What would you do?

What would you do?

  • Turn the neighbors in?

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Talk to them?

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Ignore it?

    Votes: 7 70.0%

  • Total voters
    10

Bullwinkle

Active Member
Here is the situation

Baiting is illegal in my county because of CWD. I have good info and believe 3-4 of my neighbors bait with corn. They don't have much land and probably wouldn't see many deer without bait. They help the area by poor hunting techniques and lots of pressure plus they shoot a lot of does. They do take a few small bucks. They got 3 does/fawns this weekend.

What would you do? Thus far I've chosen to ignore it. I justify this that they don't have much land, are good neighbors and if they didn't shoot all those does I would have to. We have plenty of bucks.
 
I would turn them in or ignore it, I would not talk to them. I wouldn't want them knowing that I knew. They would think I turned them in if they get caught in the future. That could mean a burnt down camp where I am at. If you think they are helping you let it be. If you have a moral issue with it turn them in. Talking with them will probably not result in anything changing. Do mature bucks go to bait piles? No experience with it, seems mature bucks would steer clear. Especially with all the food in your neighborhood.
 
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Would prolly just talk to them if they are good neighbors. Definitely would encourage them to spread the chum rather than pile it.
 
If you don't know where the corn is then it's kind of hard to tell on them. Chances are they would never know you were the one that turned them in but that is something you have to decide. Only you walk in your shoes. If you bring it up to them and they are doing it then chances are you will have an issueabd they will know you called if you ever do. How is your relationship with them now? It must be decent for you to know what they killed. I don't know what my neighbor's shoot unless I hear the shot and ask. That works both ways. I get along with both neighbors but keep to myself. One hardly ever hunts and is a buck hunter. That is big or small. The other is the same way as a buck hunter but hunts way to much. We talk about what we get on camera sometimes but hardly tell of anything big. Baiting is legal here and we are all doing it. I honestly don't know what I would do if I thought they were doing something illegal. Some deep thought would definitely take place. I do not envy you. I guess I'm no help at all.
 
Would prolly just talk to them if they are good neighbors. Definitely would encourage them to spread the chum rather than pile it.
I surely understand your view. I struggle with the fact I have 16 acres of plots - more plots than some have acreage. If they were horsesashes no problem but these are good neighbors. Kind of selfish of me even to bring it up- I might be wrong. Just sharing feelings
 
I might approach it by saying I killed one that had corn in it and was just curious if they were baiting. No intent to report it just would appreciate it if they would spread the chum rather than pile it due to the cwd issue. That's assuming you are ok with them throwing out some chum.
 
I was raised to obey game laws and have nothing but contempt for those who do not. Putting myself in your shoes, i would need factual evidence of their baiting. If they were shooting deer left and right, my blood would probably get to boiling and i would do something about it.
Kind of goes back to the old adage, friends treat you like a friend. Baiting neighbors are taking advantage of you, though they may be "nice guys".
 
Bull, in Portage county, I bet there is more bait being dumped now than there was when it was legal. At least in my area.
I took a big doe this rifle season, and opened it up to see what she had been eating. Wall to wall shelled corn. Just packed with it. And at that time, the last standing corn in a 5 mile radius had been down for 2 weeks.
 
I have two neighbors that are baiting and while I wish they wouldn't it is not a battle worth winning for me. If the baiting keeps pressure on their property and satisfies their need to take deer AND they stay off of my property then no action is required. Since at least one of them has a history of annually or more wounding deer maybe the baiting will save more deer. Presumably they will get easier shooting over bait than they do sitting on my fence line.
If my 2,000 apple trees and numerous food plots can't beat their bought crate of apples, I may take up golf or something.
I'd just let it go, don't throw away any evidence you may have or run into but just let it go.

edit- make that a bin of apples.
 
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Only a question you can answer. I would probably just keep doing my own thing. If they go over your breaking point you will know it is time to deal with it. Neighbors are problematic for a property manager, as we all know.
 
Once you open that can - no way to get the worms back in it. If they are killing only legal numbers of buck - ignore it.

Bull it is possible folks might tell you something hoping you will act on it. I say worry about your ground and leave it be.
 
I surely understand your view. I struggle with the fact I have 16 acres of plots - more plots than some have acreage. If they were horsesashes no problem but these are good neighbors. Kind of selfish of me even to bring it up- I might be wrong. Just sharing feelings

You don't say how you come to suspect that the neighbors are baiting illegally and to me that does factor in a little. I might be hesitant to call in a vague suspicion, but if I see strong evidence or outright see it, I'm calling it in.

To me ANYONE who breaks the law is a horseash, I don't care if they are nice guys to be around or not. Being a BaitPerp makes you a law breaker where I'm from and that mean's you're no friend of mine.

Also, I would say to consider that illegal MasterBaiters don't just hurt you and the other neighbors. Especially in your situation where the no baiting rules are to prevent the spread of disease. To me, that's twice the reason to turn them in if you have solid evidence or strong substantiated suspicion.

How would you feel if CWD suddenly turns out of control in your area and wipes out a big percentage not just of your deer, but of the deer within a few square miles? Are the master baiting neighbors still nice guys then?

Grouse
 
Bull,
I'd also let it pass. As an absentee landowner I've concluded giving someone reason to seek revenge is a dangerous and potentially expensive game. During the season, they are not particularly likely to kill your high end bucks--far more likely to thin your does. Just my 0.02
 
I believe that baiting decreases your odds of killing mature bucks during legal hunting hours.

G
 
Thanks for the input guys. I am aligned in my thinking with most of you

I used to bait when I was a kid. It's very effective on does and small bucks. Agree with G that the chance of baiters shooting a mature buck is small and frankly I don't have the time or desire to create the pressure shooting enough does.
 
I believe that baiting decreases your odds of killing mature bucks during legal hunting hours.

G

I understand and agree with this, but he is not baiting. His neighbors are. You need to figure out how to use this to your advantage.

1. There spending the money on baiting
2. There spending the time on baiting
3. The deer are responding to said baiting

I have just started on using my neighbor baiting situation to help me and success is sweet because of it. Let them feed them, ill house them and harvest them.


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