Anything you put out to draw deer is bait if you plan to hunt them just like anything you put on a hook to catch a fish is called bait. Theres no difference in reality but Im sure a lot of people disagree for over 100 reasons.
You are feeding them if they are pets or livestock. But then again most are fattening up livestock for the slaughter so I suppose its a matter of perspective.

I have a different outlook and purpose of my food plots than just for "killing" as you've circled that intent by itself. Everyone doesn't approach hunting the same. For some reason, I want to have the right soil pH and grow as many tons of nutritious and palatable food in my multiple food plots as possible. I would like my food plots to be productive for more than "just the hunting season" like, 24/7/30/12/365 to benefit my deer and turkeys. My entire wildlife mgmt plan calls for WAY MORE than just showing up two weeks before Oct 15th or opening of gun season and throwing out corn to attract deer.

blumsden, you and I look at deer hunting and/or wildlife mgmt from just about as far apart as two hunters can look at it!!!

Not condemning your approach.... it's just not my approach.

Gobbler, you damn "baiting" human as I aspire to "bait" like you do!!!!!

really? you don't care if your neighbor is hunting illegally by putting out bait?

A lot of you really minimize the relevance and inherent value that comes with planning, implementation and long term goals of foodplots. We ALL agree that both a bait pile and a foodplot have one thing in common...they can attract deer...but that's it. A pile of bait can be placed in the middle of a pine thicket 3 minutes prior to getting in a stand and will be gone 3 days after putting it out. From those that I know that want bait legalized there is a common trend. These same folks wouldn't spend 5 minutes of their weekend putting in or planting foodplots...they want the fast, cheap and easy way out. Why reward these types and basically punish those that are willing to spend the time and resources to improve their property in ways that is a real value to not only deer but all wildlife?

If you are for legalizing bait that is your choice but I personally feel it is a very very weak analogy to compare foodplots to bait piles. Kind of like saying chocolate ice cream and dog sh&^ are the same cause they are both brown and mushy...

I'd still plant food plots.

You are spot on sir. Morally, ethically, there is no difference. A foot plot and a feeder are both food sources placed in a specific location by Man for the purpose of drawing game animals into gun or bow range. Of course that doesn't stop some people from deluding themselves into believing there is a difference.

It doesn't require one more grain of skill, talent or hunting knowledge to climb a tree next to a green patch than it does to climb one in sight of a feeder.

But it gets worse. The arguments they make for the superior nature of green patches are mostly BS as well. They talk about how much more nutritious a green patch is than feeding corn. Well yeah if you plant one of those expensive seed blends like Biologic and are comparing that to someone feeding pure corn. But there are two problems with this claim of theirs. First, the vast overwhelming majority of patches that are planted in this state every year are not some fancy year round blend. Nope, most are simply "ONE" of the following, winter wheat, rye grass or oats. By the end of season these type patches have run their course and provide little useful nutrition for deer the rest of the year. And two there are some deer feeds out there you can load in a feeder that are waaaay more beneficial for deer than the average food plot. That said, I know the average person would probably just load corn in their feeders. But It's also true that the average person just plants winter wheat too. No great gulf between those two things as far as nutrition is concerned.

It is also horse dung that green patches require way more work. It takes one day to plant about 14 patches on our land and the tractor does 90% of that work. Maybe one more time that season you go back and hit them with a little fertilizer. A string of feeders have to be checked on and maintained constantly each week. Batteries charged and changed out. Repaired when necessary. And of course constantly refilled by hand. Way higher maintenance than patches. Yet someone that would advocate legalizing feeders is a lazy slob hunter. And that horse pucky is usually spewed by some guy that didn't even show up at his club the day the green patches were planted. LOL! But he's still a better hunter cause he's hunting green patches.

Todd, that's an interesting outlook on what most people plant in this state...with all the mixes out there that contain multiple clovers I would have thought otherwise...Biologic and Whitetail Institute seem to be selling a little seed here and there as well, but I guess that must be out of state customers doing the buying....

how are you able to prep and plant foodplots in just one day?

in your second paragraph you say "it gets worse.............something or another" and then come right back and say: "Well yeah if you plant one of those expensive seed blends like Biologic and are comparing that to someone feeding pure corn"

what if most people did plant mixes like Biologic sells and most people that bait just put out pure corn? what would your thoughts be on that? Cause that's really more the reality than your suggestion that most plant cheap worthless foodplots and baiters use feeders year around and feed high protein feed...

I'm not debating the ethicality of baiting vs planting. And, man... there is not doubt that ton for ton of baiting vs planting, it takes way more man hrs of work and money to bait vs planting. Corn and vehicle fuel is expensive.

But don't kid yourself into thinking baiting is just as good as food plots for the wildlife. In the research I've done, and to take an excerpt: A quality 1-acre food plot will produce up to 10 tons of high protein crops annually at a fraction of the cost of corn.

My club will also plant clover and a perennial food plot can last 3-5 years and provide close to that same tonnage for little or no cost in years 2-5 with no shrinkage from varmints. Deer and turkey love clover, squirells and raccoons don't. I may take issue with the "little or no cost at year 1 or 2" as usually an application of herbicide and 0-0-20 is needed.

I wasn't necessarily "for" baiting as I hate the fact that baiting will replace food plots in some clubs. However, we'll probably do both at our club as feeders do have merit.

I'm not looking down my nose at pure baiters but I don't think pure baiters should attempt to justify their baiting-only by downing planting. And, absolutely, both methods attract game. But I can't dictate the hour of availability of forage in a food plot or fertilized natural browse but I can set a timer to go off at 4 pm or 8 am.

Also, I bet that most feeders, after Jan 31st, will go empty and my food plots will continue to produce. I'm just sayin' that downing food plots to justify baiting is a hollow argument.

good post...my issue isn't with those that supplemental feed...they will continue to do both and both definitely have merit. If we could afford to supplemental feed we'd do it...my concern is with the actual outcome if baiting is made legal. I see fewer foodplots and in their place a lot of bait piles that come and go as often as the person putting out the bait. And then at the end of the day deer figure out bait piles, become more nocturnal and then it's just a pissing contest with a lot of waisted money. The real beneficiary will be feeder companies and those that sell corn.

Bucktrot, we're not as far apart as you think. I own 80 acres, lease another 400. I lime my plots and plant them in the spring and the fall with nutritious plants for the deer. I don't put out corn. I have done habitat improvements on my property trying to impove the food and cover. Everything i do on my property is for the wildlife. I only shoot 8ptrs out past their ears, and try to keep the doe population in check. It sounds as though you do the same. You just cant admit that you wouldn't do it if you didn't hunt. I know i wouldn't, i have spent thousands of dollars improving my land for wildlife, with the intent of taking advantage of it when i can by harvesting that wildlife. We may just have to agree to disagree. No one on here is going to say baiting with a feeder is better for a deer, but its done to attract deer, just like everything i've mentioned.

My food plots feed wildlife year round. Most get hunted maybe 25 days a year. The wildlife have it all to themselves the rest of the year. Do you feed corn year round? I would bet not...

blumsden, we're not apart at all. And, if I didn't hunt, (big grin here) I would NOT do anything that I do now!! However, planting and habitat mgmt has really been a part of my enjoyment, though.

Certainly, all planting I do I try to make a plan for hunting it but my intent of an overall positive game mgmt plan is sincere as it ain't ALL just about killing. But I do love to hunt deer and esp mature bucks and I get a rush out of somebody killing any deer off a food plot that I've created.

With all sincerity, when I plant, I envision killing deer on that food plot but I am also excited about the fact that I'm making a difference, "collectively" when all the pieces of the puzzle are put together.

I've been accused of being pro "trophy only" and "if you kill an immature buck, you're going to hell!" That could NOT be further from the truth. If a 2 yr old buck is killed, that's FINE!! I am pro "taking" (or killing) only what a piece of property can absorb. Hey, I love to "take" but I've found that the more I give, the more I can take but I'd rather Mother Nature "owe" me than I owe Mother Nature.

Ok, for starters, read my post again, and you'll see i don't put out corn. Some of you are missing the point. No one is saying, foodplots aren't better for deer. All i'm saying is this: foodplots attract deer because deer get hungry and they like what we have planted for them, so they come to the foodplot. Deer come to a corn feeder because they are hungry and like what is in the feeder, period. Its the same thing. Hunger driving deer to be attracted by either a plot or a feeder. I'm not pushing baiting on anyone and IMO, a food plot is the way to go. Some fisherman wouldn't be caught dead, using live bait, they choose artficial bait, but at the end of the day there both bait. I also believe that if someone hunts differently than me, thats their decision, and i don't need to judge them for it. Just because we plant foodplots, and others don't doesn't neccessarily make us better men.

Bucktrot that last paragraph has described my feelings to a T. Thank you sir!!!!

Well said.

I completely agree with blumsden.

Here’s a question for debate pertaining to this conversation…….Does year round supplemental feeding artificially increase the carrying capacity of the land? What impacts does this have on the native plants species?

Crimson is that you? Supplemental feeding as well as foodplotting could artificially increase the carring capacity of the land, and when the feeding or plotting stops for some reason,i.e. drought,personal sickness, unemployment, etc., could have a detrimental effect on native plant species. We have to remember, deer were just fine before we got involved. Nature has a way of balancing itself out over time.

One of the best questions in a long time. I am proud! Yes, it does have an impact, at least research shows it does. Being that deer are selective browsers and could be receiving the bulk of the nutrition they need from a well run feeding program, they will inturn start eating only the most nutritious plants available in the areas that have the feeders. This can degrade the habitat over time.

All that said, I have not been around a feeding program where this is taking place on free range herds. It happens a fair amount in enclosures if they don't pay close attention.

Had to register for this thread. Moved to Alabama from Florida where baiting is legal. I plant Biologic foodplots, offer them protien pellets, set up mineral sites and pour the corn to them. When you have bad soil they cannot grow to there full potential. This is all supplemental feeding because I don't hunt my property. I hunt public land to "try" and let my deer get big and old. The minute anything artificial comes into play with a hunt its baiting. Don't matter if its corn foodplots or scents. Supplemental feeding is for bigger better deer in a unhunted area of your property. If you have to measure the distance down the trail your baiting. I have even noticed corn piles in pro hunting videos this year.

Have you ever been on land in our state, without supplemental feeding, that had too many deer and the habitat was in some stage of degrading? What will happen in an area like this when a year round supplemental feeding program is introduced? Will it even further exacerbate the problem by continuing to prop up or even further growing a deer herd that is already exceeding the capacity of the habitat? Maybe it takes some of the pressure off of the native system short term….but what happens long term?

Now that everyone is getting the supposed “go ahead”, what happens when all the hunting landowners start implementing large scale supplemental feeding programs? You could argue that all landowners won’t do it and only the well to do few will…..but what happens when a bunch of those well to do few all own land next to each other? Are we setting the stage for the opportunity of degrading large sections of land much like we see happening in some state parks? If those areas aren’t already pushing the carrying capacity of the land…..how long with it take for that to happen with several adjoining landowners on feeding programs? What will happen to the native habitat? When it degrades, will the artificially propped up deer population then be dependent on the landowners to feed them?

Baiting has been legal in Fla. for 25 years I guess. Have you ever sat and watched deer come running to a feeder when it goes off at one end of a plot then run to the other end when the another feeder goes off. I guess this is feeding unless you shoot them, then it is baiting. These deer have been coming here to eat their whole lives and if it wasn't for the food they wouldn't be there. Deer are survivors and when my buddy passes on and the feed stops they will just go somewhere else to eat. Good to see you back CNC.