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Guest COACH J.

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Guest COACH J.

I just heard Tennessee may be a couple years away from legalizing bait! I hope they do the law right now is you can bait but it has to be cleaned up ten days before you hunt that stand so I bait all summer and clean it up ten days before season!I dont understand why its legal in some states but not in others?What do yall think about baiting and is it legal in your state?Game Warrden told me its illegal because diseases can spread from bait pyle to bait pyle...Just want to know yalls opinion. Thanx

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I have heard this in the past and I for one hope they do not! Looking in the current handbook there is an article as to why Tennessee biologists strongly urge people not to bait. That in mind, would seem just a little odd for that to be there if they are planning to allow baiting in the near future:(. However it would really not surprise me at all, some areas of the state they are trying to eradicate the herd making HUGE mistakes in my opinion. Still cannot conceive of how they came to the conclusion to allow for a county with an estimated density under 15 deer per sq mile to be in a liberal unit where 3 does a day are allowed:(:mad:.

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Baiting is not legal in Indiana, I wouldn't do it if it was.

I think the spread of disease issue centers around the fact that baiting causes deer to come into close contact with many more other deer than they would otherwise, increasing the chances that disease will spread from one to the next. In this day and age with the spectre of CWD looming all over, I would not want to be responsible for helping any disease spread through my deer herd.

HB

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Baiting is a VERY hot topic in MI. There has been studies done that show that baiting MAY be the cause of disease transmission. There is no hardcore evidence of whether or not that is actually true though. I can tell you this much though, a lot of hunters took baiting to a new level here a few years back when they started using loaders and dump trucks to place bait in their hunt areas. The prevalence of TB has dropped some since the regulation of no baiting in that area was instituted. But they also increased the antlerless permits as well. So no one can state with certainty which has had a greater influence in the prevalence rates.

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I did not say Indiana used the spread of disease argument to keep baiting illegal. I said that I think it increases the risks. If you want to bait, go and have a grand old time doing it. I might not even say, "I told you so," if the worst happens. It's not my cup of tea, regardless.

HB

I am against "baiting" too, Hoosierbuck. Definitely NOT Fair Chase!!

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Totally illegal to feed any wild deer at any time of year here in Illinois.I use to put corn out in late winter after season was over into spring to help the deer recoop from the season,but that's against the rules now.

Baiting doesn't bother me much,as long as it's legal in that state.I could take it or leave it.It should give the hunter time to look the animal over better and make sure it's what they want to take,and also give them time to make a good shot and not rush it and wound an animal.On the other hand it does seem to make things a little easier for the hunter.

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Just a little food for thought .. :D

Scenario #1

An apple orchard / apple tree drops 100's of pounds of apples on the ground in mid fall, and the deer herd up to eat said apples, but doesn't seem to promote diseases..:rolleyes:

Scenario #2

A hunter buys said apples and distributes them about is hunting area where a few deer come at night to feed but promotes diseases .. :confused::rolleyes:

I agree, these so called studies just don't seem to have enough evidence to support a theory of spreading diseases..by the use of baiting..

We used to be able to bait wild game here in Vermont and I never once had the opportunity to shoot a deer even close to to apples or corn ... :eek::eek: If anything it seems to make the deer go nocturnal and feed later at night .. ;)

It is now illegal to bait any type of wild game here in Vermont... I still get to harvest game.... To me the use of baits / scents is just another means of hunting and it's a personal preference and I would never look down on someone that uses these practices legally .. ;)

I agree this topic can get heated real quick .. ;)

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Guest COACH J.
Just a little food for thought .. :D

Scenario #1

An apple orchard / apple tree drops 100's of pounds of apples on the ground in mid fall, and the deer herd up to eat said apples, but doesn't seem to promote diseases..:rolleyes:

Scenario #2

A hunter buys said apples and distributes them about is hunting area where a few deer come at night to feed but promotes diseases .. :confused::rolleyes:

I agree, these so called studies just don't seem to have enough evidence to support a theory of spreading diseases..by the use of baiting..

We used to be able to bait wild game here in Vermont and I never once had the opportunity to shoot a deer even close to to apples or corn ... :eek::eek: If anything it seems to make the deer go nocturnal and feed later at night .. ;)

It is now illegal to bait any type of wild game here in Vermont... I still get to harvest game.... To me the use of baits / scents is just another means of hunting and it's a personal preference and I would never look down on someone that uses these practices legally .. ;)

I agree this topic can get heated real quick .. ;)

I totally agree with you I dont have to bait to kill deer but I dont see why its wrong unless your breaking the law to do it
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Different strokes for different folks

I have seen it work for a hunter and against him. I have seen people dump piles of bait and get nothing. The deer eat the bait but they have learned to eat it at night when nobody is there. I have seen guys get deer all the time with. It is a matter of preference. Is it any different when hunters debate if stand hunting or drive hunting is better. There are different strokes for different folks. There is one aspect of this I am curious what other hunters think. If you are against baiting are you ok with somebody sitting in a tower with a big feeder in front of them. Then that person shoots a big buck that has been fed it's whole life and has not been shot at until it has matured and has had the so called inferior deer eliminated from its range. Then that hunter gets his name in the record book along with the Jordan and Hanson bucks which grew up without the advantages his kill had? Just curious.

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Guest COACH J.
I have heard this in the past and I for one hope they do not! Looking in the current handbook there is an article as to why Tennessee biologists strongly urge people not to bait. That in mind, would seem just a little odd for that to be there if they are planning to allow baiting in the near future:(. However it would really not surprise me at all, some areas of the state they are trying to eradicate the herd making HUGE mistakes in my opinion. Still cannot conceive of how they came to the conclusion to allow for a county with an estimated density under 15 deer per sq mile to be in a liberal unit where 3 does a day are allowed:(:mad:.
Dont know how that can be a liberal unit!My county is a liberal unit but last time I checked our estimated density is around 40 deer per sq mile!The amount of deer you can harvest in tnn is way outa wack!!!:mad:But I dont see what is so wrong with legalizing bait:(
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fair chase?

I can not help but wonder how many big deer taken on film in Texas, Saskatchewan or Alberta would have been shot had it not been for baiting. Personally, I do not believe that sitting in a box blind overlooking a feeder, corn strewn sendero, pile of hay in northern Saskatchewan/Alberta, or pile of apples in Minnesota to be the epitome of fair chase. I know from personal experience that if you put out food (preferred deer food) just before dawn every day, the deer will come, and, the the big bucks will come. On the other hand, I also feel that sitting in an elevated box blind and shooting deer 400 yards away in a bean field more of a shooting experience than a hunting experience. I guess that it depends on what really matters in your world. Is it the kill or the hunt? The "need" for success (the kill) maybe all that matters. In my world, every hunt should be an adventure, where you do not know where or how it will end. I think I am also lucky to live where I do, which allows me to roam thousands of acres and seldom see another hunter. Montana does not allow baiting and I agree with that law. As far as the disease spreading potential, I also believe that it may well increase the potential, but then again any natural occurrence of preferred food in abundance will bring large numbers of deer into a small area. If it is legal in your area, have at it if you like. In the end, the enjoyment we get from whatever form of hunting we partake in is what really matters, and, the back straps taste great fresh off the grill.

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Dont know how that can be a liberal unit!My county is a liberal unit but last time I checked our estimated density is around 40 deer per sq mile!The amount of deer you can harvest in tnn is way outa wack!!!:mad:But I dont see what is so wrong with legalizing bait:(

Opinions are just that, and you did ask. To each his own really, but in my opinion, legalizing bait will just make it that much easier for those who want to prepare minimally for the season and then just shoot whatever they can that will find its way to the bait, which to me seems like a lesser challenge.

Pretty sure there are people in this state who do currently bait when season is open even though it is illegal. As I said, you may want to check the current handbook, with the article in there suggesting that people not bait, I have a hard time believing that they are going to go against that to allow baiting, but hey who knows. Look at page 24 in the handbook, there is a one page article, or here click on this link and go to page 26 http://state.tn.us/twra/pdfs/huntguide.pdf.

For the deer per sq mile, check out Gibson county estimated numbers, last I saw at tndeer.com they still had Gibson listed as under 15 deer per sq mile. Looking at the harvest number totals, this county is one of the lowest ranked harvest totals in the liberal units. Someone in my opinion has made a huge error in pushing for these liberal limits.

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I can not help but wonder how many big deer taken on film in Texas, Saskatchewan or Alberta would have been shot had it not been for baiting. Personally, I do not believe that sitting in a box blind overlooking a feeder, corn strewn sendero, pile of hay in northern Saskatchewan/Alberta, or pile of apples in Minnesota to be the epitome of fair chase. I know from personal experience that if you put out food (preferred deer food) just before dawn every day, the deer will come, and, the the big bucks will come. On the other hand, I also feel that sitting in an elevated box blind and shooting deer 400 yards away in a bean field more of a shooting experience than a hunting experience. I guess that it depends on what really matters in your world. Is it the kill or the hunt? The "need" for success (the kill) maybe all that matters. In my world, every hunt should be an adventure, where you do not know where or how it will end. I think I am also lucky to live where I do, which allows me to roam thousands of acres and seldom see another hunter. Montana does not allow baiting and I agree with that law. As far as the disease spreading potential, I also believe that it may well increase the potential, but then again any natural occurrence of preferred food in abundance will bring large numbers of deer into a small area. If it is legal in your area, have at it if you like. In the end, the enjoyment we get from whatever form of hunting we partake in is what really matters, and, the back straps taste great fresh off the grill.

Good post!;)

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It is interesting to see this subject come up year after year and it will probably come up a few more times in different posts this year alone. Everyone has there oppinion on what it may or may not do to the wildlife. I personally don't really care either way. I hunt in MI, IL, IN, and MO and it is only legal in MI. I do use bait when i hunt with my father for gun season. To me it seems wierd that so many biologists have so different theorys on this matter. I agree if you have a CWD problem in your state then actions need to taken to be sure this does not spread in which MI did and has since really got a handle on the situation. They have now pulled back on there no bait rules and made a quantity restriction on how much you could put out. Good to see they don't just fly off the handle and make decisions based on what the situation is. It all comes down to what we were taught when we first started hunting which makes us think that what someone else does different must be unethical or just not the right way. Always good to keep a open mind.

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