# Is hunting better without bait?



## NorthWoodsHunter (Feb 21, 2011)

au5952 said:


> As a long time Hunter i am curious on what my fellow hunters consider "Baiting".
> could an argument be made that, Apples, Corn, Sugarbeets etc.. are not the only
> types of baiting, what about food plots, farmfields, doe urine, grunt tubes, rattling bags.
> All the things listed above are used to entice or lure animals in your area, so is it not
> actually another form of baiting?? Just wanted to see what others thoughts were.


Some might argue that doing habitat work and planting food plots, practicing extreme scent control make one a better "hunter". While there are benefits to the herd by doing some of these things, and it may involve more time and effort, what they are doing is maximizing their potential to shoot a deer, or specific sub-group of deer. Baiting is no different. Different methods, same result (sometimes).

It may not be much to some but it's all in how you look at it, what you get out of it and what you personally consider hunting. Just the same as how big a buck needs to be to be considered a trophy.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

According to Merriam-Webster:

*Hunting:*


the activity or sport of *chasing* and killing wild animals
the activity of *searching* for something
 
*Bait:*



to put a piece of *food* on (a hook) or in (a trap) in order to *attract* and *catch* fish or animals
to use dogs to make (an animal, such as a bear or bull) angry or afraid
 
*Examples of Bait:*



_*baiting*_ hooks with live worms
 
Hunting involves chasing and searching. It's an act of pursuit.

Baiting involves attracting or luring with food.

Some people hunt deer, some people bait deer. Both are legal.

End of story.


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## sbooy42 (Mar 6, 2007)

hunthunt said:


> just wondering if there are anyone who remembers hunting prior to giant bait piles every 40 ac. I'm in my young 30s and have only hunted when bait has been king. It seems to me that deer sightings would go up drastically if the deer need to browse for food rather than bed 200 yards from a bait pile. Were deer less nocturnal pre baiting?


 

yes


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## U of M Fan (May 8, 2005)

Jim Orman said:


> If it is legal to do why argue about ethics. You Deer Hunters are your own worst enemy always thinking your views are the only ones. If you do something its OK as long as majority agree . DeerHunting should be getting Outdoors with Family and Friends and having fun Not who Kills biggest Rack and who does not follow majority Views . Get over it already you guys are beating a horse that's been dead for decades !!!!!!!!



Well said.

Beating a dead horse is a popular thing to do around here.




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## SCOOTERBUM (Dec 10, 2014)

It is not about ethics. It is about whether or not residing over a bait pile can be considered "hunting". It cannot.

Baiting is attracting or enticing deer to a predefined place for harvest. It does not fit the description for hunting.


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## Scott K (Aug 26, 2008)

Does too


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## U of M Fan (May 8, 2005)

Scott K said:


> Does too



Lmao!!!


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

SCOOTERBUM said:


> It is not about ethics. It is about whether or not residing over a bait pile can be considered "hunting". It cannot.
> 
> Baiting is attracting or enticing deer to a predefined place for harvest. It does not fit the description for hunting.



How about kill plots ?


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## Airoh (Jan 19, 2000)

Ambush

am-bush 

[am-boo sh] 

1. an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise: 
The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.

2. an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position. 

3. the concealed position itself: 
They fired from ambush.

4. those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.
------------------------------------------------------
Doesn't this definition incorporate more than 95% of deer hunters and possibly 99% of deer hunters who worry too much how other people hunt? I for one don't worry how others hunt.

Definition of hunting has been posted in post #102


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Liver and Onions said:


> Yep. Haters will always hate. It's what they are good at because of so much practice. Their narrow minds don't allow them to consider that not everyone has to do everything the way they do an activity.
> 
> L & O


Sounds familiar


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## SCOOTERBUM (Dec 10, 2014)

swampbuck said:


> How about kill plots ?


Think about it.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

The thing I loved most of hunting in Wyoming is the fact you could use a spotting scope pick out an animal a mile or more away and then pursue said animal. It was the most fun I have had hunting big game. The difference is I had access to thousands of acres. Can't really do that in Michigan. The animal I saw through a spotting scope could have been 10 properties away in Michigan not to mention the tree's that block the view of said animal. When hunting 20 or 40 acres etc. the use of bait is often necessary. Hunting can be defined many different ways IMO and yes, using bait is hunting.

Ganzer


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## triplelunger (Dec 21, 2009)

hypox said:


> According to Merriam-Webster:
> 
> *Hunting:*
> 
> ...





SCOOTERBUM said:


> It is not about ethics. It is about whether or not residing over a bait pile can be considered "hunting". It cannot.
> 
> Baiting is attracting or enticing deer to a predefined place for harvest. It does not fit the description for hunting.


Okay... this is asinine!
I shouldn't even be adding to this insanity, but can't help it. Are you guys so full of yourselves that you have to post definitions and tell people they are not hunters if they do something differently?

I want to get this straight...
If I scout an area and find a nice spot, set up a treestand and sit and wait for a deer in said treestand... am I "hunting", oh great ones?
What if I put out a pile of carrots in front of this treestand? Am I now "not hunting"? or was I never actually "hunting" in the first place because I wasn't actively engaged in the activity or sport of "chasing and killing" wild animals?
This is what hunting has become? Grown men critisizing each other for what weapon they use, what deer they shoot, and the method in which they choose to "hunt"? 
Thank you for enlightening me... I'm going to now go tell 95% of the guys I know who kill deer that they are not actually "hunters".


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

triplelunger said:


> Thank you for enlightening me... I'm going to now go tell *95%* of the guys I know who kill deer that they are not actually "hunters".


Wow! That's a lot of bait! :yikes::evilsmile:lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## dundo (Jan 26, 2013)

triplelunger said:


> Okay... this is asinine!
> I shouldn't even be adding to this insanity, but can't help it. Are you guys so full of yourselves that you have to post definitions and tell people they are not hunters if they do something differently?
> 
> I want to get this straight...
> ...


Great post you are 100 percent right.A lot of the people on hear are like spoiled kids.If some one likes something different then them then you are wrong.That probably goes for anything in life.I hope they are not raising their kids this ways telling what ever they think is all ways right and their friends are all ways wrong.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

dundo said:


> Great post you are 100 percent right.A lot of the people on hear are like spoiled kids.If some one likes something different then them then you are wrong.That probably goes for anything in life.I hope they are not raising their kids this ways telling what ever they think is all ways right and their friends are all ways wrong.


 
Well....maybe not always.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

triplelunger said:


> Okay... this is asinine!
> I shouldn't even be adding to this insanity, but can't help it. Are you guys so full of yourselves that you have to post definitions and tell people they are not hunters if they do something differently?
> 
> I want to get this straight...
> ...




My post had nothing to do with criticism. It was merely so we had the true definition of the words being used, instead of a bunch of misinformation that was being posted.

That's it.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Jim Orman said:


> If it is legal to do why argue about ethics. You Deer Hunters are your own worst enemy always thinking your views are the only ones. If you do something its OK as long as majority agree . DeerHunting should be getting Outdoors with Family and Friends and having fun Not who Kills biggest Rack and who does not follow majority Views . Get over it already you guys are beating a horse that's been dead for decades !!!!!!!!


Please don't judge all deer hunters by a few who voice their opinions on this forum. There are still plenty of just plain old deer hunters around who hunt with family and friends for the sheer joy of it.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Best thing bout merica is everyone gets an opinion, dont make it right one way or the other just makes it interesting. Now shut up and go hunt, err i mean bait:lol:


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## triplelunger (Dec 21, 2009)

hypox said:


> My post had nothing to do with criticism. It was merely so we had the true definition of the words being used, instead of a bunch of misinformation that was being posted.
> 
> That's it.


 
Great... let's clear this up!
Do you kill while sitting in a treestand?
That doesn't match the definition of "hunting" you posted from Websters...
There's no "chasing" of wild game being done out of a treestand.
Are you not a true hunter by your own admission?
I just want to make sure we are using true definitions here.


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