TexasBowHuntr

For all you guys who live in the south, you'veseen people use feeders for 2 reasons. The first being a food source and the second being for protein to build antler growth. Being that I was raised on hunting both techniques I am fairly neutral on this subject. For me a feeder is nothing more than a really tiny food plot. I know from experience that growing plots in 60 straight days of 100 degree weather is almost impossible with no rain (or source of water). So my question is, why are people so hatred toward feeders? People hunt on food plots with guns....

Its almost just the amount of challenge to make that shot across a field than it is to make a 200 yard shot to a feeder? Personally I like to hunt on trails that lead to feeders....does that make me a bad hunter? I just think that northern hunters watch these shows and see that we "Zoo" hunt down here with high fences, when in reality its not like that at all.Last year I shot one doe, thats it. Did I have chances to kill a buck, sure, but they were 1.5 to 2.5 years of age and that to me just isn't mature enough. Yes down here weDO use feeders but that doesn't make us bad hunters. Ijust always wanted to get peoples thoughts on this subject.

Thanks guys I appreciate your responses theres no right or wrong answer!
-Hunt hard, hunt smart, HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!

the kidd

hey i feel the same way i hunt off a feeder and i will try to put some food plots in this year also but they will be small ....why do all yall northerns treat us like we are all pen hunintg?i hunt 20 acrees of private land and thats it this past year i gave up the gun and iused the bow and didnt fill one tag this year....



if you have any info on foodplots in the southern areas please help me out this is my first year and i just bought a tiller i have a post under the wildlife forum asking about this...

TexasBowHuntr

Bump

Howler

You said it, the feeder congrigates the deer in a very very small area. A guy can set a stnad right on top of it! Where as a food plot can vary in size and the deer would have a better chance of entering and leaving out of harms way.
Either way, I'm not against it. A Hunter sitting over bait is just another tactic that can be used to help insure success! Not much different than sitting over a water hole waiting for antelope, or sitting over a wallow waiting for an elk, or witting over a bait waiting for bear, or sitting over, .....well you get the picture!

HuntingBry

I'm surprised that more people haven't jumped on this one. I'm a northern hunter from a state that, up until recently, did not allow baiting game during hunting season. I think that a lot of guys equate feeders to baiting, which technically they are, but so are food plots and agricultural fields, just on a bigger scale.

I have also hunted southern states when I was living in Florida and one place I hunted had a stand over a feeder. When that thing whizzed up and started spitting food I expected it to be like a dinner bell, but it wasn't like that. I still had to wait for the game, but they did come. It was astrange concept and I kind of felt like I was cheating, but that was because of how I was brought up. I personally would look for alternative ways to hunt if available, but sometimes that is the only way.

One thing is for sure, you guys in Texas live in a hunting world that is foreign to the majority of the hunters in this country. You hunt on fenced cattleranchesthat have been converted to bemanaged or "farmed" for big deer. You don't have agricultural availabilty or a lot of rain so you have to use feeders and water holes. The vast majority of hunting is on a pay-to-play basis. Because of these facts you are going to be viewed differently by the majority of the hunting community. In some peoples' view different is bad. So, you will take your lumps. Hey, play the hand you've been dealt and enjoy hunting your way. If it is legal in your state and there is no other way to do it where you live explain your methods to your detractors as best you can and if they still don't like it agree to disagree. That's about all you can do.