Why is it illegal to bait deer ?

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  • amboy49

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    I was stopped by the local CO as I was walking out to my truck the other evening after sitting in my blind waiting for a big buck to cruise by. Among the other “friendly” questions he asked was “how much bait I had out ?“. It took me a couple of extra seconds to even comprehend his allegation ( not question ). Kinda like asking “how much have you had to drink? “ or “when did you stop beating your wife ?”

    Afterwards, it got me thinking. Why is it illegal to bait for deer ? It is my understanding it’s considered baiting if you put out scent or salt blocks, throw out corn in a bean field, or use other non “naturally occurring” products. You’re even required to remove any dirt from a salt block area a minimum of 10 days before hunting the area.

    However, I CAN plant all the turnips, beets, or other non naturally occurring food items I want ! I can put down deer scent to my heart’s content. I can make a fake scrape and put buck scent in it. I can pull a scent rag around with doe in estrus urine till I’m too tired to walk anymore.

    So what’s the logic in making it illegal to put out a salt block or planting an acre patch of turnips to draw deer into an area ? I can only guess some anti hunter type decided it wouldn’t be “fair” to use certain foreign attractants. Don’t know who made the arbitrary decision of what to include on the list of illegal items and what to leave off, but in my mind it makes for an interesting discussion topic.

    I’m certain a CO could explain the rationale. NOT - nor would he care as he writes a ticket for a violation.

    As a follow up question - if I don’t have a persimmon tree or an oak tree on my hunting property, can I bring in persimmons or acorns and hunt over the bait pile ? Same theory as bringing in apples ? Not legal ?
     
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    teddy12b

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    1.) The CO was fishing for a sucker. Sounds like you passed that test.

    Baiting as I understand it is still illegal for a couple of reasons. The big reason is that it's "perceived" to give hunters an unfair advantage as opposed to the completley legal practice of sitting on the edge of a cornfield. Another is that there can be some health concerns that you would feed deer something that makes them sick, and other deer sick. Finally people who've never hunted over bait assume it's like shooting fish in a barrel and nothing could be farther from the truth.

    In my opinion that hate against baiting is an argument for those who have given it zero thought. Planting acres of food plot (bait) is legal, a corn field (bait) is legal, but a bag of corn is still illegal? It's completely inconsistent. Reality is that when an animal comes to bait there is still a choice to be made. Unlike when a bobber attached to a hook and worm goes down and people blindly jerk a hook in something, an animal on bait still requires a choice.

    I've passed on animals over bait. I've known many hunters who have passed on animals they saw over bait. I don't really care if a person baits or not. I don't because I don't have a great spot regardless. I won't judge other hunters who use bait though. I don't see any morality difference between dropping some corn and apples in a field vs hunting on the edge of a corn field where the truck turns and spills some every year. I don't think God will judge anyone differently based on their decision to bait or not and I wish all the nonsense laws about it would go away.
     

    Mattroth54

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    I’m kind of with you on this. I’ve heard the argument of baiting isn’t hunting...I personally don’t buy it. Most that argue otherwise do all the same things you mention. The brass tacks of hunting is an exercise in herd reduction. The most ethical, humane shot isn’t at 200y on a moving animal. An animal standing still in a location ideal to the hunter more often presents an ideal shot. NI’ve hunted over bait in surrounding states that allowed it. It’s was and is their normal. No arguments about cheating or whatever. Just another tool in your toolbox. That said, I follow the law in Indiana, full stop. I agree, Indiana’s baiting law is silly the way it’s written.
     

    Leadeye

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    As far as hunting regulations I've just taken the philosophy that the state owns the deer and if you want to hunt them legally you follow the states rules. It's easier than trying to sort out things.
     
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    42769vette

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    I went to Illinois snow goose hunting a few years back. The outfitter got busted for baiting.

    Anyone who has waterfowl hunted knows its a pain to pull enough corn stocks out of a field to cover your blind. This guy had pulled stocks prior to season, and brought a trailer full to the field and covered his blind. The DNR considered that baiting.

    To me putting corn stocks in a corn field and calling it baiting is pretty thin. That's like saying you baited the fish with water.
     

    teddy12b

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    I should also mention another little hunting story. Many years ago I hunted over bait in the Upper Peninsula of MI. On the first day I didn't see anything till I was literally grabbing my pack to start getting out of the stand. At that moment a young doe came in with a very happy young buck right on her tail. They were two kids in love and all hunting ethics aside, from one dude to another I wasn't going to block the guy. They left peacefully together to go do what deer do. I on the other hand spent the rest of the week sitting in a tree not seeing any deer over bait debating on my decision to let the buck walk. That would have been my first deer, and I still don't regret the decision. Even with bait, there's a decision to be made.
     

    AGarbers

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    Some states allow it. Even with baiting being legal, it's not a sure thing. If we were in some arid place with no acorns, persimmons, apples, etc, it would make the difference. Here in Indiana, there is so much naturally occurring food that a bait pile is just one more fast food joint in a shopping mall food court.
     

    Rookie

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    My dad lives in Ohio and has worked out a deal with one of those "bag a buck" canned hunts. Basically, he pays a little bit of money and the owner lets my dad harvest his doe limit. Anyway...

    The owner feeds the deer on his property daily. Even with daily feeding, there are many times when my dad goes days without seeing a deer. Personally, I think the deer baiting law was made by people that are idiots.
     

    ChrisK1977

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    I am willing to bet a dollar that this will be the next big topic within the next 5 years. Personally I don’t care. Where I hunt I am not willing to carry even 10 extra pounds of bait much less a bag of corn.
     

    Leadeye

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    Years ago I remember listening to discussions about allowing rifles for deer hunting. The theory was that they were too dangerous for deer hunting as bullets would carry hitting property or people, however you could legally hunt squirrels with a 30-06. Why were the rules that way? That's just the way they were so I hunted with a slug gun. That has changed gradually maybe rules on baiting will change in the future, but today is not that day.
     

    churchmouse

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    A good friend had a stretch of ground on Raccoon Creek well above the lake. He had a converted bus for a camper parked on it. He loved nature. Camera buff. We could shoot all we wanted there but no hunting. None. Not even Coyote.
    He put salt and mineral blocks out down by the creek in good view of his camper. He could sit and watch the deer etc as long as they were there. He had several fights with the CO's about this.
     

    Tactically Fat

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    Because the government says so.

    Because it isn't "sporting".

    I'd be interested in knowing which of the surrounding states that deer hunting over bait IS legal...how those herds and numbers taken each season compare with Indiana. Do bait-legal states have a much smaller herd? Or a similar herd and fewer hunters?
     

    teddy12b

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    Because the government says so.

    Because it isn't "sporting".

    I'd be interested in knowing which of the surrounding states that deer hunting over bait IS legal...how those herds and numbers taken each season compare with Indiana. Do bait-legal states have a much smaller herd? Or a similar herd and fewer hunters?

    If you're looking for a study, I'd focus in on Michigan. I've never looked for any scholarly research on the topic, but if it's out there it's probably in Michigan.
     

    ilikeguns

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    The simple answer: "Because the gubment says so."

    Makes about as much sense as the fact that you've technically broken the law if you go outside with a spotlight and happen to catch an animal in the beam.

    Spotlighting is not illegal in Indiana, unless you have a firearm or bow In your possession while doing it.
     

    Mongo59

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    Because the government says so.

    Because it isn't "sporting".

    I'd be interested in knowing which of the surrounding states that deer hunting over bait IS legal...how those herds and numbers taken each season compare with Indiana. Do bait-legal states have a much smaller herd? Or a similar herd and fewer hunters?

    Just a FYI, Georgia made it legal to bait deer this year.
     
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