1984......Geo. Orwell....

[Dodad]

When this book came out it caused a stir. People realized that there where others who wanted to control their decisions on where to work, how to work, what to get paid, when, where and what to eat, where and how to live - in essence they were losing their soul to another controlling agent. History has shown that this has happened in the past - the native americans lost their land, their religion, their sustinance and followed a very different, and harmful to them, way of living. Most recently the people in Haiti suffered from an earthquake and the US government again came to their help(sic) - they got water and food and tents. Now many months later they still want more water, food and tents. They have lost their soul.

Point is that when we bait our game - corn piles or food plots we are building a highfence around the animals life. We are changing their living conditions and we are taking away their soul, just like them being in a zoo.

Baiting is wrong in any condition. It contradicts the word "hunting". We should not be hunting animals on our turf (over bait piles or on food plots) but rather hunting them on their turf. Using something that isn't sold on your normal "hook and bullet" TV program "woodsmanship".

So, if you want to bait and use food plots and hunt'em in a zoo like environment - it is legal in many areas. Moral or ethical - now, that may be challenged by others.

Hunt safe. Work for your results - which may just be a great day afield.:hump:

 

[noharleyyet]

Wow dude, that is deep.

 

[birddog32]

very deep. My question does an animal have a soul?

 

[tarheel]

I'm with you Dodad. I don't hunt over bait, food plots, corn fields, on roads, not even logging roads. I get my butt in the woods, and if I get an animal on his turf there's more satisfaction in doing so. If not, so be it.

 

[the nikster]

I do not hunt over bait, nor do I speak ill of my brothers who do.

 

[birddog32]

I think you and I could be friends nikster. Excellent reply.

 

[schmalts]

So....a food plot planted for habitat and a corn field planted by a farmer are different to hunt over? How about a small farm field on your own land that you rent to a farmer and hunt over his planted clover or corn?
I can see the baiting thing as going over the top if it is against the law but I really have no clue what the difference is between a food plot planted to offer better habitat and food, and a farm field. If someone plants apple trees on his property to make better habitat on the land he owns and manages is that being a slob hunter as well?
Reality is this, if you work your ass off and buy a nice piece of land it becomes a hobby and most want to tinker around and create a wildlife paradise. Those without any land are usually the ones who whine about a food plot or a farm field that is being hunter over.

A smart hunter hunts where the feed and deer are, and smart land owner makes his land attractive to game

 

[Bucnutz.wis]

A smart hunter hunts where the feed and deer are, and smart land owner makes his land attractive to game

Schmalts is Deadnutz right one here...

The corn pile slobs around here thought no deer would be shot when they banned baiting for deer... guess what, there were still deer harvested. These experts don't know of any other way to hunt them.... not willing to put in the work to scout and observe deer activity, nor smart enough to use such knowledge to their advantage while hunting.

Food Plots on the other hand, are a simple management tool.... On my property, I have 3 of them, soon to be 5. All about 1/2 acre or smaller. I seldom hunt over them. I hunt the funnels that lead to them....I don't shoot every deer that walks by either....and they don't have ear tags.

This is not providing a ZOO environment at all, it's simple management to attract & hold deer in an area by supplementing the nutrients the deer (and others) need to survive. They benefit from them long after hunting season has past....

If you lose your job & paycheck, but still want it, did you lose your soul too ??

 

[schmalts]

For the record, i wish baiting would be banned in WI. Most do it in a way that make deer hunting harder by making them nocturnal. There is a huge difference between baiting and food plots. Bucnutz, i remember the one year they banned baiting when CWD was discovered in WI. If i remember right it was one of the better deer harvest years on the books. Imagine that, deer actually had to move in the day to get feed and travel more than 100 yards to get to it. To each his own, if a guy wants to bait, fine but he should consider trying it without first. The biggest problem with baiting is it becomes a pissing match and those who bait in mass quantities are hurting those who do it legally

 

[Bucnutz.wis]

They banned baiting and feeding in Marathon county 2 years ago because we're adjacent to Portage county where CWD was tested positive on a deer farm. I'm glad they did.

And yes, that year they banned it statewide was one of the best years bow-hunting ever...

I've hunted over bait in my days, it works, and your chances of seeing deer are much better, which keeps you motivated. I used to feed them in my yard, and hunt the runways coming & going during the rut.. Is that unethical ?? did I lose my soul ?? maybe I'm dead and just here to haunt you guys.. ??

 

[tarheel]

Don't misunderstand; I'm not knocking hunters who hunt over bait or plots or farm fields. Not making any value judgements or assuming any holier-than-thou position on the subject, just stating my preferred method of hunting which gives me the most satisfaction. Hell, in my youth we ran them with dogs in the eastern part of the state and it's still legal so to do, but I don't do it any more. I guess it's just more satisfying to get into the woods and try to find them in their environment; the kill isn't that important any more. Kinda like sitting with the wife and holding hands without trying to hustle her off to bed.

 

[Bucnutz.wis]

Don't misunderstand; I'm not knocking hunters who hunt over bait or plots or farm fields. Not making any value judgements or assuming any holier-than-thou position on the subject, just stating my preferred method of hunting which gives me the most satisfaction. Hell, in my youth we ran them with dogs in the eastern part of the state and it's still legal so to do, but I don't do it any more. I guess it's just more satisfying to get into the woods and try to find them in their environment; the kill isn't that important any more. Kinda like sitting with the wife and holding hands without trying to hustle her off to bed.

Well said Tarheel - your right, the kill is not that important anymore... but the opportunity is. So for me, it's more satisfying to manage my own property by attempting to create an environment where deer want to frequent, to create more of an opportunity. This is far from creating a ZOO environment. I prefer this over hunting crowded public lands for many reasons... competition and travel being two of them.

I also realize most hunters don't own much of their own land so they need the public lands to hunt on, I used to be in the same boat - and still didn't use bait. I scouted areas and found where deer traveled. And yes, many times this was in the deep woods or swamps where most hunters wouldn't go. And when successful, it was very satisfying as well..

As far as the wife....forget the foreplay, go for the score...

 

[WV Hunter]

When this book came out it caused a stir. People realized that there where others who wanted to control their decisions on where to work, how to work, what to get paid, when, where and what to eat, where and how to live - in essence they were losing their soul to another controlling agent. History has shown that this has happened in the past - the native americans lost their land, their religion, their sustinance and followed a very different, and harmful to them, way of living. Most recently the people in Haiti suffered from an earthquake and the US government again came to their help(sic) - they got water and food and tents. Now many months later they still want more water, food and tents. They have lost their soul.

Point is that when we bait our game - corn piles or food plots we are building a highfence around the animals life. We are changing their living conditions and we are taking away their soul, just like them being in a zoo.

Baiting is wrong in any condition. It contradicts the word "hunting". We should not be hunting animals on our turf (over bait piles or on food plots) but rather hunting them on their turf. Using something that isn't sold on your normal "hook and bullet" TV program "woodsmanship".

So, if you want to bait and use food plots and hunt'em in a zoo like environment - it is legal in many areas. Moral or ethical - now, that may be challenged by others.

Hunt safe. Work for your results - which may just be a great day afield.:hump:

 

[Dodad]

Well, opinions are like cowboy hats in Texas - everyone has one (or more) - I am glad to hear that we as hunters have opinions about the way hunts should be conducted. Whether you consider baiting, corn piles or food plots, is not as important has the moral obligation to critters that we all chase. Keep the faith. Hunt safe.

 

[Bucnutz.wis]

Well, opinions are like cowboy hats in Texas - everyone has one (or more) - I am glad to hear that we as hunters have opinions about the way hunts should be conducted. Whether you consider baiting, corn piles or food plots, is not as important has the moral obligation to critters that we all chase. Keep the faith. Hunt safe.

So does this moral obligation extend to using bait while fishing

 

[xrayts]

So does this moral obligation extend to using bait while fishing

lol!!!!

 

[npaden]

Let's see.

On public land DIY hunts this year I went 2 for 2 on elk (Wyoming General tag and New Mexico) 1 for 1 on public land mule deer in New Mexico this year.

On private land hunts I went 0 for 1 on ranch assigned antelope in New Mexico (it was a public tag, but I was assigned to a specific ranch where there were no antelope) and 0 for 1 on whitetail on my own property here in Texas where I use a timed corn feeder, supplemental feed protein pellets year round, and plant multiple food plots and try to manipulate the cover to increase the number of deer bedding on my property.

I spent considerably more time, effort and money on my own property than I spent scouting on the public hunts and I still struck out on my own property.

So do you conclude from that, that hunting public land animals is easier? Not as challenging?

I guess I'm a just a poor corn pile slob hunter because I find it alot easier to find the animals and go after them, than to try and convice the animals to come onto one specific piece of property and get shot.

P.S. - I live in Texas but I don't have a cowboy hat.

 

[noharleyyet]

...have yet to ponder the existentialism of a 20X Resistol, cow calls triangulating a bull to the weapon during rut, wallows, natural mineral seeps, scent-lok, millions of acres of public opportunity...etc. But if it makes you feel better about being a good steward of self defined hunting spirituality, I guess an obscure literary allusion is as good a device for condescension as outright smugness.

...now go find your Wisconsin Senate Dems and bring them back to Madison.

 

[Bucnutz.wis]

...now go find your Wisconsin Senate Dems and bring them back to Madison.

... and send them straight to Texas to spend all your money....

I guess I'm a just a poor corn pile slob hunter because I find it alot easier to find the animals and go after them, than to try and convice the animals to come onto one specific piece of property and get shot.

Good for you for finding alternative methods to hunt... many around here gave up hunting when baiting was banned... and said no deer could be shot with out a corn pile..

If I lived in the Mountain states where massive amounts of public land lye at your feet... I'd probably have a whole different look on the food plot idea... but as far as hunting in Wisconsin - if the grass is greener, then...

 

[Zach]

A smart hunter hunts where the feed and deer are, and smart land owner makes his land attractive to game

Which is one reason I have no problem NOT having to hike in multiple miles. If I'm smart enough to figure out where the bucks are and it happens to be close, better for me.