Is baiting ethical or not?

The perception of the public is not going to change. Hunters are still going to be portrayed as killers whether deer are shot over a pile of corn or a pile of acorns. Deer hunting is such a large business in Texas that I think lots would have to change before baiting becomes very much of an issue.

on some of the WMA's they do let you bait with corn, when myself and daughters went to Enchanted rock they let us place out corn for the deer to eat. So Parks and wildlife does let you bait. At Kerr they recommend you do that so that you can harvest your Deer and Exotics.

As for the article by Dr. Dave Samuel I totally disagree with it and his statements. As Biologist myself baiting gives the animal some type of eatable food during the lean times, I believe that supplemental feeding helps the herd and gives you a better chance of harvesting a more healthy deer. A Hunter is one that chooses his game and a killer is someone that kills everything that walks in front of him

Doc

Sure it is ethical if it is legal and a generally accepted practice. It is a circular argument and that is why we have laws so the courts can decide did a person break the law or not. The courts don't argue ethics (except the Supreme Courts when they make the laws in the first place) so why should we unless we want to do more harm than good for the sport of hunting? I am sure some hardcore duck hunters think pond jumping is unethical but it is still hunting and 100% legal. Same with skillet shots on quail, etc. Don't partake in it if you don't like it. You can argue everything. Might as well have a Miss Manners book on hunting if hunters start arguing ethics on legal practices.

Using feeders can be the best strategic play in the woods if your land lacks deer activity without one. One of the places I have to hunt is a 20 ac. place that adjoins a large ranch. If I didn't have a feeder, I would probably see a deer once or twice for every five or six times I went hunting. They will cross there, but not very often. If I put a feeder up, I will see several deer almost every time I hunt. On the other hand, my lease in Oklahoma is much larger, has game trails, wheat, and milo. I really don't need a feeder at all, however, I do have several there to increase the odds since I will be bow hunting 90% of the time. Plus, I all ready own the feeders, so I might as well put them to good use.
I don't like being looked down upon for using a feeder, but I don't feel that it is wrong to use one. I've only killed one big buck under a feeder. They usually don't come in unless a hot doe brings them by. I would feel bad about shooting a bear with his head in a 55 gallon barrel though.

Interesting that some of you guys think that hunting on WMA's and SP's cannot have baiting involved.

In the last 3-4 years hunting at some very high traffic SP's, Guadalupe River SP in particular, they've gone from allowing campers to bait in the camping area and not allowing the Lottery Hunters TP&W biologists who are charged with reducing the over population of alien and native animals to be baited...to just the reverse. No longer can campers offer bait to draw in deer and other non natives but the biologists are now allowing Lottery Hunters to bait because the MuckityMucks in Austin finally recognize that the purpose of the hunters is to be used as a control mechanism for the over population problams that are rampant.

I had a series of conversations with the Park Manager, Mark Abolafia-Rosenzweig, at GRSP over a 3 year period - was drawn twice in the period for GRSP for a GDE & a GDA hunt in '02 & '04, about the amount of hog and deer damage specifically. The last Hunt in '04 the enlightened attitude changed dramatically about baiting...and the hunter success percentages since then have reflected that change in the use of baiting as management tool.
Mark was still complaining about the lack of success in hog removals after the '04 Hunt, but when I asked where the damage was occuring he said down in this one eco sensitive area but that the hunters were not allowed there as it was used as a childrens teaching area when there were no hunts scheduled...HUH? What does that have to do with anything I asked! He had the same old attitude of "we can't allow this or that but we have this major problem" as had been the case before and after the change in baiting regulations.
In '04 I was astounded to hear during the Hunters Orientation Talk by the biologists to hear Rex the biologist say "PLEASE knock down EVERY non native animal of any size you see...and PLEASE knock down every WT you are allowed regardless of size as we have 4 times or more animals on the property than the property can carry, and even if all of you guys limit we will not have made a serious dent in the problem".

Mark was not happy about the poor hog kill in '04 and teased me about it again, when I simply stated that if he wanted to move the hogs off this eco sensitive area area then hunters would be have to have access to do the job in that area too....but I think he has his hands tied by some other political BS going on in TP&W and is tired of getting roasted from both sides, and letting the Austin crowd fight it out with the biologists last I heard. IMO Mark is a super nice guy but not in total control of his own environment's ability to properly manage the resource he charged with.
I am usually bored silly sitting in a fixed blind looking at a baited place whether it be a bean field somewhere in the south or an agricultual field in the Midwest and would much rather go "sneakin' an peekin" but without access to the kind of acreage available in the West or elsewhere in the world it is impossible to do over 98% of the time in Texas. JMHO
Ron

I believe baiting is ethical -- although I would prefer not to do it -- and won't next year.

I also suspect the author of that piece to be biased against baiting. He insinuates that baiting doesn't work -- which is clearly nonsense. But, that's a common argument used by opponents of some activity. "Not only do I not like it, but it doesn't even work, so you might as well stop doing it."

I can see that on small plots of land you might have to bait in "self defense" so to speak. Of course, you wouldn't have to hunt over your feeders, but it *would* be annoying to have to spend all that money for feeding when you don't even approve of it!

Ethics is not the issue, imho. If you look at the ethical view, that’s when it all gets squirrelly. Any region can have its own set of ethical values. Cannibals, for example, deem it quite ethical to slice off another person’s leg and have a picnic on the ground with their family. I, for one, couldn’t tolerate such behavior. I’ve known several hunters that think hunting with firearms is immoral and disgraceful. Only bows and arrows, spears, snares and such is the mark of a true hunter to them.
And whether something is legal or not should have no bearing on whether or not it’s ethical. Killing unborn children is legal in some states, but is it ethical? We could go on and on about ethics and never get anywhere. Like Mike (TxDM) said - it’s a circular argument.

Can feeders or food plots help the deer? I don’t think it can as a stand-alone effort. But, I do think they supplement their diet if done properly, which again, is a matter of opinion. A hunter (and that is posted in the strictest sense) will do whatever it takes in cramped areas to pull deer into his arena so that he can harvest his lot. Sometimes, though, he has to push the limits in order to do so. That is when a hunter should consider whether or not his actions are ethical – even though it perfectly legal.

Why do people always come up with this baiting thing I guess we will have to e-mail every person in Iowa never to plant a corn feild again b/c the people in TX can't have a 55 gallon drum of deer corn. Give me a break people get all upset b/c it's on a timer and it goes off and (DEER COME RUNNING) what's the diffrence in a 100 ac track of planted corn or oats or any other food plot the deer will be there all times of the day it's not like the have a fence that's on a timer and the deer can't get in the food plot. The guy that posted BS is right that is all a bunch of BS. I guess next we can't plant sunflower b/c all the dove will be there and it's not right to hunt over baited fields what ever!!!!!!!

Do you have any of that $5.50 corn left?

Since we have way too many deer in most of the state - any means possible is the best way to hunt and harvest deer. This is just another anti-hunter pitch to cause ripples within the hunting ranks.

JR

In 2006 when this post was created there was plenty.LOL

I think we do! I opened a truck we store corn in and saw something slithering on the seat! That corn might stay there another 10 years.

Why are these old threads being opened though??? Of course it isn't ethical. I learned the ways of the Indian.

Indian Corn???
Lets see if that thread gets dug back up again too.

I swear HOF all you do is dig up old dead threads.

You sound an awful lot like my wife.

No, I climb a tree and jump on their back and break its neck.

I'll be honest. When talking to people who don't hunt, I can usually get them to see that hunting is ethical and necessary. When they ask me about folks that sit in a box blind and blast a deer that has been trained over several months to come to a timed corn feeder, that's where I just have to shrug.

if your talking about baiting you have to include rattling horns grunt calls, scents, food plots, mock scrapes and rubs, not just corn. so do you ban them all.

you forgot acorns

I've never considered using food sources that were not created by the hunter as baiting. And in areas where only food plots are legal, people somehow refuse to consider them as bait. IMO, if you plant, place, or position a food source for the purpose of attracting wild game for harvest, it's bait.

IMO, baiting deer is no more unethical than trying to catch fish with worms or minnows, if the resource is consumed in the end. But from a true hunting perspective, I don't consider it as being "free chase".

There's no question that feeders and food plots have resulted in a tremendous loss in traditional hunting skills within the hunting community. It's really sad that for many kids today, hunting equates to nothing more than climbing into an old office chair in a heated box stand and waiting for something to show up and eat.

From many of the old timers I talk to I wouldn't consider driving around and shoot deer from the vehicle too traditional and hope the landowner doesn't care. Lol. Sure there were many traditional I guess but have not found many.

Wow! A day to remember!

The dead horse got up!

If using a feeder is wrong, I don't wanna be right!

If we don't remind ourselves what we have allowed to become of our sport, the anti's surely will.

Chances are those highly sought after white oak trees have been manipluted by human hand, directly or in directly. Very likely that area has been logged, or that land been turned over before

Great title for a Country song. And at my age, agreed.

Any efforts to improve "natural" habitat for the resource is a good thing.

OK - I'll play!

If it's legal,I'm gonna do it! If it's not I won't.......I've drug my old butt all over the Rockies & in Texas using spot & stalk and hunted with rifles, bows & arrows, pistols and hunted blinds with and without feeders when & where it was legal. I'm not afraid to get it on with the anti's anywhere or anytime.
but I won't interfere with anyones method of hunting as long as it's legal.

When one starts using the "what about the anti's" issue it is, in my opinion, actually giving them the crack in the door they need. Yes there is some room for discussion but I still believe the dead horse just got up.

Push all other issues aside.

Do we really want to raise up a new generation of hunters who know nothing more about hunting than how to wait for deer to show up and eat at a feeder?

Someone has to fill my feeder when I am old so yeah...

I want to hear about all the old traditional methods... Sorry but most drove around and shot deer when they could. With no doe season and few deer they shot any buck and that was it. Now we have long seasons and really get to enjoy it. At least I do. Sometimes I sit on a feeder sometimes on a ridge with my boy.

I'm not...

You assume to much!

- all my kids/grandkids were/are exposed to all kinds/types of hunting and fishing.....they're also exposed to the fact that one does not have to kill or catch something to enjoy the outdoors. My biggest thrill was watching my grandson put several fish back in the water 'cause "we didn't catch enough for a meal so lets let these go".

....and I'll bet there are a lot more out there just like me!

Still - I'm not going to give someone a hard time about how they hunt...as long as they are legal!

Don't know about you guys, but the deer don't just come running when the feeder goes off. I've shot just as many deer out in the open field as I have under or close to a feeder.
I love hearing guys talk about setting up on a trail near an oak thicket and waiting for a big buck to come in, yet they turn around and talk smack about hunting a feeder. Mr. Pot, say hi to Mr. kettle...

i don't see them ever doing away with it. too many people have done it for too long. it would cause soooo much up-roar that i just don't think it'd ever happen.

as far as ethical, i don't think it matters. it doesn't matter where you harvest a deer. that deer was there because he was attracted to that area by something. deer feeder, natural browse, natural bedding, natural acorns, etc. i don't see hunting deer over corn as any more or less ethical than shooting them over anything else they're attracted too.

plus, i might get some flack for this, but i think some folks put WAY too much emphasis on hunting being fair for the deer. i mean i'm not at all in support of canned hunting, or shooting animals in small enclosures where they have no chance for escape. but it doesn't bother me in the least that i shot my deer with a high-powered rifle while he was eating corn. the object of the game is to get out to the woods with family and friends, harvest a good natural grown meal. put meat on the table. nobody cares that the cows in the feed lot have a fair chance. meat is meat, and hunting is for meat.

i think a comparison of lions and zebras would show the lions at somewhat of an advantage too. a lion would obviously do anything he could to improve his odds of a sucessful hunt. its the predatory way.

Say what you want about hunting on public land, but it does help ensure that true "free chase" methods will be around for years to come.

I agree. There are many who would quickly call deer a nuisance.

As for the hunting aspect of our sport, I'm reminded of a quote made more than 100 years ago. "I don't hunt to kill, but kill to have hunted." If the reward is in the hunt, what does it say for many of our tactics today?

the system we have now is pretty good. people are allowed to hunt more or less how they want. you want to use a rifle, then good use one. you want to take on a little more challenge and go spot and stalk with a bow, good, go do it. some sensible bag limits and seasons is all the restriction we need.

nobody is more or less of a hunter because they use a feeder or dont. how many men/women/children wouldn't even hunt at all because of the added difficulty and unsuccessful-ness of the hunt if baiting were not allowed??? it would destroy the past-time for a lotta people.

i personally wouldn't stop hunting if baiting were stopped. and i'd abide by the law. but i'm a pretty seasoned hunter. it'd be a lot harder to take my two small sons deer hunting if we couldn't sit a box blind at a baited site.

I agree with this. The challenge of the hunt does not determine how ethical it is IMO. To me, baiting isn't any less ethical than a small food plot. It isn't any different than a bow hunter saying a rifle is unethical, or a traditional bow hunter saying that compounds or crossbows are unethical.

To me, unethical hunting is breaking laws, taking poor shots, not trying to recover the game, letting the game spoil, etc.

Ok, let's consider a couple things...it is not hard to kill a deer...period.
I have never found a place that was hard to kill A deer, including public.

As far as raising kids... Come on... If its a feeder, if its a foodplot, if its a feild, its the same type of hunting...setting and waiting.

Infact every type of hunting is some branch of that style. This includes deer drives, setting up on travel routes, even spot and stalk.

The type of hunting you do is directly related to the size of the property and habitat.

Tactics haven't changed in you entire life time. Accepted maybe the use of dogs

Corn has been used in feeders or hand spread since the 50's.

People still set on man made water holes to kill antelope..the best way to kill A monster elk is still the water hole, or alafafa feild. Whitetail still rut, and still are more active early and late.

Best way to kill A spring turkey is still using calls.


What's so different?

A lot has changed. When I first started deer hunting back in the 70's as a kid, corn feeders didn't exist, and food plots were about as common as crossbows.

And if you wanted to hunt in camo, your choices were traditional woodland and that odd looking pattern that soldiers brought back with them from Vietnam.

They existed, maybe you didn't use them but none the less they existed and foodplots where just called crop feilds or gardens, also had the same winter wheat and oat feilds

You beloved Kerr study started in 1954...

We used corn in the 60's out of "feeders". These feeders were wooden coke cases filled with corn so that the deer could eat out of it and the cattle could not. We used 32oz glass coke bottles filled with corn. It was fun watching those deer kick and roll it around to get the corn out of it. We used wooden boxes with slots cut in them and they were tied to trees as "free choice" corn feeders. We used whole ear corn as bait and put them out on the way to the stand. We planted wheat,oats or fall hygeria for fall/winter cattle grazing and killed deer eating on it. We hunted in Red Plad shirts as our camo. Bait was used back then cause it put the odds in your favor to kill a deer. Spikes and does were illegal in the 60's.

agreed, Ive heard about the bottles and stuff full of corn, heck Ive walked through harvested corn fields and picked up ears that were missed and took them to the deer lease too.

Red plaid shirts brought tender memories about the best hunter I have ever known, my grandpa Heath. That was his official hunting uniform. One of the biggest changes between then and now is he would tie his deer across his hood or bumper for the long ride home. He did this with pride as it acted as a beacon drawing fellow hunters to visit and swap stories at every small town he stopped in along the way. I miss those days and will be thinking about that man as I go afield tomorrow with family and friends.

Just want to add my opinion. I'd rather my kid be sitting in a blind watching deer at a feeder instead of sitting in a car smoking pot with their friends, or getting into trouble/partying with their buddies. Or sitting on their butts watching TV, or say texting their buddies every 10 seconds.

If my kid enjoys watching wildlife at a feeder it doesn't sound so bad to me.

Here is my two cents on this:

Hunting with timed feeders has dumbed down hunting skills in Texas. Cannot get away from that. I do hunt with feeders at times and it is really not much of a challenge to my skills - even bow hunting in front of timed feeders is no great skill.

This is especially true in West Texas where the deer really do come to the feeders like cattle, you pick out the one you like, and you whack him.

If we call it anything else we are not being honest.

I do hunt in Illinois. Yes, I do hunt food plots up there. But the food plots don't just "turn on" at certain times of the day and the deer are not trained to come out to get the little bit of food that is only available for short time like with corn feeders. To compare a food plot to a feeder is not being honest again.

Most states ban timed feeders to hunt under. Most non-Texas hunters look down on our type of hunting. Look at the TV shows filmed in Texas. They go out of their way to NOT put the feeder in the frame. Most of their audience would not watch the show if it showed animals being shot under a feeder.

I use them, I am not proud of it, but it is legal and I do like venison so I hunt them. I also hunt food plots, scrapes, and game trails. It is much more satisfying to take an animal under those circumstances than under a feeder.

I can take any man off the street and if he can shoot I can get him a nice deer in one afternoon if we use a feeder. What other sport is like that?

Anyway, just had to point out the obvious and I AM a feeder hunter.

LOL. Same guy off of the street can kill a deer in a corn field in Illinois just as easily. I would much rather be hunting a big crop field than a little ol feeder where the corn can be gone in a matter of minutes. I love the high and mighty that look DOWN on feeders but have huge fields of groceries to hunt over.

Hello Texas ,from your friend in kansas

Yes. just cause you feed/bait doesn't guarantee anything. if you can get close enough to kill with a ball ping hammer, you've probably crossed the line.

Baiting is unethical. I only fish with an empty hook.

Because everytime a newbie asks a question a dozen or more people tell them to utilize the 'Search' option then complain about the same old topics being rehashed over and over.

You use a hook? YOU BASTID!

I think this whole debate is ridiculous. Of course it's ethical. God gave us the largest and most intelligent brain in the animal kingdom for a reason. Anything that we can do to outwit the animals is fair game. Heck, even the dumb ol' animals use baiting as a method of collecting their dinner. Anybody ever hear of Anglerfish. They use that little doo-dad that looks like a worm on top of their head to lure in other fish. They wiggle the doo-dad, a little fish swims up to investigate, and then GULP.

If you want to teach your kids about deer behavior and habits and all the old ways of hunting, then by all means do it. You cannot control what others will do so don't worry about it.

And yes, my entire youth was spent hunting over trails, sign, water holes, natural food sources, travel routes, spot & stalk, still hunt, etc. I never used a feeder until 1991.

If you really want to teach 'em then start 'em on a rock or stick, then a club, a spear, work up to a bow. Eventually work them up through the various firearms. They cannot progress to the next weapon until they've proven their proficiency with the current weapon. Once they make a successful harvest, they they may move up to the next weapon.

There, now you don't have to worry about kids not knowing how to hunt. Have fun. I'll be sitting over a feeder with scoped, modern rifle.

Hey Chris,welcome to the forum.

Look, I hunt feeders. I also hunt cut corn fields in Illinois. To say hunting a 2,000 acre cut corn field with a bow is the same as sitting 100 yards off of a timed feeder with a high powered rifle is ridiculous.

The very reason I like to bow hunt in Illinois is because it is so much more challenging than hunting a feeder.

I also like to hunt in East Texas because it is more challenging to hunt than West Texas. Deer will always choose acorns over corn.

So many hunters prefer hunting in West Texas or even South Texas because you can go out for a three day hunt and almost guarantee yourself a chance at shooting a nice deer.

I spent a week in Illinois last year and never even released my bow string. And I can't wait to go back this year.

I do hunt feeders, but my point was that let's don't get that mixed up with the challenge of hunting without that very important aid. There is no comparison. We don't need to be ashamed of it, but it the lowest level of challenge in the sport of hunting.

I spent 4 WEEKS hunting in Tx by a feeder last year and never once drew my bow. And I cant wait to go again this year. I guess I need to be hunting your place where the big mature bucks just magically appear every afternoon at 7:43 precisely.

If you want a real hunt just use your bare hands. You would really enjoy going out without getting anything.

I just learned something about deer from Illinois today. They enter corn fields by air and not by trails. Shame Texas deer do not use parachutes to get to feeders instead of trails or there would be more of a challenge to hunt.

Reckon you could shoot 'em in the air? I wonder how hard it would be to age one at 800 feet swinging from a parachute?

I'm betting with a well placed stand I can reach out just about anywhere in a cornfield with my .270. Illinois or anywhere else.

Feeling frisky STX!

Miller, kinda funny you reference sitting on a 3 1/2 square mile corn field with a BOW and then a feeder with a HIGH POWER RIFLE? Why not switch those around a bit? I kinda see what you are saying but it just makes yourself feel better about the situation, nobody makes you sit at a feeder here. Like most of the others I hunted all year last year and finally shot 2 does during the last day of doe season, it's not about killing a deer every trip out.

If there were no feeders in a large part of West Texas there would be few or no deer. The native feed/forage could not sustain the deer herds we have today. You can go back to the 1950's and in some of those areas that are covered up in deer now there were very few. With the bringing in of feeders the deer expanded into what was areas that had no deer. With supplemental feed along with the natural food sources deer have survived. Take away the feeders and we would see a massive starvation die off.

I only catch fish with my bare hands.

Ethical or not, that is the way its done here. Do what you know to be right and free yourself from worrying about what others think. If you can look yourself in the mirror and have no regrets, then you've answered the question.

Grout Scout - I don't hunt with a rifle, I was just pointing out what alot of hunters in Texas do - sit in front of a feeder with a rifle.

Look, I said that I hunted over feeders. It is legal and ethical. All I pointed out was that it was not much of a challenge compared to NOT hunting over a timed feeder. All of a sudden I got posts asking why not use bare hands and all kinds of other posts that completely missed what I was trying to say.

I hunt all kinds of ways - feeders and NO feeders. To say that feeders are not a huge advantage is kind of ridiculous.

BTW - Illinois does not allow feeders OR rifles. Bow only except for a weekend of "slug" gun hunting after the rut. It is not BETTER hunting than Texas just different.

One more thing - feeders throwing corn out for 5-10 seconds at a time twice a day is not considered "supplemental" feeding. That amount of food is for baiting. Protein feeders and food plots would be considered "supplemental" feeding and are indeed very good for deer health and antler development.

Feeders are a Texas thing and there is nothing wrong with hunting them. There are other states which have different ways of hunting that we would consider "not sporting". Several Southeastern states allow hunting with dogs. Mississippi allows the use of POISON on arrows (Ever wonder why our Texas Hunting handbook even mentions the banning of poising when using archery equipment?).

I cannot imagine using poison on my broadheads, but some of our brothers over in Mississippi would not see anything wrong with it. It all depends on what you were brought up doing.

Is having to pay $5,000 to $10,000 for a lease, plus put up blinds, clean senderos, fix fences, install feeders and pens ethical..probably not..but it's a business...Ranchers depend on it to pay their taxes and subsidize their expenses, especially in
yrs. like we are having now with little or no rain...Personally,
I'd love to be able to walk and hunt everywhere, but we do not hve. Govt. or BLM land in Texas and this is a paid situation..I do think it's gotten out of hand along with everyone nowadays having a much higher income..Hunting was always pretty much for those who were better off financially..hence clubs..like Eagle Lake ...ect...DD

You have one mentioned in your sig line (.270)? No need to try to explain yourself, I learned a long time ago that nobody in the world really cares about what anybody else has to say or thinks. Some idiots come on here and make a post such as the one the OP started just to stir the pot and they like to watch guys arguing, happens all the time. Usually ends up with someone getting banned for name calling. Read all the post that Texas Dan starts, they are all the same type of BS.

I agree with DD, that the prices of leases are nuts, but as long as someone will pay it then thats what the lease is worth. Sure hate it since it knocks out so many of the fellas that love to hunt but can't afford to anymore. Wish we had more open areas to hunt or more draw spots on public lands.

If legal its ethical

There's nothing illegal about sleeping with another man's wife. Does that also make it ethical?

To the guy who slept with her it would be I am guessing.

Obviously....

smells an awful lot like doo doo in here.

Oops! Might want to re-think that one!

The state’s legal code does allow for punitive damages, or punishment, for adulterous behavior. Although adultery is not a criminal offense, it’s still in violation of certain Texas civil laws.

http://info.legalzoom.com/adultery-illegal-texas-20737.html

In addition there are several states in which adultry is a criminal offense: Colorado, Utah, Georgia and several more I think.............

Only thing I learned was feeders made deer live in west Texas. Didn't realize corn was so healthy..... Ours just walk right past it. I think it was the change from open pasture land to current day techniques that allowed deer to thrive in west Texas. No more brush control subsidies. Lots of absentee ranchers with way more brush.

Now were hunting tail not trails, oh damn son let it rest. And adultery is ILLEGAL.

Agree. It was / is the c.r.p. program that made it happen. Take all the land out of row crop farming, seed natural grasses, don't mow, and PRESTO! Brush groews and game finds new habitat.

The part of West Texas I grew up in was void of most game. Now they have a deer season which blows my mind. The c.r.p. Program was a God-send to hunters.

Evidently you haven't heard of the Bible?

Most south Texas hunters would have a hard time filling their tags if they couldn't use a road feeder or have a feeder set up to draw the deer out of the thick south Texas cover.
During the rut you get the does to come out into a sendero that's been corned, and the does are what draws those big bucks into the open.
If you didn't have corn on the ground it would be hard to set up and get a shot otherwise.
Too many politicians hunt south Texas, so don't worry about it ever being outlawed in this state.

You guys act like the deer would vanish without a feeder. Its a food source and people use it to their advantage. Thats called hunting whether its a feeder or a field. Most mature bucks are never at a feeder unless its dark or trailing a hot doe. I would trade a feeder for a field any day!!! But I dont know if hunting over a huge field would be ethical or not because so many deer can use it at the same time. Seems like being able to watch them from a distance and figure out their patterns isnt that challenging.Oh well what is gonna be next on the ETHICAL bandwagon?

As dry as some areas of the state have been you'd be lucky to have a field with anything growing in it to attract the deer.
I haven't even seen acorns yet this year in any of our oak trees that were loaded in the past.
They should be coming to corn in droves, but with the price of corn the deer are going to be getting a chance anyway.

They bait up north, it's called growing corn, soy beans, alfalfa, etc. Oh yeh, they also get that stuff called rain! Be nice to have some of that down this way!!

I guess I'm old-fassioned, when I hunt my intention is to kill something. This is like discussing how the cow is killed prior to being processed. How blessed we are to have such an abundance of food that we ponder such things.

I don't think of it as baiting. Its more like supplementing a deers diet. If he already lives there you're going to see him anyway.

Seeing how the OP posted this six years ago, who cares.

it doesnt matter where you hunt every hunter hunts food sourec doesnt matter if its a feeder. woods full of acorns or a damn food plot. and like many have said what would happen to our deer herds if we didnt supplement feed in texas there would be many animals die of starvation. how would rather die by being shot or starving to death. thats what should be asked to the people against it.