New hunter

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  • thebowhunter
    thebowhunter Posts: 173
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    No, I dont bait.
    For the record food plots are not baiting.

    I completly disagree. If you are a hunter that provides food for game for the purposes of attracting and congregating game to advantage you as a hunter in seeing and/or harvesting game, you are baiting and you are a baiter by definition.

    In regards to food plots, I will never understand (using logic and reason) how somebody would separate the two methods of hunters providing food to deer to advantage them in seeing and harvesting game. They are absolutely and without a doubt the same action yet many try to spin and justify food plots by adding all sorts of ancillary justifications and rationalizing unrelated to the core issue but meant only to distract and justify. They food plot because it attracts and congregates deer to their area which gives them an advantage in seeing and harvesting deer, regardless if you hunt over it or down wind of it or on a trail between the food and bedding or if its just to keep game close by rather than on somebody else’s land.

    Regardless of all the others things food plotter want to talk about to try and convince me, They food plot because it attracts and congregates deer to their area which gives them an advantage in seeing and harvesting deer. Its really that simple. Everything else is just excuses and justification to help them feel better about their baiting. To be in favor of one bait deliverly system and not the other is disingenuous and hypocritical.
  • dougt333
    dougt333 Posts: 697
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    I was taught to hunt by my family, in which we are extremely respectful of what we kill (We're Cherokee by the way.) But I will say it is a rush to bring out the "Man" in you so to speak and became part of the circle of life.

    On a more fitness related note, Venison is much healthier than beef, and the jerky makes a great, high protein snack.
  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
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    We can agree to disagree. A food plot can be 10's if not 100's of acres. A bait pile is 3' X 3'. Drastically different.

    FWIW I don't have any skin in this debate. I am a spot and stalk hunter. No sitting in a tree like a vulture for me. No sitting over food plots. Just a pair of binos, a spotting scope, a pair of boots and a weapon.
  • JimLeonardRN
    JimLeonardRN Posts: 296 Member
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    i'm sure that i'll get some flack for this. but what do you get out of hunting? do you need the meat for food?

    I cant speak for others but I am a meat eater. I like lean vension and since I cant buy it locally, I have to hunt it to get it. If I am going to be a meat eater, I would rather get my own meat that is organic and free of all the things farmed meat has in it. It serves a valuable purpose in terms of reducing the herd so there are less car deer crashes and it is part of my heritage to hunt. If I am going to eat meat anyway, the venison I hunt is a far better option than the meat I could purchase.
    is it just a sport i.e gratification from killing something and making an animal suffer in the process?

    ITs not at all about sport gratification and I completly discount your claim about suffering. The animals I dispatch dont suffer and die very quickly. Animals raised on factory farms suffer and live an undignified life.
    if its about shooting practice go to a shooting range!

    Its not at all about shooting practice. THe practice is done on targets to make sure the animal we shoot are killed as quickly, cleanly and humanly as possible because we are a proficient hunter.

    Reading thru the post I was formulating my reply.....Then BLAM! There it was already. Many days I set the deer stand and watch deer, squirrel, coons, birds, and turkeys walk around. All without firing a shot. Its not about killing, it's about being in touch with nature. And yes I eat what I kill. I can tell ya the deer I shoot have had a much better life than the beef or chicken you buy in a grocery store. Ever seen a feed lot for cattle? Or a chicken house? Go check one out. Kinda eye opening.
  • thebowhunter
    thebowhunter Posts: 173
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    We can agree to disagree. A food plot can be 10's if not 100's of acres. A bait pile is 3' X 3'. Drastically different.

    I dont know anybody that baits in a 3 x 3 area. Most broadcast it over a wide area to mimic mast crops. I do know that the food plots in the area are small (1/4 and 1/2 acre) That is the norm. If you use food to advantage you as a hunter in seeing and attracting game for harvest, you are a baiter. Size of the bait area means nothing sice the very act itself is baiting.
  • DetroitDarin
    DetroitDarin Posts: 955 Member
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    The only baiting I'd do is happen to have a back yard deer like to use for cover. :)

    If deer walks through my yard, that's my hunt. If no deer, no harvest. Cant really stalk and hunt due to my knees. But - yeah, I'll do it, Need to learn the skill.


    Much agreed re: Harvesting a deer vs buying beef from a slaughter house type operation. :( Much more humane to harvest wild vs some of places folks buy meat. Food, Inc. changed me.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    I haven't read through the other posts and am only down half of a cup of coffee so forgive me for being unprofound but... your first kill is be your only "hard" kill. After you do it once, you'll see that your lack of courage is only in your head and the reward of a full freezer from one bullet far outweighs any doubts or guilt that you thought you would have. Good luck and happy hunting. :)
  • DetroitDarin
    DetroitDarin Posts: 955 Member
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    I haven't read through the other posts and am only down half of a cup of coffee so forgive me for being unprofound but... your first kill is be your only "hard" kill. After you do it once, you'll see that your lack of courage is only in your head and the reward of a full freezer from one bullet far outweighs any doubts or guilt that you thought you would have. Good luck and happy hunting. :)


    absolutely. The only way to get courage is to do the thing that scares you.
  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 780 Member
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    I haven't read through the other posts and am only down half of a cup of coffee so forgive me for being unprofound but... your first kill is be your only "hard" kill. After you do it once, you'll see that your lack of courage is only in your head and the reward of a full freezer from one bullet far outweighs any doubts or guilt that you thought you would have. Good luck and happy hunting. :)

    Well said...
  • SmexAppeal
    SmexAppeal Posts: 858 Member
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    i'm sure that i'll get some flack for this. but what do you get out of hunting? do you need the meat for food?

    is it just a sport i.e gratification from killing something and making an animal suffer in the process?

    if its about shooting practice go to a shooting range!

    All of your questions were answered in the original post. And unless you are vegan, any animal that makes it to your plate has to die before getting there, whether you do it yourself or not.

    I am very happy with the responses he has gotten to his question. It is nice to see that killing does not come easily, and most of the time never does. I don't hunt myself, wish I could have the courage and guts to do so, but I don't. My dad brings the venison home to my family. It's a very lean meat and very good for you. Not to mention, in MI the deer population is out of control and as a recent poster commented, this will keep one from getting hit and potentially hurting/killing people in a car accident.
    I agree with respecting the animal. You could even say a prayer over it Darin, thanking God for what he has provided, and the strength he gave you to bring it to your family. And someday you will be able to teach your son how to provide as well. Hang in there bud, you'll be able to do it!
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    I haven't read through the other posts and am only down half of a cup of coffee so forgive me for being unprofound but... your first kill is be your only "hard" kill. After you do it once, you'll see that your lack of courage is only in your head and the reward of a full freezer from one bullet far outweighs any doubts or guilt that you thought you would have. Good luck and happy hunting. :)


    absolutely. The only way to get courage is to do the thing that scares you.

    Cheers to that. Also, a good burger tastes a lot better than guilt. ;)
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    i'm sure that i'll get some flack for this. but what do you get out of hunting? do you need the meat for food?

    is it just a sport i.e gratification from killing something and making an animal suffer in the process?

    if its about shooting practice go to a shooting range!

    'Making an animal suffer' is not part of being a skilled hunter. The skill of hunting is a swift, quick kill in exchange for nourishment for your family. Do you eat meat? A deer in the woods suffers a much, much more humane, dignified fate than a cow or pig in a slaughter house.
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
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    ha ha..........dude there has to be some type of hunting website around where you'll get much better answers.
  • bottleOdom
    bottleOdom Posts: 11
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    Recite the prayer my son does?

    Good food, good eats, thank you God, for the meats.

    Circle of life buddy - compassion is great, but suck it up.
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    With the exception of me being better looking, you and I are the same person.
    While I do not relish shooting anything that is not shooting back at me, I also understand the need to learn how to properly dress and preserve an animal.
    I have had my hunters certification for two years and I have yet to go out and try to bag an animal.


    I lol'd out loud :)

    Thanks very much to all for your support and advice. I know the hunting area perfectly well, because it's my back yard. I think I'll set up a trail cam and see what I can capture that way - then I will sit up in the blind and wait. We have to use shotguns for deer around here, so I'll ensure to get proficient with slugs between now and then - just like in my Air Defense days "one shot, one kill!"

    My pup will adore the antlers I suspect. I'll use every bit of the animal I can.
    OK.. a bit more on the serious side.
    Like you, I am an Army veteran.
    I am also a combat veteran.
    With all that said, I do have the opinion that shooting an animal is WAY different then shooting a human.
    While I have never hunted (the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak), I am not opposed to people who do hunt.
    Food is food.
    Naturally, a clean shot is the most humane way to bring any kind of animal down. Nobody wants to see an animal suffer.
    And I agree, approching a deer that is bleeding out and cutting the throat is going to be so very difficult. Not from an "I am afraid" standpoint but rather, "something is about to die because of me" thought.
    It would probably be way different if the deer was actually attacking you and you had no choice but to defend yourself.
    It makes it easier.
    But, like you, I am confident that sometime in my lifetime, I will have no choice but to hunt in order to feed my family and, when that day comes, I need to know how to harvest the animal to the fullest.
  • Nanadena
    Nanadena Posts: 739 Member
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    i'm sure that i'll get some flack for this. but what do you get out of hunting? do you need the meat for food?

    is it just a sport i.e gratification from killing something and making an animal suffer in the process?

    if its about shooting practice go to a shooting range!

    It is a challenge. Beating the game on it's own terms. It is my heritage. Walking in my ancestors foot steps. It is to put meat in my freezer. No different that killing a cow or chicken. Except I respect that animal more and it lived free. And lastly....IT IS MY RIGHT!

    Your darn right! We live on the meat because of choice. It is hard enough to fill your tag. The animal has the home field advantage. I was 46 when I took my first big game animal. And yes, it is our heritage and right!
  • DetroitDarin
    DetroitDarin Posts: 955 Member
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    ha ha..........dude there has to be some type of hunting website around where you'll get much better answers.

    ha ha.......dude i asked this forum because I wanted the opinion of this forum. Asking a hunting forum about how awesome hunting is would be like asking a Mustang forum how awsome mustangs are or are not.
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    i'm sure that i'll get some flack for this. but what do you get out of hunting? do you need the meat for food?
    is it just a sport i.e gratification from killing something and making an animal suffer in the process?
    if its about shooting practice go to a shooting range!
    Hello Skinny,
    That is a fair question and I asked the same thing myself.
    There are some hunters out there who do hunt for bragging rights. Who can shoot the most snimals or who can kill the biggest "whatever".
    I personally don't agree with that kind of hunting.
    There are others who will hunt and use/eat as much of the animal as they can.
    This really is no different then a farm that raises chickens, pigs, or cows.
    There is more to it.
    I can only speak of Florida right now but, in the late 70s and 80's, there was a ban on hunting alligators. They were considered endangered.
    Today, they are no longer endangered and in fact, there is an over population. We do have alligator season with strict bag limits. There are only a ceran number of licenses given out every season along with the bag limitations per hunter. This helps to control the population while not endangering the species as a whole.
    Controling the population allows for the entire ecosystem to remain healthy.
    I do hope this answers your question somewhat.
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
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    We can agree to disagree. A food plot can be 10's if not 100's of acres. A bait pile is 3' X 3'. Drastically different.

    If you plant it specifically for attracting game - I agree.
  • dsmease7
    dsmease7 Posts: 81 Member
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    Congrats to the OP for trying out hunting. You'll find it to be a very rewarding experience. Enjoy your time outdoors as some of your best days afield might even be days you didn't harvest an animal! You got the respect for the animal thing down so now go out & find someone in your area who has experience & that could help you learn the finer points of dealing with the animal properly after you make the kill.

    I would also recommend spending some money on butchering equipment & process the deer yourself. In the long run you'll save a lot of money & it is pretty cool to know you've did everything yourself:)

    As to critics of hunting, most fail to realize that hunting is at the core of conservation! Here in Pa hundreds of thousands of dollars from hunters have been used to purchase land with prime habitat for animals so they have a place to thrive in the wild. This is also true thru out the USA as hunters spend much time & money to help preserve & control the animal population.

    To all my fellow hunters, stay safe & shoot straight:)

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