PROs and CONs of baiting on public lands?

[BowhunterNJ]

I was thinking about this on my way home, trying to come up with some PROS and CONs of baiting on public lands...what do you guys think?

 

PROs:

• Increased hunting opportunity (assuming the deer herd is adequate)
• Keeps things "fair" in respect to baiting competition with adjacent private lands (i.e. if private land is baiting, it could draw many of the deer out of the public piece)

 

CONs:

• Increased hunter territorialism
• Increased cost in time/money to compete with other hunters/bait piles
• Increase chances of hunter conflict (cutting off other hunters whether knowingly or unknowingly)
• Congregates deer in smaller areas resulting in less movement
• Has been linked to more easily passing disease, could impact other wildlife.

 

What are some other PROs/CONs you guys can think of?

[_X7]

Just like researching for goods and services with the cons outweighing the pros, it gets a thumbs down. Baiting is at the base of many problems in this state whether people care to admit it or not. 

[Rdfhunter]

Baiting spreads out hunters on public land..

 

1,000 Ac without bait maybe 3 or 4 decent areas of deer..

Add bait and 15 guys will spread out 15 different areas

[3Blade]

I see more cons then pros if you are hunting for a mature buck. To add to the cons...  you are announcing your location to other hunters and your are putting mature deer on high alert due to the fact that they will associate bait piles with danger. I have never killed a mature buck over bait. Pros... would helpif you are just meat hunting and are looking for a young buck or doe. 

[MackofallTrades]

I don't like announcing anything on public land. I even hate the marks my climber makes. That being said, I would love baiting to be banned on public lands unless it is a designated cull. I think it would increase hunter awareness/bushcraft if we were forced.to.look for natural signs.

 

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[Axiom]

 

PROs:

• Increased hunting opportunity (assuming the deer herd is adequate)
• Keeps things "fair" in respect to baiting competition with adjacent private lands (i.e. if private land is baiting, it could draw many of the deer out of the public piece

 

  1) agree

  2) agree... I don't know why some guys would not want baiting on public land when they already complain there aren't enough deer there to begin with.. Now you have woods with a lot of pressure and no food vs less pressure and plenty of food.. if you were a deer where would you hang out?

 

 

CONs:

• Increased hunter territorialism
• Increased cost in time/money to compete with other hunters/bait piles
• Increase chances of hunter conflict (cutting off other hunters whether knowingly or unknowingly)
• Congregates deer in smaller areas resulting in less movement
• Has been linked to more easily passing disease, could impact other wildlife.

 

 

1) agree.. But rightfully so.. Its kinda rude to set up near anothers pile of bait.. Theres no need for it.. poor corn just about anywhere and the deer will find it..

2) disagree.. Don't know why it would cost more if someone else has a pile of bait near your own.. How would you up the anti?.. Poor more corn than the other guy?.. That wont work.. The deer don't hang around and eat the whole pile before moving on.. a small pile is just as good as a large one from what ive seen

3) disagree.. These NJ hunters are gonna have conflict no matter what you do..

4) disagree.. But I do think it does give the deer a more defined pattern of movement.. instead of browsing around they will take more well defined paths to and from their bedding or hiding places to the bait pile.. This becomes more and more apparent as the season progresses and natural food sources dry up..

5) disagree.. need more info

[mikejd]

Gives away location to other hunters. I have my stands tucked in so tight sometimes I cant find them. Put 500 lbs of the yellow stuff down and everybody knows were your stuff is. i believe it makes the good bucks more nocturnal. And the most important is that there really is no hunting involved what so ever. Its like shooting my glendel from my shed roof.

[Matty]

This subject has led me deep into trouble before, so I will tread lightly. lol I have already deleted 4 or 5 responses before settling on this one:

 

I will simply say I'm not a big fan of baiting, not even for bears really anymore. To me, it just doesn't feel like fair chase, so that's the biggest con in my eyes.  I know not everyone feels that way, so I try to keep my opinion to myself these days. 

 

I do agree with the majority of the observations for pros and cons everyone has given as well.

 

I think it's like trail cameras and hurts some hunters more than they realize. If you're using bait and don't have the opportunity to kill a deer on most hunts (not that you should do that), you should reconsider how you're using it and why you're using it. It can and should make hunting very, very easy, but it can also work very much against a hunter and make it extremely difficult. Success may seem like it's on the verge of happening...you just need that deer to slip up that one time and come in during shooting light, but theres a reason he doesn't. You've been patterned.

 

I do think it plays a great role as a management tool used to reduce burgeoning populations.

It can really draw deer and bears out of areas we can't access. So it is almost necessary in some situations.

[Rusty]

I'm too lazy to retype this.  

 

https://www.njwoodsandwater.com/topic/2842-baiting-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/?hl=%2Brusty+%2Bbaiting&do=findComment&comment=27601

[Myreezoning]

I love walking in and seeing someone hunting over your bait pile! What can you do it's public land!

[Pintail]

If done correctly, bait can and does help with early season animals as well as late season when you have snow cover. Too many use way too much thinking that more is better. Large bait piles draw hunters and bears until the supply is used up. More often then not large piles will drive deer into a nighttime feeding pattern only because of persistent human /bear odor in that given area.  Depending on how far off the beaten path you hunt anything that has to do with bait is extra work, time and money.

[Hitemnasty]

I've never baited public land but here's the pros and cons I see as a non baiter there. Pros, like said before a baiter will usually set up one stand and stay there the entire season, baiters more times than not are just lazy and aren't willing to lug their bait in deep where I and mature deer want to be and if I feel like I need to I can just let the baiter do the work and just cut him off deeper in where the deer come from. Sounds like a douche move but I need to hunt somewhere and if the deer pattern is them heading to a bait pile well I'm going to hunt that pattern! Cons as I see it are too much human activity too often which can lead to nocturnal movement, territorial disputes and being not many good or mature bucks frequent a bait pile the baiter will settle for a lesser immature deer or just whack doe after doe, leading us back around to one of the major problems in this state with deer management.

[Thrudheim]

CONs:

• Has been linked to more easily passing disease, could impact other wildlife.

 

 

In other states yes but so far there has not been a link to CWD in NJ.

[Thrudheim]

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/cwdinfo.htm

[BowhunterNJ]

In other states yes but so far there has not been a link to CWD in NJ.

Right hasn't been an issue here yet that I know of.