I've never killed a deer (or anything for that matter) over bait or a food plot, although almost all the leases I've hunted have had plots and feeders. I've spent hours in stands overlooking food plots, and never seen anything I could or wanted to shoot. The few deer I have taken were all from blinds or stands I chose due to traffic, rubs, scrapes, etc. I found while scouting around the place. The deer may have been on their way to or from the food plot or feeder, but I wasn't sitting right there waiting for them.
So I guess I just see the planting of plots and maintaining feeders a way to improve the herd and keep some good ones around. It's like wearing doe scent during the rut, using the buck's instincts against him - just another tool. It's not guaranteeing anything, just helping your chances a bit. Still requires you to find where they are gonna be, and you still have to make the kill.
If YOU put in the time establishing the food plot or maintaining the feeders, assuming there isn't a fence around your property, I do not feel that it's less of an accomplishment. Sitting on someone else's work and then harvesting an animal isn't too much of an accomplishment in my opinion. But again, it depends on what each individual wants out of a hunt. I'm not going to judge someone cause of a choice like that.
HMMM, I guess that would depend on what you considered BAIT. if setting up near some accorns or old apple orchard or cornfield, then I think thats just smart hunting, if you just want to get any deer/hog on the ground. if you want muy grande youre gonna have to work harder than that. hunting over a water tank in the desert, or timed feeders with high fences, then no definately less skill req'd and less sporting, ( not that theres anything wrong with that) if I was extremely wealthy but had very limited time I'd go for a guided hunt someplace where trophy's were known to be, but would prefer free ranging game. lowest/least level of skill would be one of those "canned hunts where you pick the animal to be shot from a pen and they release it into a high fenced small area where food and water are known/timed. to each his own, but I couldn't stomach anyone bragging about his great hunting skill shooting a 14 pointer on a guided canned hunt.
I often wonder tink about that question and think it's a good topic. I personally hunt off of feeders and usually hogs take them over,and I don't care much for killing them. S I wonder why the hell I spend so much time and work setting them up,I think it's because I enjoy watching wildlife. I also hunt in other states on row crops like corn,wound that be considered bait? I know guys who cuss others who hunt off of bait but will set up around crops.
Hunting over a "pile of corn" is not as easy as people think. You still have to scout. You still have to set your stands and feeders according to the bedding areas and feeding areas, and travel areas. You still have to play the wind. I guess for those that don't hunt over bait and only hunt public land have this stereotype that if you put out corn piles it is like shooting fish in a barrel. It is simply not true. I will assure that a very very small % of mature bucks are killed over a "corn pile".Young bucks, yes. Does, yes. But the big boys are just simply not gonna get shot under a feeder. Some do, but not mAny
Will really like to hear your thoughts on this John
