What do you think of baiting deer?

[Parks 788]

The OP is probably referring to Drury Outdoors, which for those of us in the hunting industry is actually 100% Fair Chase. Meaning they don't hire outfitters, or hunt fenced areas, or use planted game. They hunt areas that they've leased or have been given permission to hunt, and they do plant plots and feeders and use cameras. Why? Because they have a freakin' TV show and if they didn't, they wouldn't have enough action to actually make a living.

People seem to look at the hunters on outdoor television and either 1) Assume hunting is always like that, or 2) Judge them for not being "fair" enough to the game. It's an example people! They use nice gear and hunt good places because they want to show you the entertaining side of hunting. No body wants to sit and watch someone in a tree stand for 4 hours not see anything, we want to see em whack a monster, because that excites us! THAT is why we watch.

If you're seriously going to go off on the "purist" hunting, without using scent masks, feeders, camera, etc, you might as well go back to using an old hickory bow with buffalo string and feathers for fletching, because that Remington Model 700 in your hand puts you at MUCH more of an advantage than should be fair for that "poor doe." Hunting is the act of outwitting an animal on their turf, using whatever advantages you may have at hand, be it a $100,000 sponsorship and a trailer full of gear, or an old pair of army surplus boots and a Sears and Roebuck .30-30.

/rant.

Well Said. Agreed.

 

[WacosSon]

I think it is unethical. I was spotlighting the other night and my buddy suggested we try his neighbors feeder. I wouldn't have anything to do with it so we just hunted the back piece of his neighbors property. We cut the back straps out of two nice does.

had me going there for a sec

 

[WacosSon]

On a side note, I wasn't refering to the dream season boys but I guess you could lump them in with the other fair chase gurus out there. Im curious you said you were in the business, just curious as to what you do in the business? I have some very good friends that are on tv quite abit and find it interesting how recomendations change as fast as sponsors do.

As far as the "bone collector" goes i wouldn't use a product with his name on it, if I were paid to do so. I guess we could call him the tiger woods of the hunting industry, and actually that would be giving him more credit than he deserves.

I'm in the industry as I work for Outdoor Channel. Recommendations do change quite a bit, and sponsors have a big part to play. In reality, so many of the products on the market do the exact same thing. I love my Remington M700, but if Winchester or Ruger were to offer me a sponsorship and Remington didn't, I would shoot one of those instead. Most of these personalities are just hunting nuts, and whoever allows them to feed the need the most, they'll sport.

As for the Waddell comment, I really don't get what you're saying. Of course he's sponsored, and he makes sure that he mentions his sponsors as its part of his agreement with them. That doesn't make it a bad product, that makes him a good businessman. I use a bone collector scope on my rifle and absolutely love it. I use a flextone grunt call and swear by it. Michael's an honest guy, a great hunter and a good businessman. I feel like you're just upset because you feel like he has advantages you don't. Tiger may be a brand whore, but he's still a damn good golfer. Heck, even uncle Ted talks non-stop about his sponsors. That's the way the game is played.

 

[338Shooter]

had me going there for a sec

Lol, sorry man!

 

[_CY_]

no food .. no baiting for me..
stalking deer is my fav... being able to sneak up on a deer is pretty satisfying.

 

[ArealGunNut]

I understand the whole sponsor thing, its how these guys get to pay the bills I would go on and say thats how they get to play but alot of times I think it becomes work for them. Trust me, I am in no way jealous of bonehead. The tiger comment was in reference to michaels off camera antics. Im sure you know what im talking about. Yes tiger is a hell of a golfer but his freak nasty is costing him dearly which leads me to this point.
If a person cannot be honest with their spouse how honest can that person be? If their livelyhood depends alot upon reputation and public image how smart of a businessman are they? I have no problem with the products, most are top shelf its the whole bonedaddy image that makes me queezy.

 

[Muleman]

Wow! We went from discussing the ethics of giving deer something to eat to questioning Michael Waddell's moral fiber. Very confusing thread.

 

[dcmtex]

If its legal who am I to object? Been hunting acorn flats for years.

 

[dennishoddy]

Is this argument against baiting, as in setting up a corn feeder in September to draw deer in for a the season, or the planting of food plots and year round feeding?

I guess I am not real edcuated in the use of feeders and plots. I do not have anything against either.

I do however think there is a line between feeding the deer and raising them. If you are able to keep the same deer on a particular area year after year thru a plot or feeder and are able to watch them over mutiple seasons and then harvest the animal when you felt it reached maturity then to me that is boarderline raising.
putting out a feeder or planting a food plot, or hunting adjacent to a corn or milo or wheat field is no different than hunting under an oak tree. Deer, at least in my area are free ranging, and move from feeding area to other feeding areas on a regular basis. These feeding areas range from natural browse early in the season to food plots and agriculteral areas in late season as the browse goes away.
I planted 1900 bare root seedlings a couple of years ago for a repairian buffer along a creek bank. All were of benefit to wildlife. Am I not ethical using this area now to hunt deer since I planted them?
Putting in food plots and feeding is just another way to help the herd gain proper nutrition. Yeah, its a backdoor way to allow them to grow bigger antlers, and bigger bodies, but its a great alternative to seeing 5 1/2 year old spindly racked deer that have their ribs showing.

If that is the way you do it then more power to you. You guys put alot of time and money into your hunting and deserve to be successful. That is just not the way I do it.

As for the oak tree example. Unless you planted that tree you really had no part in it being there, you are just using the existing enviroment to your advantage. Much different than someone who plowed and planted a specific area for a specific reason.
See above
Same goes for the dead cow and coyotes, you wouldn't shoot the cow just to draw the yotes in would you?

As lastly for the fish example, if you were feeding a largemouth bass for years in a tank to get him to record weight, would you feel right about putting a hook in it and calling it a throphy?I'm thinking we manage our lakes with surveys every year, and the ODW stocks bait fish, etc in order to help the lakes remain healthy. So, now are we restricted from taking fish from a lake where threadfin shad have been introduced to help feed the hybrid/stripers?

.....

 

[crg1372]

As lastly for the fish example, if you were feeding a largemouth bass for years in a tank to get him to record weight, would you feel right about putting a hook in it and calling it a throphy?

Do you trout fish anywhere the ODW stocks them? Just wondering....