IMO, hunting on the edge of a AG field is not hunting over bait. Corn-piles are far more concentrated to very small area versus a cornfield per se'. Same thing goes with oak trees on a flat. There are other sources of browse as well other oak trees interspersed throughout the woods surrounding these oak flats in which the deer have available to forage on.
Physically pouring or dumping grain or fruit is baiting otherwise why do hunters feel they have to dump or pour anywhere near AG fields or oak flats if they are considered big baiting piles or areas? It's because these hot traffic areas aren't small enough to put the odds in the hunters favor so they try to pinpoint the food source with a pile to help manipulate the deer travel patterns up wind of their ambush spots to increase their chances of success.
IMO, baiting will not go away unless CWD hits the wild deer herds. It's pretty much here to stay unfortunately. If baiting has a positive light to it it's helped get our youth more involved into the sport. Kids get bored and lose interest very fast these days and the evolution of the baiting has been a tool to help boost up sightings to keep them interested in the hunt.
The biggest negative I see in baiting is the potential of disease spreading of course but it forces those who don't believe in baiting to join the ranks or get left behind. Just like leasing property to just have access to good ground. Where and when will this end?!?! The future of hunting is not looking TOO good IMO.....
Baiting is a good place to transfer diseases and sickness because so many animals come to that one spot. Trough style feeders exaggerate this issue because animals are actually touching the same spot.
CWD is a monster that should have its own thread.
Again I am ignorant when it comes to cwd and although that makes logical sense, is there scientific proof that's the way it's spread?
The apple tree vs feeder would be the same , if ya built the feeder then waited 15-20 yrs to start filling it and using it , and didn't use it every yr , since apple trees don't produce good fruit crops every yr , and only used it a month or two each fall.....
But other than that they are nearly identical .
With the logic you are using, we could take it one step further:
Hunting a pinch point is the same as driving deer. It is funneling deer toward you. Whether it is guys pushing or a natural terrain feature, you are taking part in manipulating their movements.
I don't buy this info I typed anymore than I believe a 100 acre cornfield is the same as a pile of corn.
FWIW- I don't care if a guy baits.
I never compared baiting to drives. . I said driving deer and hunting a funnel is not the same thing. One is purposefully causing a flight response, the other is free will.I admire your persistence, but I think you are the only one here who believes what you are saying. :smiley_chinrub:
purposefully putting a pile of food in a specific place at a specific time to attract a deer to it is no different than driving deer to a specific place at a specific time. you are manipulating the animal in order to have them standing where you want them so you can shoot them, right? legality and morality notwithstanding, of course.
are African lions baiting when they wait in ambush at water holes or if they ambush wildebeest while they are eating grass on the Savannah? or does baiting only apply to people? I'm just trying to wrap my aging brain around this.
I hate to be a nitpicker, but are we discussing "bait" the noun or "bait" the verb? seems relevant to this pointless discussion. :biggrin:
Long as ya can can convince a judge I don't care whatcha believe.
By your standard, every time someone goes hunting anything, they are hunting bait.
If an animal is attracted, and a hunter uses that attraction to his advantage, the animal is indeed being baited. How is he not? The key elements exist. Attractant, a preys enticement to said attractant, and a predator using that enticement to his advantage.
You are using a key word this time that I've never noticed before…"food" I thought you also used this logic when hunting doe during the rut? They aren't food.