Uncle Ted speaks

Sopchoppy · Post by **Sopchoppy** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:26 am

Just got the Jan. 2010 issue of Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine. Ole Uncle Ted is right on, again. The title of the article is "Baiting bans are crazy stupid!" It's a good read.

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:13 am

It is a very good read.I love me some Uncle Ted

I also enjoyed the 45 vs 50 cal article for Muzzleloaders,it confirmed what I've know for a long time,the 45 cal is serious whitetail medicine.

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:16 am

I'm seeing no difference between food plots, which are legal here, and baiting, which is not....including which contain food and food-smelling products, liquid or powder!
One seemingly unrecognized side affect of baiting is the potential spread of disease, however. By concentrating deer, such diseases as CWD, TB, Brusilosis, etc, which are transmitted by physical contact, are more easily spread in the population....and then to other hosts, like cattle.
Our DNR recently opened shooting of ALL deer in the northwestern portion of MN for that very reason.

Crispy · Post by **Crispy** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:26 am

I bait for trail cam pics only, it is illegal to hunt over bait in Pa. Not sure how I feel about it, its been that way all of my life. I missed uncle Teds article, sure it was a good one. Do they consider baiting fair chase?

B-Logger · Post by **B-Logger** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 1:44 pm

Cossack wrote:I'm seeing no difference between food plots, which are legal here, and baiting, which is not....including which contain food and food-smelling products, liquid or powder!
One seemingly unrecognized side affect of baiting is the potential spread of disease, however. By concentrating deer, such diseases as CWD, TB, Brusilosis, etc, which are transmitted by physical contact, are more easily spread in the population....and then to other hosts, like cattle.
Our DNR recently opened shooting of ALL deer in the northwestern portion of MN for that very reason.

Cossack, I do believe you answered the question of the difference between a food plot and baiting right in your own post.

Here in MI they have outlawed all baiting and artificial feeding of deer or other animals except for bird feeders. It has caused a huge division with hunters and the bickering continues. I have no idea if it will help or not or even if it was required but the decision was made into law so we have to follow it. Our DNR is also trying their darndest to get hunters to shoot more and more does. Some do, some don't.

lscha · Post by **lscha** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:54 pm

I agree with Ted on this issue (namely that deer live nose to nose and nose to butt, etc) and that the spreading of disease will happen regardless of baiting. I have hunted over bait and without it. It makes no difference to me. I see advantages to both but I don't like that they criminalize the practice of putting a mineral block or small amount of something to get a deer to stop while it is walking in front of your blind. I'll stick to food plots instead of trails rather than shoot at a moving deer.

TripleM · Post by **TripleM** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:45 pm

In Texas, hunting food plots, corn/protein feeders, natural or commercial baits/lures has always been a way of life for all of my 50 years here.
I hunt using feeders on my property and am not ashamed to say so. When the acorns are dropping though I will hunt the thickest areas of acorns on the ground.
Uncle Ted himself owns a ranch here in a very good deer hunting area of the state.
I'm with Ted, baiting laws are stupid.

Undertaker · Post by **Undertaker** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:20 am

They say baiting leads to the spread of 'wasting disease'. They have banned it down here in Florida in the Wildlife Management areas for this stated reason. Private lands may still have feeders.

But if close intimate contact leads to the spread of these terrible maladies, how does a bait station enhance that ?

I know deer are social by nature, but aren't they also territorial ?

Do deer throw caution to the wind and trespass in order to get to a bait station they have no clue even exists ?

I don't think one herd would know another herd had secret goodies, unless they had violated the other's territory previously. And if they do that anyways..... then the diseases are going to be spread regardless.

I see small herds in the same areas, and not large herds roaming the countryside. Maybe different areas have different distributions. But I fail to see how feeding the deer adds to the problem.

More likely, bucks traveling herd to herd to mate, spreads it much better. Ain't much that legislation can do to fix that - But we can fix that.

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:09 am

"I don't like that they criminalize the practice of putting a mineral block"

Mineral blocks are legal in MN, as long as they don't contain any food additives.

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:14 am

Deer will travel considerable distances to get food and they seem to communicate where it is or at least follow each other there. I have observe them move from one food source to another several miles distant and to concentrate on one location when food becomes scarce.

bluemoon · Post by **bluemoon** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:37 am

Uncle Ted can be a bit crass, but I'm still glad to have him on our side.

Don't know much about the baiting, never did it, not even a salt block. Always figured the money spent on corn, minerals, or whatever coulda just bought some meat.

It would concern me some that if baiting of all types were completely legal, it could become a spittin' contest. He who has the biggest, tastiest bait pile gets the deer, the poor sap on the next property who can only afford a few salt blocks & old apples doesn't see much. Not so much a worry here in Ky where food is generally abundant & winters not so bad, but could see it happening up north where winters are tougher & every scrap of food is precious to the wildlife.

Just hate to see this all becoming so money driven. Used to have a bunch of places to hunt, now most are leased for big $$$. Have no problem in principal with landowners making a few bucks, but I know that once the bidding starts, I (& thousands of others in a similar financial state) can't compete. Hopefully my kids will still have a place to hunt without breaking the bank when they're adults, but I seriously doubt my future grandkids will be able to continue the tradition unless they become wealthy. Oh well, I'll get off the ol' soapbox.

Still glad Ted is fer us rather than agin' us.

hetichunter · Post by **hetichunter** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:48 am

from the all knowing people that make the laws here in Illinois.

It is unlawful to make available food, salt,
mineral blocks or other products for ingestion
by wild deer or other wildlife in areas where
wild deer are present.

there is also no bear hunting here as the people on the south side of chicago would just go kill our football team.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:54 am

Baiting deer is perfectly legal here in North Carolina.

I own my own farm and could easily maintain multiple bait sites.

I have never placed so much as a single grain of corn on the ground!

Why haven't I?

BECAUSE BAITING DOESN'T WORK VERY WELL IN AREAS WHERE THERE ABUNDANT NATURALLY-OCCURRING OR AGRICULTURAL FOOD SOURCES!

Really. It doesn't!

It just isn't the big advantage here that many make it out to be.

If you place a lot of bait for deer around here, you're a friend to possums, coons, squirrels and jays ... and any bear that finds it first!

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:56 am

hetichunter wrote:It is unlawful to make available food, salt,
mineral blocks or other products for ingestion
by wild deer or other wildlife in areas where
wild deer are present.

Well ... that'd just about cover it, wouldn't it?