Baiting Bill HB1618/SB1942

[Headhunter]

Hopefully the new generation of hunters aren't learning from TV hunting shows. Ambushing deer from blinds and stands in food plots is not the way to learn. Wearing out a pair of boots is the way you learn.

Not much different than cameras, many just put out cameras and observe what they see. I agree wearing out a pair of boots or 2 or 3 or more pairs of boots is how to learn. Spending time in the woods, not just watching cameras, is how you learn about deer.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I'd rather see the next generation learning more in a better balance about woodsmanship, hunting, and shooting.

and...learning to manage the habitat in a way thats healthy and benifical to all wildlife.

 

[Bell3wv]

Yea big word there. What's it mean!!! Doesn't look like you need to bait with all those live decoys around. Is that baiting hunting over live decoys or pets?

My preferred weapon on choice.

 

[hereinaz]

Most would probably quit hunting. In 2017 I moved to east TN. I grew up hunting in coffee and Franklin counties. Unit L. What a shocker that was. I went from seeing deer everytime I went hunting to hopefully seeing 2 or 3 deer a season. Luckily I've been able to scratch out a decent buck here and there on South Cherokee. I've also had to pass a shooter buck or two because I didn't want or have the time to pack the meat out. There's been times I've found the perfect ambush site. Funnels with rubs scrapes so fresh you can still smell the buck. But then turn around and look towards the truck and say there's no possible way to get a buck out of here without taking a couple days to pack him out.

I figure when I come out there from AZ, that I'll have to spend lots of boot leather to fill a tag. I am going to hunt it like I would AZ, but I'll still have it easier than the guys driving to CO and ID packing out elk for miles. If you want to share some of those deep hard to hunt honey holes, I'll trade you some honey holes to hunt in AZ, hahaha.

It is amazing to see the different types of hunts that people are used to doing. I have friends in AZ that won't get too far off their side by side to hunt.

I think all hunting is cool, just different kinds. The idea of growing a food plot is an adventure and challenge in itself. So much of the work is what happens before getting in the stand.

It's ridiculous if they actually ban food plots.

Hopefully the new generation of hunters aren't learning from TV hunting shows. Ambushing deer from blinds and stands in food plots is not the way to learn. Wearing out a pair of boots is the way you learn.

There are a lot of new hunters learning to hunt out here in the west, where food plots are a foreign concept. I hear about the low deer density in the mountains of East TN, and it sounds kinda like a western hunt to me.

 

[mike243]

This thread was about baiting and not about banning food plot, poured out on the ground, the lazy folks want to be able to open a bag and hunt over it, food plots wont ever be banned.

 

[easttennjed]

This thread was about baiting and not about banning food plot, poured out on the ground, the lazy folks want to be able to open a bag and hunt over it, food plots wont ever be banned.

I'm guessing you're young and very physically active so you think only physically younger physically active people should be able to hunt because they can hike long distances. I can't wait until you get older and are not able to walk long distances due to age or physical disabilities.

 

[Mtnfarmer]

If you care about your kid's or grand kids' ability to hu t, you'll stand against it. Nothing erodes nonhunter support for our lifestyle as fast as bait.

Ask Ky Al or TX about that ...

 

[mike243]

I'm guessing you're young and very physically active so you think only physically younger physically active people should be able to hunt because they can hike long distances. I can't wait until you get older and are not able to walk long distances due to age or physical disabilities.

I will be 63 in a month, have diabetes and other related problems, I will not ask for a handicap hunt due to my health, it's called aging out of activity's, I do as much as I can till I can't then I go do something else. nobody's fault or responsibility to provide me with a special hunt.

 

[ljhhunt3]

O great now the deer will be on welfare and get lazy. They will never walk to the top of the mountain where I hunt if this passes. What's next free cell phones for them so they can communicate long distances. WWTD

 

[harv418]

Having hunted in Texas for 8 of the last 12 years, I can say it changes hunting to harvesting. The exception here when the acorns fall. My feeder ran year round, and I would consistently have deer on it until the acorn drop.

What you are effectively doing is localizing your doe herd. That maximizes your chances of seeing bucks during the rut. We scattered corn on our roads, in our shooting lanes; we had feeders running at all of our permanent box stands. We took care of each other's feeders.

that being said, we killed ALOT of feral hogs throughout the year. For me, that alone makes me want to say no. Give those demons a consistent food source and watch their population explode. We had 4 feeders we built a fence around to keep them out. 16 hog panels around. Deer would jump them, but you are basically excluding the fawns and younger deer.

Baiting is not 100% success rate by any stretch of the imagination. But it can help you keep a doe population in your area. I've seen too many Feeder legs shot due to poor marksmanship. Spent way too much keeping corn on the ground, in the feeders, feeder motors, batteries, solar chargers, coon cages, etc. It is a headache.

All that being said, if I still had kids I wanted to introduce to harvesting an animal, Corn does a great job. Roasted Soy beans are fantastic. Cotton Seed will get nailed once the deer are looking for protein. But Give me a well grown, maintained food plot any day of the week. 4 weeks of effort during the year, vs filling operations every 2 weeks.