Well I was up at our cottage yesterday and put some feed in our feeder. Hunting season is over in Quebec since the end of November and I'm glad it is!!!! We had no less than 25 deer at our feeder and neighbor's feeder at one time!!! Since the snow hit, about a foot of it, our area (20 minutes north of Mont Tremblant ski resort), is part of the locally famous La Macaza wintering yards for deer.
I'd hate to have hunting still open as basically any idiot could bag his deer by sitting himself next to some feed. In our area, the deer are almost "domesticated" during this time of the year. This contrasts greatly with the actual hunting season where placing feed isn't as much of a usefull attractant.
My question is:
How does this contrast with what you folks are experiencing now in your neck of the woods? I personally couldn't shoot any of the deer I saw. This isn't what I would call "hunting". It classes itself about as exiting as shooting the farmer's cow!
Your point is an opinion.
Let me ask you a question:
During the open season in your NECK of the woods,
Do you hunt:
1. Food plots including acorn stands and wild apple trees.
1a. Farm land (planted crops)
1b. Baited stands (apple/corn)
2. Bedding areas
3. Trails between bedding area (#2) and food plots (#1/1a/1b)
4. Scrape lines
5. Rub Lines
6. Do you use any of the sex attractants
7. Do you use any of the food scents
If you said 'YES' to any of these methods, what makes your method any different than your 'farmers cow' analogy
You should 'think' before you 'ENTER'
I believe you should only shoot whatever you feel comfortable with. I also dont feel a real high challenge with the younger deer. Keeping in mind I only take these for the sake of the meat (tender). But when it comes to trying to get a large antlered(smart)buck, then I would dress up as a doe trying to work her money thang on 5th ave. to try and get those smart suckers. Some places are more of a challenge than others depending on the surroundings and what the deer are use to. Again if you dont feel comfortable with it, then dont do it. No one can hold that against you. I hope that helps.
I am thinking dear "guest"! I am trying to determine if hunting over bait at this point of the year is becoming too easy. Our season closes in November...probably for this very same reason. Are any of you experiencing this congregating of deer around feeders or is it a more northern phenomenon?
...and "guest" why hide behind your anonimity? Try registering ...or better yet, simply posting under your conventional username before you hit "enter".
Hunting over bate is for one reason here, to remove deer. It's not typical hunting as many guys would call hunting but in the suburbs the deer need to be removed and with few hunters and no other preidtors someone has to do it. And sence I am fortunite enough to have some prime leases I do all I can while trying to bring about a healthy heard. Don't get me wrong here , I do enjoy hunting Rub lines , scrapes , bedding areas and big woods also. Most times when hunting a new area I usualy find deer activity with in the 1st day out and get on deer most of the time. I like to travel to other states and hunt , getting away from the daly grind of QDM is as exciting and rewarding to me as managing my leases.
"I'd hate to have hunting still open as basically any idiot could bag his deer by sitting himself next to some feed."
Realize that you are making this comment about bow hunters in the Ottawa-Gatineau area who still enjoy an open season for deer.
I happen to be an Ontario resident who bowhunts with a number of buddies from Gatineau (non-resident) during the open Ontario deer season which happens to close on December 31/04.
At this time of the year, we can't use the same strategies as Oct/Nov. deer hunting.
We realize with the first heavy snows, deer move and congregate into their wintering yards, usually conifer stands....and that's where we hunt them.
Feed or not to feed, you'd be hard pressed trying to find a deer track in Open hardwoods....at this time of the year.
Wathcing deer from a warm living room at the feeder and at this time of the year is a breeze....trying to sit in -20C is not so EASY.
As far as 'GUEST', i'm sure i speak for all those bowhunters who don't like being called idiots because will still have an OPEN deer season and use an effective stratedgy.
To keep it short let me say that I have a small property (58 acres = my 28 acres + son's 30 acres) in South Central Texas (Gillespie County). We have a very large deer population (1 deer/5 acres). Daily I feed 30 - 40 deer. There are ranches that adjoin me that allow hunting. I am allowed by law to hunt my property by any legal means which includes rifle. I bought an Exocet at auction on ebay last summer. The reason - I thought it would be a better method of harvesting deer from my property. I do not feel that killing a deer on my property is a challenging hunt. Nothing like the eleven (11) years I hunted 12,000 acres in New Mexico. However, I enjoy everyday of feeding and have done more deer hunting (looking at deer) since I have owned this property than since I went on my first hunt in 1965. I have not killed a deer this year - yet. A friend of mine killed a spike (thinking it was a doe) last Wednesday with my Exocet. It was a 32 yard lung shot. I was with him and enjoyed the experience as much as if I had made the shot myself.
I want to thank the members of this forum for their comments and excellent instruction and advise; thanks to Excalibur for providing it. I was able to track and find the deer due in large part to the instructions I received on this site. This was the first bow kill I ever witnessed. It went by the book found on this forum.
Sorry for the idiot comment. I wasn't trying to be offensive, but I can see I hit a nerve. My apologies. I was referring to my area right now and am not calling bait pile hunters idiots. I hunt over bait during the bow season too. So that makes me an idiot too!
I was just imagining myself yesterday as a hunter in front of this herd of deer. They literally came in to the sound of my shovel clearing the feeder! It is my first year at our cottage and I was totally amazed at how many came and how fearless they were. Absolutely not like our hunting season.
So...to get back to my question. Is hunting over bait NOW too "EASY" because of the time of year? (and yes I know it's cold outside. I was outside all day.)
I've only been hunting for two years, and appreciate all the good advice you guys share. I bought an exocet in october and can't wait till next year. I have a few questions regarding baiting. I was always told you couldn't bait - this is new to me. also i spend quite a bit of money on cover sents (apple) . are they necessary if you have a baited site? I would think my success rate would be higher if i had deer coming to the site to feed? thanks for the advice.
We had no less than 25 deer at our feeder and neighbor's feeder at one time!!! 
I wasn't trying to be offensive, but I can see I hit a nerve. My apologies. I was referring to my area right now and am not calling bait pile hunters idiots. I hunt over bait during the bow season too. So that makes me an idiot too! 
