A good idea, no?

[Dan Salmon]

Agreed Mark.

I'm all for a guy finding and hunting an oak stand or apple tree or berry patch, what have you, when it's naturally occurring. I don't think that farming for deer or using farming methods to steer deer where you want them to kill them is sporting. It is my opinion and many don't agree with me either.

[Jslotter]

I've seen the argument that hunting over a cut corn field is the same as hunting over bait. I personally draw the line on the intentions of the food available. In my opinion. If you plant crops in order to attract deer, or dump a bucket of corn, then I think that is baiting. A farmer who plants 20 some acres of corn or beans to put money in his pocket , then you put a treestand in the vincinity of that, isn't baiting to me. Thats just common sense. I have no problem with either or. Thats just my opinion. Some are out there for more of the challenge. Some are out there to find the easier route to put meat in the freezer. I have no problem with any of it as long it is legal and makes the hunter happy...

[thutzler]

if i plant a 10 by 10 patch of turnips and beets have i done anything to cut down the chance of spreading cwd versus dropping a bucket of corn? some hunters would not see and some still dont see a deer without the aid of bait, to each their own

[bullwinkle]

How many of you guys who are slamming food plotting have ever done it?

Let me just clear a few things up - being a guy that has done both extensively.

1. A 10x10 turnip plot is useless in most areas of the state. You can't get this size plot to grow. In places where you could get this to grow, there are not many deer.

2. Baiting you do in the woods typically. Places where the deer feel secure. They come in early and are easy targets if you set up your bait correctly. You know right where they will be standing and you know the distance. If you are legally doing it, 2 gallons is not a lot. It will only cover a small area even if you spread it around.

3. The smallest successful plot I have every made work is about 20 yards by 20 yards. I can get clover to grow there. There is no way this will cause the same contact as a 2 gallon pile of corn. Not even close - spread out 2 gallons of corn over 400 square yards. All you will do is feed the squirrels.

4. The vast majority of my plots are not hunted over. Who puts out corn just to help the deer? I plant 16 acres. It is a lot of work and a lot of fun. The deer are better off and my hunts are a ball. With food plots, the game is trying to pattern the deer and figure out where they will come out. Baiting is a shooting sport. I have done it and the older I get the less proud I am of it. I don't allow my kids to do it. I can tell you first hand it is significantly more rewarding shooting a deer over a food plot than a pile of corn. I see a boat load of deer food plotting. When I baited I saw deer but significantly less. The deer I did see baiting, I had a higher percentage kill ratio because of the easy set up.

My neighbors all bait, I am not against it. Let's just keep it real. Food plotting and baiting are in different leagues. I would guess that the vast majority of the guys who slam food plots, or compare them to baiting, don't food plot.

[Jslotter]

I really careless what people do to keep deer in their hunting areas. As long it is legal, cool. I tend not to follow hunting trends or do what is considered the 'cool' in the hunting industry. Food plots, trail cameras, scent blocker stuff, giving deer nicknames is not my kinda thing. I have never attempted food plots ever because a farmer's cut corn or bean field pretty much yields the same results. Or finding a white oak with good acorn drops in early fall. To each his own I guess. If my opinion came off as bashing then I apologize.

[bullwinkle]

Jslotter - I may have jumped on too quickly as well. I am just sensitive to the baiters trying to save baiting by saying it is similar to food plotting. It is not even close.

Baiting got the cold shoulder from the Deer Czar and we all know the DNR does not support baiting. As CWD continues to grow there will be more an more pressure to eliminate baiting. Anyone who uses baiting as a core strategy has to be concerned about this changing very soon and some are punching back. Don't drag in food plotters in the fight.

Food plotting - done correctly - is actually is good for wildlife, landscape diversity and overall health of the environment. I have gotten the DNR to actually let me put new food plots in my MFL plans because it is supported biologically. I cut down 2 acres of trees, removed the stumps and planted clover all supported by the DNR as part of my MFL plan. I plan to do an even bigger one in when my next MFL cut is scheduled.

Sorry if I over reacted.

[Jslotter]

Hunting strategy is changing a lot, and Im afraid of change to be honest. If I had the proper resources and land to implement food plots, I probably would give it a try. I always hear how Iowa public land has food plots and ag. crops put in to improve the quality of hunting. Im jealous. Most of the public land in my area in western WI is all swamp and the parking areas are all overgrown and barely visible. The only way to get any decent hunting is to go deep where the islands are which requires to go knee deep in mud for a good distance. I think Dr. kroll mentioned something about improving public lands in his recommendations. Maybe it can happen.

[Dan Salmon]

I'm not intentionally bashing food plotters either, though it may seem so.

I just don't think it is in the best interest of the sport to see magazine articles that indicate you should be planting food and other plants in a certain way to manipulate entrance and exit points to food plots in order to make "hunting" easier.

I have a lot more respect for the guy that goes out and shoots a basket 6 pointer or hell, a fork horn from deep in a cedar swamp than I do for the guy that sets on a food plot/crop field and shoots a huge 10 pointer. I don't think that the guy that shot the 10 pointer is a better hunter, but I do think that the magazines make him out to be a better hunter because of the size of the deer that he shot.

[bullwinkle]

Jslotter - you are right on. The best thing for deer hunting up North would be to log like we did in the '80/90s. The state/federal lands are maturing and it is affecting the deer habitat. As a privalte landowner, I have set up to do logging on my property every 4 years allowing me to always have new growth and diversity. It helps big time

Dan - I agree with your points. The only thing I would add is controling entry and exit routes are easier said than done. On my last two plots I pushed the stumps and rocks up to make a barrier to get into the plot - the deer just go right over them. This year I feathered an edge of my plot and reduced the trails from 5-6 (on the East side) to two. I put a plot watcher over the plot and there is still one buck that climbs over the fallen trees. I heard fishing line works. I am debating whether I want to put this my woods. I hate garbage

[hot tamale]

umpiremark,
I agree with you. whether you put it out from a pail or cultivate it, it is still baiting.
I was just telling my wife about seeing some deer hunting videos and feeling not so proud of the people on these dvd's.
they sit on the edge of a field that has the most lush greenery and then shoot 20 yds. ooooh what hunters. they talk about patterning deer and all that jazz. what they timed them coming into the field?

To me that is just killing for the sake of killing. If you hunt that way, great- i have no qualms about what you do or how you do it as long as it is legal. I would hunt that way in the beginning to start to learn about deer hunting or teach a youngster to hunt and to get the first couple of kills under their belt, but after that, I just dont see the thrill. I wouldnt be able to go home after harvesting a deer from a bait pile or field and say that I met the deer on his terms and won. It's just not my thing.

I do think the DNR should get their butts in gear and do some studies like what was mentioned above. I would have to say that the harvest rates would go down quite a bit in the beginning because many people only know how to set up over bait piles. Now they'll have to learn to scout and set up along trails, etc. it's going to be different for them.
I just fear that it will put a dent in some small town economy where hunters dont flock into the area for hunting and closing a diner that depends on that $ to survive the winter months. sporting goods stores selling feed, etc. I am for getting rid of baiting for both personal reasons and to stop the CWD (if possible), but i dont want to see communities suffer due to it.