burniegoeasily

Very good point. I couldnt tell you what score a deer needs to get in either book.

Germ

Now we are heading down a slippery slope, I have a farm with ton soybeans planted will this fall under the rule. The playing field is not level between the guys who hunt public and guys with their own land. Because I own my land and I spend a lot of time planting food plots I am going to get punished by P & Y if I shot a big buck? Now I can not enter any contest because I have a food plot? Where do we draw the line?
I know I am truly blessed to have my own land, my family has owned our farms since 1860's. Since none of us have sold out and we have a great place to hunt under your propsal I am getting punished?
I spend entire spring working on my food plots, I put a lot of time in, we practice QDM, not TDM(Trophy Deer Management) there is a big difference. So I have worked my butt off getting my land setup, I shoot a monster. Because I own my land and spent my money to have good deer habitat and food source. I do not get to put my bucks in the books. Well I put two in this year and plan on many more. The playing field is not fair, if we use the above logic then we have banned Iowa, ILL, and Kansas the whole states are one big food plot. Here in MI we do not have as much farmland so our deer are at a disadvantage, and we have more hunters. More of our bucks get shot, etc... I think you see my point here.
I am not mad about the post, it is a good one for debate. All I can tell you is there is know way to level the playing field, and since life in general is not fair. Then deer hunting is not fair either, and we all will just have to live with it, or take up Duck Hunting. LOL

Shockwave

I don't see why you would think food plots are bad. They are not the same as a bait pile that is only there during hunting season ... they are out there day and night year round. ALL of the deer can benefit from food plots before, during and after the hunting seasons. It can only be goodness for the whole herd, especially in regions that have less or noagriculture.

My views ... Shockwave

buttonbuckmaster

Not to throw fuel on the fire, but what the diference between hunting over a clover field that the farmer has planted for hay.....and hunting over a biologic clover field for deer? The deer will eat both, and probably get nearly the same nutritional benefits......not trying to start a war, just a question. I have planted food plots before, but my results were no better than seasons w/o food plots. Good post.

atlasman

There is a BIG difference in a corn field or natural crop that has been around forever and serves other purposes then attracting deer (which it does also).

What we are dealing with today is scientists in labs modifying the chemical make up of certain products in order to "supplement" bigger, faster antler growth. This is as wrong as it gets and the steroid analogy offered earlier is dead on accurate. People are using science and chemicals to "grow" deer these days and it is not a good sign as to what the future holds for this sport.

Most of the deer hunting ranches around the country resemble science labs more then hunting lands these days.


So we are gonna feed them super juice to make their antlers huge in the shortest amount of time..........put video and still cameras on every tree in the woods so we can stalk their movements 24 hours a day and then sit in a heated house and wait for about 30 of them to come out for breakfast.............then we pick the biggest one that we have seen 1,000 times over the last four years and shoot him from 200 yards away and hope he doesn't damage the fence when he crashes into it.


Yup.........that's huntin' alright

Wolf killer

Atlasman, You put it downbetter than I could have ever done. You & I are on the exact same page.

Thank you,

WK

mobow

I have mixed feelings on this issue. I have not understood why baiting is illegal, but I can plant an acre of clover and hunt over it. Is that not the same as baiting?? It's not like an agricultural field that was planted to harvest and feed families. I didn't plant this clover to harvest for hay or anything else, it's sole purpose in life is to attract and hold deer.

But, at the same time, the hunter purchasing these products are why we have the deer herd in the US that we do. We live in fortunate times. I remember not that long ago if you held a doe tag you were big news on the block. Shoot...now a days, I can buy as manydoe tags as I want. My season no longer ends becuase I am "tagged out." There is no such thing anymore. It's a double edged sword.

I would have to say, though, that I am more in favor of food plots than against them. I think the benefit they bring far outweighs any negative.

Germ

Although very true had nothing to do with the post. P & Y, B & C already regulate fenced in area's. I thought the post was about average land owner planting food plots to grow bigger deer, am I wrong? If the post was about fenced area's then Atlas I am with you 110%

burniegoeasily

Whats the difference in fencing in a deer and feeding it so the rack gets big?




Getten the pot a stiring.

buttonbuckmaster

[quote]ORIGINAL: atlasman

There is a BIG difference in a corn field or natural crop that has been around forever and serves other purposes then attracting deer (which it does also).
/quote]


What is a natural crop? Someone planted the corn or clover. I' m not bothered one way or another by food plots, and as someone mentioned earlier, it is a fine line between food plots and baiting.