What is wrong with baiting deer on public land?

Should baiting deer be allowed on public hunting land?

  • Yes

    Votes: 9 7.8%
  • Mineral and salt licks only

    Votes: 11 9.5%
  • No

    Votes: 86 74.1%
  • Don't care

    Votes: 10 8.6%

  • Total voters
    116

TboneD

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Aug 27, 2014
Messages
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Location
Wilson Co.
I'm opposed to killing wildlife over bait piles,
regardless whether public or private lands.

The wildlife belongs to the public, so if pulling wildlife to a specific spot for the purpose of killing it is made legal on private lands, then it becomes even more important that it's also legal on public lands.


Again, the wildlife belongs to the public, and the public's wildlife should not be allowed to be unfairly claimed by any private land owner. We are all free to hunt on both our private & public lands, but the playing field should be level for all, regardless.

It's totally different if we're talking about farm animals on private lands. Those animals belong to the landowner. Free-roaming deer (or turkeys or birds or whatever) are considered "wild" and to belong to everyone, not whoever's property they happen to fly or walk across.

As to the deer on my private property at any moment, the neighboring hunters on public land can make at least an equally valid claim that those deer belong to them? And it would be unfair if I were allowed to herd them off public to then kill them off "my" private land?

Since deer typically freely roam over somewhere between several hundred and several thousand acres, should a person who owns 15 acres be able to claim ownership to those deer, while the adjoining thousand acres (perhaps with over a dozen different owners) is also hunting those same free-roaming deer?

Should a person owning 15 acres be given the legal right to spotlight & kill those deer at night, if all the other adjoining landowners are not allowed to do the same? Why should killing deer over bait be any different?
The question this thread asked was both relevant and valid, and that's why right there. ^
 

TheLBLman

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Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
38,063
Location
Knoxville-Dover-Union City, TN
Im surprised it's not all hunting, because guns are bad.
I suspect killing over bait will ultimately be fodder to push for the wholesale elimination of "sport" hunting, whether we're talking public or private lands.

That "push" has been going on for many years, using the "guns are dangerous" line. In many places, even entire states, centerfire rifles have been made illegal for deer hunting. Next, it's "archery only". Next, it's only "trained professional government sharpshooters" should be "allowed" to control the deer herds.

We can debate among ourselves all we want about whether killing animals over bait is ethical or not, but what ultimately matters most is what do the non-hunters think about it. It is they who will most determine the future of our hunting.

In the minds of non-hunters, there is no comparison between "feeding" to attract wildlife for watching vs "baiting" to attract wildlife for killing. They are the majority, and are not going to outlaw feeding for wildlife watching. Baiting for killing is viewed differently.

At the moment, this TN baiting bill is under the radar of most non-hunters, until the "TN 3" or other non-hunting democrats decide to use it as their latest wedge issue to divide & conquer for their personal power gains.
 

Bone Collector

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Joined
Sep 9, 2009
Messages
19,639
Location
Murfreesboro, TN
The other thread was about private land.

So why exclude public/WMA land from baiting?
For the same reason it's illegal everywhere else that allows baiting on private. It stops fights between people who are armed.

Say for instance you pay money for corn and put it out and I come along, find it and decide I'm hunting your pile, because it's public land.

In reality I wouldn't do that because, even though it's in public land I know that doesn't make it public property. Unfortunately to many people don't see it that way and inevitably there will be fights.
 

Bone Collector

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Sep 9, 2009
Messages
19,639
Location
Murfreesboro, TN
There is a Difference between actually hunting deer vs Shooting Deer over a pile of corn.
🤔
There is also a difference between hunting deer and just shooting deer on food plots, or in some instances, depending on size cut AG fields.

I've posted on here before about whether we really deer hunt anymore or just manage habitat and shoot deer. Many in here agreed it's more the latter. When I hunt private land it's pretty much deer shooting. When I hunt public I feel like I'm actually hunting.
 

Lost Lake

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Nov 17, 2012
Messages
5,105
Location
Middle Tn
There is also a difference between hunting deer and just shooting deer on food plots, or in some instances, depending on size cut AG fields.

I've posted on here before about whether we really deer hunt anymore or just manage habitat and shoot deer. Many in here agreed it's more the latter. When I hunt private land it's pretty much deer shooting. When I hunt public I feel like I'm actually hunting.

I mean this in all seriousness. Anymore, I'm wondering if we are really sportsman who believe in the ethics of fair chase. I thought this was hunting.

I'd honestly just as soon pay a farmer for a steer and shoot it with its head in a feed trough than kill a deer in a corn pile.
 
Last edited:

TboneD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
2,367
Location
Wilson Co.
I mean this in all seriousness. Anymore, I'm wondering if we are really sportsman who believe in the ethics of fair chase. I thought this was hunting.

I'd honestly just as soon pay a farmer for a steer and shoot it with its head in a feed trough than kill a deer in a corn pile.
I was tempted to quote Leopold and Theodore Roosevelt on fair chase but figured it would probably fall on deaf ears.
 

WestTn Huntin man

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Nov 19, 2006
Messages
13,531
Location
Benton Co.
There is also a difference between hunting deer and just shooting deer on food plots, or in some instances, depending on size cut AG fields.

I've posted on here before about whether we really deer hunt anymore or just manage habitat and shoot deer. Many in here agreed it's more the latter. When I hunt private land it's pretty much deer shooting. When I hunt public I feel like I'm actually hunting.
I learned to Hunt and still hunt..I like using my God Given skills . Wouldn't bait if it was allowed.
 
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
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Lebanon, TN
1708915712210.gif


Looks public to me. 😆😆😆
 

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