Uncle Teds feeding deer?

[drdaven]

I just finished watching Spirit of the Wild on the Outdoor Channel and I could have sworn that Uncle Ted professed that he is (in '08) feeding deer in Michigan.  He was spreading C'mere Deer and repeated, quite proudly to the camera that he IS feeding deer in Michigan.  Say it aint so Ted!!!
Anybody else see this episode and if so, what do you think?

[Demoderby4]

Haven't seen it, but was it before the ban? The ban didn't start until late summer, i see no need to be spreading c'mere deer in the summer though so that wouldn't make sense, i cant imagine he would be that dumb to admit to that after the ban was initiated. 

[DeerCamp]

Humm I didnt see it..But Im pretty sure he hunts in a fence and can get away with whatever in there.. That's what ticks me off.. We cant bait, yet these people that own deer in a fence can feed them. Shouldnt be that way. Thats what help caused the problem we have today.

[HoneyHole]

I like the challenge of not baiting. It really didn't change anything for me anyways. I hunt funnels, creek bottoms and food plots. As for feeding privately owned deer, let them. Do you know how much money it costs to keep those deer? The cost of the annual shots required by the state alone make it so you want to protect your investment. I have a friend that had about 30 deer and wound up selling them because he was losing money every year upkeeping them. He wound up buying elk instead. Lot's of money to be had there! 

[drdaven]

I agree Honey Hole.  I wasn't affected by the ban either.  Never have baited, except when I took my 9 y.o. daughter out with me, and then it was just so she would have fun watching the deer.  Never even hunted over it, just had it within eye shot.

The episode aired last night.  The funny thing was, he was very smug about turning to the camera and saying that "yes, I am feeding deer in Michigan!"

Now why would he say that if the ban was not in place.  Almost as if he is daring the CO to try to catch him.
He is very politcally oriented anyway, so wouldn't surprise me that he said and did it intentionally.

[EatDeer]

 Hey dude, Ted dosen't hear a thing, he probley just had his hearing aid turned off, when his friends were talking about the new law changes on the baiting issue. [8|]  

[DeerCamp]

lol your prolly right EatDeer.. Yes deer are a lot of money, a friend of mine has i believe over 60 of them. They get top dollar for them and they are a tough to keep alive. I know they loose a lot of fawns each year, and boy is there garge full of racks.. But I still feel that they shouldnt "feed" the deer. Thats just my take. I think they shouldnt have any special privilages that we cant have. I understand its an investment and a lot of money is put into it.. But what about the poor farmers this year? Hell they were the ones that really paid for it. I think if you want to bait you should be able to bait.Not every1 has time to scout but may want to hunt. I know how it goes, school,work,kids, ect... Its tought to scout at times.But if you dont want to bait then dont bait. Myself I hunt over bait sometimes. (When I could bait.) But NOT ALL the time. I feel the need for it sometimes, and other times I dont.

[HoneyHole]

On a side note, a buddy of mine was out scouting this past weekend and found 8 dead deer held up under some pines. All froze to death. This has been a terrible winter so far. 

[DeerCamp]

yes it has been a bad winter.. looks like the dnr won this round.. bad winter = lots of kill offs.. + no bait = lots of fines.

[OHhunter]

ORIGINAL: DeerCamp

yes it has been a bad winter.. looks like the dnr won this round.. bad winter = lots of kill offs.. + no bait = lots of fines.

 
Are winter kills normal in Michigan or was there not enough native forage to sustain the population after people were required to quit baiting/ feeding.