Here's a scenario that played out the past two years.
Last season, my son was 13 and got to start sitting on his own for the first time. He was after his first buck, and solo at that. He passed on a few opportunities at small bucks hunting with me the year before, and was waiting for one he would be proud of. I could care less how big the buck was, but he decided that. He hunted his rear end off, scouted, worked and worked, hung in there, sleep deprived, and come rut it paid off and he got a nice 8 point, very heavy mature deer. Took him 30-40 stand hours.
Fast forward to this year. I put a feeder on the edge of a small green field this summer that historically didn't produce all that well. I filled it up every 3 weeks or so. First and only feeder I have ever put out. Lots of tracks around it. I suggest we go sit there this weekend, for the youth hunt. He agrees. We get in the stand 30 minutes before daylight, and 30 minutes later there is a very nice 8 point standing under the feeder. He made a good shot and the rest is history.
That's the difference right there, summed up in one boy's experience. It's flat out easier to kill a good deer with a corn feeder, that is a fact.
I don't personally care how folks hunt, that's their business. Baiting will change the way deer have historically been hunted in Alabama. Positive or negative depends on one's personal beliefs, but it's night and day different than not hunting over bait. A greenfield is a growing food source, not a bait pile.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
