baiting in pa

[aaronw1977]

what is you opinion of baiting. Is it right or wrong? If you can by a product off the shelf of gander mountain or cabelas for feeding deer should you be allowed to use it for deer season? Should the game commission allow you to use it on private land? I think if you own your own land you should be able to use any thing you want to use just dont use it on state ground am i right or wrong ?My opinion is that it would allow you you to take a more mature buck or doe and not just shoot the first one that comes in to your stand.

[danesdad]

I think it should be legal in places where the population (both deer and human) is high and the woodlots and properties where hunting is allowed are fractured and far apart. The special regulations areas 2B, 5C and 5D are perfect for baiting. In more rural places, it shouldn't be legal.

[aaronw1977]

Great point wish there were other people that could see it would be benaficial for baiting in some areas.

[danesdad]

I live in 2B and there are places where the cover might be a small ten acre valley sandwiched between two housing developments. 90% of that ground is unhuntable, but there are enough deer in the area that the township is considering hiring sharpshooters to thin the herd. Why should those peoples tax dollars pay to accomplish something that hunters would do for free? But hunters need to draw those deer to places where they can be hunted safely and humanely. So, in such an instance, I see nothing wrong with bait.

[doit]

Lets doit, everywhere, if you want. make it a matter of choice. I know guys in Jersey that still can't kill a deer, even over bait.
You suck you suck, if your good your good. lets face it.

[ajkrem22]

I agree with you danesdad.... in certian situations where hunters are being used to thin the deer herd in highly populated places, it would be great to pull deer away from houses to safely and humanly harvest the animal. Who wants to shoot a deer and have it run and die in someone's back yard.

But other than that I just don't agree with it. When it comes to hunting I just think you should read the sign, hang a stand/ground blind and see what you can do. For me it just wouldn't be very sporting to sit over bait waiting for a deer to come in. I guess that is why I enjoy hunting so much, it's more about the game than the results for me. I understand that just because you are baiting it doesn't make it a sure thing, I just know I wouldn't enjoy this grea sport as much as I do if I started baiting.

[danesdad]

I would favor baiting in the special regulations area, but not across the state.

[danesdad]

ORIGINAL: doit

Lets doit, everywhere, if you want. make it a matter of choice. I know guys in Jersey that still can't kill a deer, even over bait.
You suck you suck, if your good your good. lets face it.

Look, bro, hunting is 10% skill and 90% location. You hunt in places where there are no deer and all the bait in the world isn't gonna help.

[Everyday Hunter]

ORIGINAL: danesdad

I would favor baiting in the special regulations area, but not across the state.

Actually, you had your wish. Baiting was tried in the special regulations areas in southeast PA on a test basis. The purpose was to draw deer from unhuntable areas into areas where they could be hunted. I'd have to look it up to be sure what the results were, but I don't think it was as effective as the PGC thought it might be, and as of now the test program for baiting has been discontinued.

I don't know what (if anything) is being done now to solve the problem of deer overpopulation in those areas. If the deer would only pack their suitcases and move to Potter! Seriously, an email to the PGC would probably let you know what is currently being done.

Steve

[CONLEY14]

BAITING SHOULD BE ILLEGAL EVERYWHERE. IN OHIO IT IS ILLEGAL ON PUBLIC LAND BUT NOT ON PRIVATE, SO HOW STUPID IS THAT? I JUST THINK IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO PUT IN THE WORK TO KILL A DEER.