Baiting, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[Matty]

To further expand on ways to "curb" it's use. I think the state should consider some kind of rule(s) that limit the amount a hunter can place at one time and potentially some other restrictions.

 

example: "No more than (choose one: 10# , 20#,  5gal bucket)  of bait can be placed at one time"

 

Because, honestly, most people "feed" deer when they are trying to "bait". Baiting can be done with so much less corn than what most people throw out.

Try taking a small bag of corn that weighs just a few pounds out and throw it all over (very spread out).

 

Do this every couple of days at random if you can, or at least once a week in the same spot. 

 

Eventually deer will begin to check it out on a daily basis, they quickly adopt these bait sites as part of their pattern while up feeding. 

 

This style of baiting accomplishes several things:

 

-It allows them to feed more naturally (spread out away from each other) which greatly helps reduce the likelihood of disease transmission.

-Makes smaller amounts of bait last longer. (saves $$$)

-Relaxes the deer faster than a pile for better shot opportunities.

-Causes more "competition" for the bait, so they come earlier and not nocturnally.

-Doesn't concentrate deer to the point they destroy the surrounding browse, because they treat these baits more like the natural foods in their habitat and visit them for lesser amounts of time and don't bed near them as a primary food source.

- Allows the hunter to be patterned less easily by deer bedding too close or staying past shooting hours.

-Is less noticeable to other hunters than large piles.

- By having no bait there on the days you hunt, or just a very small amount, deer won't congregate, so you can be more selective in harvest choices without scaring a whole group of deer. They will visit and move through the area more quickly.

 

I could go on and on, but if that's how baiting was allowed, it wouldn't negatively impact everyone so much and cause so much nocturnal behavior.

[Axiom]

example: "No more than (choose one: 10# , 20#, 5gal bucket) of bait can be placed at one time"

 

 

Yeah On Morris County park land you are allowed to carry in a 5 gallon bucket full at a time... Guess who follows the rule... NOBODY!!..!    you got guys backing in fully loaded corn combines into the woods..    

[Matty]

Report them to Matt or Kelli. 

Edited January 4, 2014 by Matty

[Bucksnbows]

 

 

As most know, most deer will follow the same trails and feed in the same spots. So if those spots are not accessible to the hunters, it makes for extremely slow management. With baiting we were able to make huge impacts on the resident herd and eventually they stopped the hunt. I guess they didn't know that deer could breed. LOL

 

So without a maintenance harvest taking place, the population started to explode again, didn't take long before they invited Rusty back to manage again.

 

 

So yes, I'm not really a fan of baiting, but I recognize that it certainly does have it's place. I would like to simply see ways to curb it's use to an extent, but wouldn't want to handcuff proper management by banning it.  

 

Rusty doesn't actually manage, he just drinks my beer while the rest of us manage 

 

Just kidding Rusty.  We use bait only to control does if and when needed on a private piece of land I manage in zone 6.  I have yet to ever shoot a buck over bait as I buck hunt for specific bucks and try to pattern them instead of relying on bait.  Plus I learned to deer hunt long before baiting was legal and hunt in PA where there is no baiting.  As others said, it has pros and cons.  I do strongly believe that the newer deer hunters rely nearly 100% on baiting and we've lost something because of that.

 

As far as CWD is concerned, if/when it is discovered here in NJ, the plan would be to stop all baiting in that zone or zones and try to shoot 100% of the herd if at all possible in that affected area.  So far that approach has worked only in NY (shooting down the herd to prevent spreading of CWD).  But I fear it will be here and likely sooner than later.    

[Axiom]

 

Report them to Matt or Kelli.

 

 

 Thats not something i would do.. they aint hurt'n anything...  The counties reasons for that limit is political.. let them enforce it...

[Rusty]

Rusty doesn't actually manage, he just drinks my beer while the rest of us manage 

    

 

 

Don't be a hater. 

[Matty]

 Thats not something i would do.. they aint hurt'n anything...  The counties reasons for that limit is political.. let them enforce it...

 

I disagree. They are hurting everyone else, you know, the rest of the hunters that FOLLOW THE RULES!

 

Regardless of the reason behind the rule, it's one of the rules they knew about when they signed up to hunt the parks. And MCPC hunters are asked to report violations.

Besides, I actually believe the MCPC baiting rules are set in place because of reasons that Rusty, X7 and a few others have mentioned. Because when too much bait is placed, it actually makes hunting more difficult.

 

They don't want everyone out there just feeding deer. They want people managing doe populations. So they discourage baiting and state that if you do, you put out no more than 5 gallons for a reason. Because that's more than enough to keep deer coming to a spot so you can manage doe populations without giving them so much food that they all wait until dark to eat.

 

I don't understand why people can't follow simple rules. I'd report them. 

[Hatchet]

Here's the problem jersey doesn't want this to be Pike county! They want the deer herd reduced dramaticly what ever means nessasary . Bait'n , 150' rule , n unlimited antlerless for bow n shot gun proves it to me. This will never be a trophy whitetail state that part is up to us! I put a self imposed AR ,I refuse to buy a shotgun permit n like I've said I only buy extended bow is cause I can't hunt fall bow due to work .

[Axiom]

I disagree. They are hurting everyone else, you know, the rest of the hunters that FOLLOW THE RULES!

 

 

 

lol.. Anyone who relies on bait piles too much is hurting NO ONE but themselves... I have no obligation to report anyone for anything nor will I even if i did.. Getting other hunters in trouble for petty sh*t aint on my agenda...  Hunters #s are dwindleing.. a big reason why is because , in this state, its a HUGE pain in the ass to hunt, expensive, and with all the fire arms regulations, who wants to teach their kids to own a weapon?.. Not many cause doing so may buy them a few years in  prison.. God forbid the kid, now 21,  stops at the store for a bite to eat after a hard day afield and some a-hole cop decides he wants to do paper work back at the precinct rather than cruise around all night so he makes a big stink out of it so, why should i add to the already million reasons not to hunt in this state?.. Why should >YOU or any other hunter for that matter... Fewer hunters will have ALOT less infuence than alot of hunters with a few bad apples... And i dont mean REALLY bad apples.. Just a few with some bruises.. you know what i'm sayin?

 

The 5 gallon Bucket rule was done for no other reason other than to placate the antis who dont like anything hunters do... The reason i was givin for the rule during orientation was because it attracts bears...  .. yeah, corn, a delicasy for bears...   especially in January and february..    .. if it does attract them, ( never seen them at a corn pile ) maybe they should allow bear hunting too... that'll fix that problem eh?

Edited January 5, 2014 by Axiom

[tcook8296]

My thoughts on baiting:

State land I think its useless, unless you have an area with very little pressure, there are bait piles every hundred yards or so. The deer feed all night long, and it gives away your spot and jeopardizes your equipment if you left it there stand, camera etc.

On private land it works better but can also work against you too. Deer are now programmed that bait piles are dangerous and I think feeders are even worse especially for an older, wiser buck. Ive noticed deer will go to a bait pile first over a feeder at least on my farm. Bucks will tend to avoid the feeder completely except during the rut when they are chasing does. Heaping bait piles make deer nervous, they constantly come in down wind and linger around. You always have that one smart doe that stands watch over the herd as it feeds and as soon as the wind shifts, she starts throwing a fit and they all run away. They start to pattern you baiting and checking cameras. I found if you dump bait in or near a bedding area, the deer will no longer bed there and bed someplace else. They hit the piles early in the fall but by shotgun they are coming in the last hour or so if you are lucky and in the morning, you send them to bed when you walk in. Spreading the bait out seems to work the best, it keeps the deer separated where they are not kicking each other and running each other off. That causes a lot of stress on the deer. Spreading it out in a big area has a more natural feel of foraging to the deer I think and they don't seem to come in scanning the tree tops and noses in the air. They seem a little more relaxed and I think you have a much better chance at bringing in a wiser buck to bait. We have fields and woods, we don't bait the woods after the guns start going off. We bait the fields, hunt the field edges while leaving the woods as a sanctuary. The deer are piling out of the woods in the evenings. Putting yourself between the bedding and the bait works well, but hunting on top of the heaping pile, I think you are shooting yourself in the foot.

Edited December 16, 2015 by tcook8296

[Ravenrock_bowbender]

I know guys that bait and I mean over bait and never shoot deer. I used to bait and when I stopped I killed more deer and bigger ones too. If you do bait this is what I used to do..I would buy a 50 pound bag and take out a food storage bag full and mix molasses with it and throw it out for smell..after that straight corn the rest of the year. Only storage bags at a time about a gallon and I would throw it out of the bag not pile it. It worked better than throwing out the whole 50 pound bag in a pile