Baiting Deer.

[bownero]

Here's a topic that has a lot of mixed discussion. Here in the state of Nebraska it's legal to bait deer if the baited area is 200 yds. from the location you're hunting. But if the area has been baited hence "corn spilled from a combine or farm truck" you can choose to hunt this area. If the area is used to feed domesticated animals like cattle, hogs, sheep,etc. this area can be hunted too. The physical aspect of baiting, meaning baiting by the hunter, applies to the 200 yrd. rule.

Now getting back on the 200 yd. rule. What difference does it make on the yardage of the baited area? My guess is whomever made this law is a rifle hunter! Just my guess. Not slamming rifle hunters at all! I have no regrets hunting over a baited area. I've done this bear hunting. To me this gives the hunter a more selective shot and the animal is in a relaxed mood. Also the hunter can take better time and make a more ethical shot at the animal. Just my thoughts.

I would like some feedback from those hunters that can bait and not. What are your thoughts on baiting. Is it cheating or is it ethical hunting.:cool2:

Mark..

[bownero]

Here's the rule for baiting deer in Nebraska taken from the 2008 Big Game Guide.

HUNTING OVER BAIT

It is illlegal to take or attempt to tkae bighorn sheep, elk deer or antelope within 200 yards of an area that has been baited. A baited area is any area where feed, feed supplement, or bait has been placed within the last 60 days, except for those instances where said food, supplement or bait has been placed in the active operation of husbandry for domesticated livestock other than domesticated cervidae. The regulation applies only to land under the same ownership as the land that has been baited.

[derbycitycatman]

Here in KY if I remember right they have banned "baiting" during turkey season but the rest of the season its okay. I started off baiting but that only lasted a year or two, too expensive and wasnt needed. To those that want to bait legally go for it. IMHO baiting isnt banned due to easy hunting but more often to try and guard against disease. Agriculture doesnt seem to pile up in one place like baiters do, but that doesnt explain your states 200 yard rule, does sound like a rifle hunter made this one.

[flathead willie]

..."within 200 yards of an area that has been baited."

That seems ambiguous to me. Does that mean that if the hunter is 200 yards out that he can shot game at the bait sight, or does it mean that the game has to be 200 yards away from the bait before you can shot it?

[bownero]

Thanks for you comment Willie. To my understanding that the HUNTER has to be 200yds. or more from the baited site in order to shoot game at the baited site. My friends that are bowhunters have many discussions about this topic, some even go against the rule and bait anyhow. I don't scorn them at all! Place like Cabela's, Walmart, local stores sell products like C'Mere Deer, Deer Co Cain, Buck Grub, Apple Flavored deer corn, etc. These guys buy them up and use them during hunting. FOR SURE!!

[flathead willie]

They sell all that stuff here but baiting is illegal. Go figure!

[smhmc6]

I don't really know whether baiting is "ethical" or not. Ted Nugent had a show on it once, he basically made the point that isn't hunting on a food plot "bait"? He also made a good point about how us hunters need to get over the little bickering because there are already groups out there that want to end the sport altogether. I don't know if I have an opinion either way.

But I actually read on the qdma website today that supplimental feeding, "the practice through which bulk feeds such as corn, soybeans, or commercial deer pellets are provided to deer in large quantities", has been linked to the transmission of certain diseases. They also went on to say that this was different from baiting, I think they made this distinction because they meant the difference was that supplemental feeding was to add nutrition to the deer's diet during harsh times of the year and not to hunt over it. BUT, back to the spread of disease, and I'm not biologist but my guess as to why it has been linked to it is cause they might all congregate around it???:confused2: I would think the same would apply to a bait site. Just another thing to add to the discussion. Here's the link to the site I'm refering to, its at the bottom: http://qdma.com/qdm/habitat_management.asp

[bownero]

The words I hear most about baiting is the spread of diseases. My thoughts go like this. What about 50-100 deer congregated in a small area feeding in some farmers cut corn field? There is always spilled corn from the combine after harvest and the deer feed on it. So why consider baiting deer illegal? My thinking says deer will contact disease with personal contact with each other, without feeding. I know contact with feces can cause disease too, but that's just a small factor to me. Toxic water, pesticides, insecticides-- other diseased deer come into contact with healthy deer and totally destroy the whole area population!

[smhmc6]

Back when I was going to school in Missouri, I seem to remember they had strange baiting rule, kind of like the 200 yard condition. I think you could bait, but only so many days before the season started. I guess they thought it would be okay to bait for trail cams, sounds like the 200 yard rule is for the same reason, but not to hunt. I don't think there's anything unethical about it, in fact I agree with you that it puts them in a relaxed mood and probably more time to select the perfect shot. Alot of times a relaxed is the difference between a good shot and a bad one... and even if its a good one it could be the difference between an easy tracking job and a really hard one. The only thing is, if its the law then thats what I would follow.

[flathead willie]

I certainly not a wildlife biologist so I can't speak for the disease issue. It may be so since baiting in my mind means they are feeding in a small area instead of all over a field. I don't know. personally, I wouldn't bait deer because I really enjoy the challenge and unpredictability of the hunt. However, I think I would bait bear if it was legal. Although we have a lot of bears here, I have never seen one while hunting, even though I have logged 10s of thousands of hours in the woods. I used to see them while training bear dogs, but I never shot one over dogs. It just didn't seem like much of a challenge. However, baiting deer, to me, is far more ethical then the way they hunt bears around here with radio collared dogs, tracking devices, cell phones, and 50 to 75 hunters that line every road in the national forest, sitting in their trucks drinking beer and waiting for someone to call and tell them a bear is headed their way. But that's another thread! :angry::angry:

[zeboman]

In Pa. baiting is illegal but you can bait deer until 30 days before the season starts to try and get photos on your trail cams of what`s in the area. If there is even a small amount of residue from the bait you can be fined and your hunting privileges taken away for a year so I don`t bother with it because it isn`t worth the trouble.

[ozzy]

Growing up around lawyers from what I can decifer is...They are not mentioning a Boundry. If the game can walk up to a fence, you need to be 200 yards away. This eliminates up close misses and possible hits on a residence. I just may be full of it also. LOL One of my favorite pastimes is questioning our Mighty game warden. I love stumping them, they tell me all the time to call the office. :big_smile::big_smile::big_smile:

[Jacksmooth]

I havent baited in about 4 yrs. Not because I dont want to but because I just dont have the time to anymore. I have taken many deer over bait piles and many without the bait. If you can get on main crossings between bedding and feeding areas where you hunt you really dont need the bait. I have hunted land where I could not do this and that is when I used baits. I dont regret baiting or taking deer over baits. Most of the time Im just out to get some meat and a little alone time in the woods. I do agree that it relaxes the deer a little more and gives time for a good shot most times.

[lance]

I feed the deer out back it is illegal to discharge a fire arm .I live in a sub-division . If I was a good enough shot with my bow it would be a good way to take out other peoples mistakes . Last year I fed a doe for about 2 weeks that had been shot with a muzzloader and a 4 pointer that had been shot in the lower leg . I back up to a farm and don't have permission to hunt it so that is why Baiting could help to save some deer from a slow death . Those deer stayed pretty close to my house . I fed other deer as well . But as I read in KY It is the spring and summer months you can't put out corn for fear of spreading disease .

[dieselcat]

I agree bout the baiting,deer being in a relaxed state.it is illegal to bait here in missouri but we can put minerals and stuff of that sort out and it's not cosidered baiting.every year i buy a little corn to put out by my cams just to get a look at whats in the area.we have to give it 2 weeks after the food source is gone before we are allowed to hunt that area,i usually give it bout 3 weeks and the deer still come in looking for corn after 3 or even 4 weeks of the food being gone.i am for it but it's not legal here so i'm S.O.L.

[john catfish young]

:big_smile:Here in Kentucky it is " Legal " to hunt deer over bait piles. I live on a small 4 acre patch that borders some good farmland. I have a deer corn feeder that I use starting in August, as well as a deer-caine pit that the deer use heavily. I re-freshen it every summer with either the powder or the liquid. I also dump about 50-100 lbs of apples 2 weeks before bow season opens. On opening morning I get lots of deer coming through my little 4 acre patch coming to the bait site. I have taken deer like this for over 15 years. If it is Legal....go for it! The deer in our area are healthy and the corn and apples and nutrients help to grow some good ones. Now on the other hand it is " Illegal " to hunt turkeys over a baited area for at least 30 days after all the bait has been removed.:big_smile:

[kennylee]

The way I read the regs., is you can't shoot game that are in the 200 yards area around the bait.

[bownero]

The way I read the regs., is you can't shoot game that are in the 200 yards area around the bait. Logically this 200yd. rule has never been explaned properly to me by any Game Warden or official of the Game and Parks Commission of the state.

[Mike81]

I have nothing against baiting if it's legal where ya hunt. We can't hunt over bait here in Alabama. We can feed off season but all feed must be gone 10 days before any hunting is done. I have hunted in places where baiting is legal, such as TX. Doesn't bother me... I enjoy it... I do think a timed feeder that only spreads a certain amount of bait each day is better than a big pile. Seems less chance for spread of disease. jmo I used to always bait bears in Alaska some folks think it's not fair, but actually it's a great way to be selective of a mature boar and make sure you don't shoot a sow whose cubs are 40 yards behind her.

[katfish ken]

Living and hunting in my area it seems to not help much trying to bait deer.We have vast number of oak trees and when the acorns start falling which is about the time hunting season comes in it seems a waste of time to try to get deer to a bait station. Acorns are one of the deer preferred natural food sources and when they start falling the deer are in the acorn thickets chowing down.
Question::::confused2:
If you build a pond and deer come to it on a regular bases to drink is it illegal to hunt near it like the laws regaurding baiting or is that not considered baiting????

[flathead willie]

["If you build a pond and deer come to it on a regular bases to drink is it illegal to hunt near it like the laws regaurding baiting or is that not considered baiting????"]

That's a good question. The guy that owns the property next to the one I hunt did just that. He recently built two small ponds in the middle of the woods. He has no cattle and they are too small for fishing. They are surrounded by small food plots, maybe 100 feet square. I've seen nothing about anything like this in the hunting rules.

[lance]

Just can't kill them while they are swimming:wink: Actuually Ken I believe that you would be ok . I think the law actually states you can't shoot a swimming deer but says nothing about drinking . Do the deer like swimming with your channel cats ?

[katfish ken]

Just can't kill them while they are swimming:wink: Actuually Ken I believe that you would be ok . I think the law actually states you can't shoot a swimming deer but says nothing about drinking . Do the deer like swimming with your channel cats ?

It has been really dry hear this year. The pond is real low and the tracks around it looks like an African watering hole. You can not put your finger on dirt without putting it in a track and they are some huge deer around here. I don't think that a deer a deer would float in it if it tried to bed down in it.

[misterwhisker]

I will say one thing..DEER love pairs ..i gota pair tree and the venison slabs flock to it.:wink::smile2:i also have two apple trees they prefer pairs over the apple

[katfish ken]

I will say one thing..DEER love pairs ..i gota pair tree and the venison slabs flock to it.:wink::smile2:i also have two apple trees they prefer pairs over the apple

My son has a bid standard pear tree in the edge of his yards. The deer will come within 20 yrds of his house to get the pears from under it.

[kat in the hat]

I have no problem ethically with baiting deer. No more than I do for baiting fish. Maybe it's not "hunting", but where the harvest of deer is important, it is a good tool to get the deer where ya want them, and kill them cleanly. It is illegal here. All bait must be removed 2 weeks prior to the opening of the season except for mineral blocks. They are OK.

A clean kill, in my opinion, is the most important factor in the ethics of killing deer. Do everything you can to make a clean, fatal shot. Do everything you can to retrieve the animal you shot. The rest is just politics IMO.