, unless it's for some kind of pest removal, like hogs or armadillos.
-------------------- "Teach him horsemanship and archery, and teach him to despise all lies" -Herodotus Posts: 3468 | From: Linn, MO | Registered: Oct 2004
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I hunt southern Michigan now and see no big benefit to baiting. There are plenty of crops around and good scouting provides you opportunities. When I hunted northern Michigan the baiting drove me nuts. I hated the way you could have an area you scouted completely changed by someone putting big piles of bait out near you. I think it completely took the deer out of their natural movements.
Just my opinion.
Dave
Posts: 1682 | From: Michigan | Registered: Jan 2004
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When every other hunting show on TV promotes commercially produced baits like it's the "must have" "latest and greatest" the people that don't do their homework and think it's as easy as a half hour TV show then the baiting will continue whether legal or not.
Minnesota didn't have any problem with baiting until Michigan banned it and then MN thought they should too! So many people thought it must be a sure fire method if it is banned. Kind of like shining deer is like shooting fish in a barrel.
Baiting would probably become an issue sooner or later with the way it all evolved anyway but it's still fun to blame MI.
I'm not sure how to work around it as you really have no control over what others around you do with bait. Sorry if none of my rambling makes sense but ranting can relieve a little stress sometimes.
Posts: 253 | From: Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2010
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