Wickman (Buckmaster)

Just wondering if any of you guys know the history of baiting in michigan like when it first started or any place i could find it? I looked on the net but couldent find it anywhere. thanks for any info.

turkeyreaper

are you looking for the history of the law on baiting?

Wickman (Buckmaster)

i was just looking for the year that baiting started in michigan and how many years people in michigan have been baiting for.

Bob S

I don`t believe baiting has ever been illegal in Michigan. It just took off in the late `70s when the compond bow came along and the numbers of bow hunters started to increase. Many bow hunters thought they needed to bait to get the deer close enough for a shot. Then it became a competition, where you had to bait to see deer because so many of the other hunters were baiting and drawing the deer to their areas.

Now we have a whole generation of hunters who have never hunted any other way.

Wickman (Buckmaster)

Thanks for the info Bob!

craig

Bob' s right, bait has always been allowed in MI.

I recall when I was a kid almost no one baited that I knew of. I' m sure some did, but they were few. Now this is a extremly wide practice. As Bob said the increase in archers started it back in the 70' s. Some who were new to archery were looking for a edge, to make it easier to take a deer with the bow.

Now however it' s gun hunters and all, and it' s not a good thing. Not for the game and not for the hunters. I think Bob is right when he says we now have a generation that thinks they need bait to " hunt" , what BS. Would be best if things could go back to what once was.

I' m 48 years old, & in over 30 years of hunting I' ve only failed to fill my tag twice. And I' ve never once shot a single one of those deer over bait.