I am curious who all hunts private land and who all hunts public land? How many acres do you hunt on? Do you do hunt both, stay on private land, or stay on public land, or possibly a combination of the both when your property backs up to public land?
Big Game Hunting
Public Land Vs Private Land
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I hunt public land in marinette County and for the first 6 years we maybe saw and got one deer out of our group of four there were bait piles everywhere you went and all the guys we talked to said they didn't see anything or get anything then they banned baiting and all those people stopped hunting that piece of property and now i see deer every year and have been able to harvest one the last couple years whether or not it has to do with banning baiting i don't know but that's hunting
Lake shiner, I agree. I’ve been reading the bickering on these topics since Lake-Link has been around.
Deer hunting brings out the worst in people. I’ve literally seen it divide families. Like you said, people who may otherwise be intelligent and pragmatic people lose their freaking marbles when it comes to deer hunting. This phenomenon knows no socio-economic or age boundaries. Everyone believes they are right, and there must be something wrong with you if you disagree.
Since this dead horse has been beaten beyond recognition, I never hear much about what I consider the ethical backbone of hunting.
How do you respect the animal? Do your deer ribs end up in the garbage because you don’t want to “mess” with the “little bit” of meat? Do you leave the heart in the field because you “don’t eat organs”? Do you apologize to your buddies for shooting a “little buck” (which you may be happy with) to preserve your man card? How does your freezer look? Are there freezer burned steaks from 2015, but you’re still hunting this year? Or worst of all, are you a self proclaimed “trophy hunter” who “donates” their deer because the “family won’t eat it”?
I do not care if you shoot a crossbow, bait, hunt over food plots, shoot does and spikes, etc. Respect the animal. Respect other people. Don’t believe that your narrow perceptions and experiences frame how every one else thinks. And again, respect the animal.
WelderGuy - I think it comes down to how its sold to people. You really don't hear anyone pushing a bear bait ban. If you watch it on TV they hunt over bait. Less do it than deer as well, its not the animal on the pedestal like a deer is since it doesn't have antlers.
Most hunters seem to get tunnel vision. Its one way or its wrong. I remember someone on one of these sites who put in food plots and then didn't hunt by them, but instead they hunted the trails leading to them. Perfectly normal situation except that they kept saying the food plot didn't alter the deer, even though they were hunting the trails leading to it. It was impossible that their plot was baiting in or drawing deer, because that word is evil. I thought it was hilarious. People are smart and can usually see how things are similar, except when it comes to deer. Then they all play stupid. Its like high school peer pressure for adults.
Regarding the ban on baiting....I know a guy who hunted with a group (private land, close to Madison) that had a salt lick area for the last 20 years or more. Three years ago the DNR went in on opening day and busted them. They said they caught it in an aerial flyover. So don't think that the DNR won't catch you baiting illegally, they're watching. It ruined my friend's hunt that day. He was on the other side of the property, but they still went to his blind and checked him as well. He was the only one on the property that didn't get a fine that day, and if I remember right the fine was about 2 thousand bucks.
If you hunt private land, banning baiting is awesome. If you hunt public land, not so much. At least in the areas I hunt. The thousand plus acre chunks of woods I hunt....very little food, no natural funnels, few edges, just massive big woods. When they banned baiting, guys with food plots and farm fields within a mile have even better hunting. Unfortunately I cannot hunt those areas. Private land guys will still bait anyway, and wardens unfortunately focus on the "poor" public land hunters entering off of the road.
I agree with lakeshiner, just another method. I don’t bait but used to years ago and it doesn’t bother me if others do. If you’ve ever hunted over bait you’ll typically see that deer come in and eat for 5 min and walk off they don’t just sit at a bait pile all day. And where do u limit “baiting”? People are against baiting deer with food but not so much when it comes to baiting them with doe estrous scent, food plots, mock scrapes, grunt calls etc. your still luring a deer to your location, right? And why is baiting the norm and acceptable when it comes to bear hunting but so controversial when it comes to deer hunting? Just questions I’ve always wondered about, not bashing anyone to each their own.
Baiting is yet another thing where opinions vary by the area of the state. Lumping any bait questions together is dumb, needs to be regional.
I do agree that spreading it more should be law. Other states have that in place.
That said I’d be fine without it, but I’m not against it. Just another method. I realize a lot of hunters are arrogant and think there is only one way to shoot a deer, then they bicker about it. I’m not one, it’s just a deer....who cares.
This really got off topic haha.
Over the years I have been scouting and thought, there sure is a lot of deer sign in tis area just to find a ladder stand , a bait pile and a trail cam. There is no doubt it concentrates deer and keeps them from needing to browse and feed. If not, then who would bait. Yes , there were people complaining about the bait ban and whining about not seeing deer. That is cause so many dont know how to hunt without bait. As for where I hunt. The few locals that hunt all around my cabin on the public land. They told me they still baited anyway. Baiting is not so good, sure we see more deer , and the shots are easier, it is not the same as killing one coming out of its bedding area or coming down a trail and getting them naturally.
"Yes, I know JC like to bait . Honestly we could ban bait and hunt them like we used to . I dont see the harm in it at all. They would have to moove more , that is for sure. "
I remember that argument back in 2002 when baiting was banned statewide. All I heard were complaints about lack of seeing deer. I remember that argument when Lincoln County was banned, and yet deer hunting has continued its downward spiral. Baiting is oversold as making hunting worse. If the deer aren't there to begin with, it is pretty hard to blame anything other than deer aren't there to begin with.
Actually, I own 7 ac. I dont even hunt it. I cross the Flambeau River and likely have hundreds of acres to myself. I dont really go there to see deer. I go there , ,, well, , , cause I have a cabin there and have owned the land for almost 32 yrs. I went down to Chitcago and bought the 7ac. with 300' of S. Fork Flambeau River frontage for $3,000. As much as 3k was when I was 25 yrs old. I knew very well that it was a deal I will never regret. That summer , all of us carpenters went up to build a 24x24' cabin in a weekend. I still have it. The taxes are whopping $252 this year. WTH, they went up $18 !! . " Come on man" . The deer hunting was ok, but that is all I can give the deer hunting was "ok". Now , it is downright dismal. There is a bunch of cabins down the road that bait and bait and bait. They get deer and I rarely see a buck . Have not see one in 11 yrs during the gun season. And no , I am not a crappy hunter. I can sit in Washington co. public in Nov. and see a buck every other sit, so it's not me, honest. Yes, I know JC like to bait . Honestly we could ban bait and hunt them like we used to . I dont see the harm in it at all. They would have to moove more , that is for sure. LakeShiner, I am sure your area is better than mine , but I have some down the road that shoot every little buck and bait opening of bow and dont stop till Thanksgiving. By the time I gun hunt there , most of the bucks are at freezer camp. They would not be doing so well if they had to hunt without bait.
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