Is hunting deer over bait cheating? It’s the million dollar question.
The short answer is, yes.
Yes, if hunting deer over bait is illegal where you live. It’s cheating. It’s breaking the law. It’s the stuff outlaw stories are made of. But of course, if it is legal where you live, then it’s not cheating. It’s simply using the advantageous options the state allows its hunters to use to help manage the state’s deer herd.
So why is hunting over bait such a hot topic? And why are the critics so adamantly opposed to the tactic of placing groceries on the ground for deer? Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of baiting, as well as some of the issues with baiting and what tends to fuel the fire among critics.
The Benefit of Baiting
Before we get in to why some hunters are against the use of bait, it’s important to take a look at why some are in favor of baiting. Andy Cardwell, of Feradyne Outdoors, is a Kentucky bowhunter that has his fair share of opinions on the use of bait. He shares his thoughts below.
I myself hunt over bait and believe it is a very useful tool for management. I feel as if I know most all of the bucks on my properties and their ages because of being able to bait. With the use of bait and cameras, I know what bucks are growing and showing real potential and what bucks are remaining close to the same year to year.
I also believe with the number of hunters decreasing every year, baiting is a great way to keep young hunters’ attention. I can almost guarantee we will see a few deer most every sit because of bait. And with this fast pace world these kids are raised in now, we need to do all we can to slow the world down for them. And lastly, shot placement is a big plus to bait. I can make an animal stand where I want it for a proper ethical shot.
The Concern of Spreading Disease
Despite the benefits of baiting, there are some legitimate concerns against it. One in particular is the potential for the spread of CWD. State biologists are doing their best to minimize the opportunity for deer to congregate at food or mineral sources. The first thing that tends to go when CWD shows up in a state are the hunter’s right to place bait for deer.
If this is an effective means of control, then so be it. All hunters should be on board with what’s best for the health of our local deer herds.
Unfortunately, the facts are few and far between when it comes to the effectiveness of many of the measures some states take to prevent the spread of CWD. Does preventing the use of bait truly work, or is it just a knee-jerk reaction to the public’s cry to do something? We may never know.
The Concern of Being Left Out
Interestingly, some of the biggest critics of the use of bait for deer are in states or regions that don’t allow the use of bait. These hunters can’t use bait, and for that reason, they don’t feel like anyone else should get to use it either, regardless of where they live. It’s not so much the bait as it is the opportunity someone else has that they are not privy to. It typically boils down to jealousy.
Whether it’s a nice buck or a truckload of does, the jealous hunter loves to hang his hat comments like, “Yeah, but too bad you had to use bait” or “Must be nice being able to use bait.” Some hunters love to hate on bait, all the while knowing they’d use it themselves if they had the opportunity.
The Concern of Competition
Another issue that some hunters hold when it comes to baiting deer is their concern for competition by other hunters. It’s not unlike the struggle to have a better food plot than your neighbor. You want deer feeding on your side of the fence, not theirs. So the simple bait sight goes from a modest corn pile or feeder to a truckload of groceries, apples, corn, and alfalfa. It never seems to end. It can easily become an obsession. And ultimately, somewhere along the way, someone ends up cheating in hopes of knocking off a neighbor and tagging the buck for themselves.
Andy Cardwell knows the struggle of competition by landowners. “If you live where I do (Kentucky) and you’re not baiting, I can promise you, your neighbor is running bait, and you will see very little,” he says.
The Basics on Baiting
Regardless of what side you’re on, here’s a few things to consider when it comes to the use of bait for deer, as well as questions to ponder on the future of baiting deer.
- It’s not like shooting fish in a barrel. Sure, you see the big bucks on outdoor TV that walk right in to a bait pile, but rarely will you see the others that stayed out of bow range ’til dark, or that picked you off in your treestand and spooked.
- Bait puts deer on edge. Deer are a lot like bears when it comes to bait. They know somebody’s dropping off the goods. They know there’s a risk. It’s just a matter of whether or not they’ll slip in close enough and take a chance while you’re in the stand. They are full of the jitters when they do commit to the bait. They are tightly wound and ready to bounce at the faintest sound or movement.
- Hunting over bait is not the same as hunting over a food plot. That’s ridiculous. Bait allows you to position a deer exactly where you want it for the shot – in bow range. A food plot simply draws a deer to an area. Depending on size, a deer could feed in a food plot all evening without ever coming into bow range.
- Baiting is expensive. With corn prices up, running bait for deer has become pretty spendy in recent years. It’s not uncommon for hunters to spend as much money on corn for bait as they do the lease they’re hunting on.
- Bait, or no bait – it’s still fun. There are different levels of fun and excitement out there for hunters. And while hunting over bait may not be as exciting as a deer feeding down an oak ridge in the timber, or a rutty buck in November, it’s still fun. Don’t hate on it until you’ve tried it.
- If it’s legal for another hunter to bait, then leave them alone if they choose to do so. Learn to tame your tongue over the issue. If it’s not your thing, that’s cool. This is America. You have the freedom to do your own thing. Just make sure you’re allowing someone else to enjoy the freedom they have as well.
- Some of the biggest bucks killed every year come from states that allow baiting – Ohio, Kansas, and Kentucky. Does baiting play a role in these high-end bucks being killed?
- If a state bans the opportunity to hunt over bait for deer health concerns, should they not also ban the feeding of deer altogether? Should backyard bait stations go as well?
