baiting birds

[Siwash]

Anyone here bait turkey? As in putting out corn? How do you do it?

[OLE RASPY]

    

[Siwash]

   

Huh???

[Trevor2]

   

Huh???

I dont think you are gonna get very many positive responses on here. Baiting aint hunting.

[BP1992]

It's not even legal.

[mkretch]

Illegal here in NC, certainly frowned upon everywhere.  Kind of like shooting off the roost.

[Rio Fan]

Please tell me you are not being serious... it's illegal in my state and definitely frowned upon.

[Siwash]

Baiting is legal in Ontario, Canada. Up to one week prior to hunting. You cannot hunt turkey over bait.

Obviously rules and regs change from one jurisdiction to another. In some cases, we have more stringent regs than you folks do. For example, it is my understanding that in some states you can shoot roosting turkeys. That, in my humble opinion, is FAR more unethical than putting out some corn. Also, we cannot hunt turkey after 7 PM whereas I believe you have a 30 min past sundown rule. We can only harvest bearded birds (not sure what your rules state) and two is the maximum allowed harvest.. and that'll cost you... Our season starts April 25 and ends MAy 31.

Here is what our regulations state on baiting:

"It is illegal to hunt wild turkeys within 400 metres of any place where bait has been deposited unless the place has been free of bait for at least seven days. Bait means corn, wheat, oats, other grain, pulse, any other feed that may attract wild turkey or any imitation of such feed. Standing crops, crops stacked in accordance with normal farming practices and grain scattered as a result of normal farming operations are not considered bait."

[TauntoHawk]

I don't hunt turkey out of necessity or need for meat. I hunt them for sport and for fun, when it stops being challenging and it's easy I will quit hunting them. I only enjoy the meat because I worked hard to get it.

Roost shooting and baiting defeat the purpose and even where legal is frowned upon. One of my dad's friends hunted a Texas ranch where they could bait the turkeys in, said it would have been harder to catch a chicken inside the coop than kill a turkey at a feeder. He still hasn't killed a turkey the right way up here in PA the past few years but he's had a lot more fun failing I can tell you that.

[Siwash]

I don't hunt turkey out of necessity or need for meat. I hunt them for sport and for fun, when it stops being challenging and it's easy I will quit hunting them. I only enjoy the meat because I worked hard to get it.

Roost shooting and baiting defeat the purpose and even where legal is frowned upon. One of my dad's friends hunted a Texas ranch where they could bait the turkeys in, said it would have been harder to catch a chicken inside the coop than kill a turkey at a feeder. He still hasn't killed a turkey the right way up here in PA the past few years but he's had a lot more fun failing I can tell you that.

First of all I agree about the ethics. As our laws and regulations in Ontario stipulate, a hunter cannot hunt over a feed plot. Laying down any feed must cease a week prior to hunt and you still cannot hunt on top of that feed if there is still feed left for the birds. You must be 400 metres (450 yards) away.

Secondly, we Ontario hunters DO NOT have the same turkey populations that you have in most U.S. states... turkey are at their northern limit in south-central Ontario. There are no huntable turkey populations in other Canadian provinces (like Quebec or Manitoba, for instance).  Turkey hunting is a lot more challenging by us... believe me.. My brother-in-law lives in Atlanta Georgia... you guys have it way easier there... Whenever I drive down there from here, I see more turkey than I dream to hunt! You have em everywhere, at least by our standards..

So consider the context before passing judgement  

p.s. We're probably helping out the populations of turkey here by offering feed... but as far as baiting goes, it's not commonly done.. Now that I understand where you're coming from (that you have more turkey than you can shake a stick at and so no need to bait!!) I won't bring up this subject again  

Peace

[Borat]

Siwash-

Have you ever killed a turkey in the US?  You know, since it's easy and we have so many of them that they just run to the end of our gun barrels...   

Additionally, I have no issues if you bait turkeys where it's legal.  Some frown upon it and it will certainly increase your probability of success, but ethics are defined by the individual.

Peace?  How about- Good luck this season.

-Keith

[TauntoHawk]

no judgement , and apples and oranges

suplimental feeding outside of season or in area that wont be hunted over to help maintain the flock health is completely different than sitting 20yds off a timed feeder with a shotgun.

if you're saying your law doesnt allow baiting but you just want to suplimental feed up until season to keep them around and well fed than go for it but the Topic at had was baiting

[dirt road ninja]

I've never baited them, but if I was to, I'd fill up the spreader with crack corn, put the tractor in high gear and broadcast in fields and down roads.
We plant cow peas and beans sometimes and the birds crush those field just after planting. I think it's half to do with the seed and half to due with a freshly tilled field. I'm going to disc up a couple acres this weekend, but not plant any spring plots.

If I got caught with cracked corn on the ground they would rightfully put me under the jail. If it was legal I probably wouldn't hunt over it, but would get plenty of great trail camera pics from it.

[Eric Gregg]

Here is my two cents worth:
Do you want to just be a turkey killer or a turkey hunter?
Anyone can throw out corn and be succesful.
I personally do not think this should be done in any hunting, except for in the case of killing nuissance animals like Hogs.

I would advise to focus on being a hunter. Yes, that requires a whole lot more time put into calling techniques, scouting, and knowing the birds.
I am not remotely opposed to something like natural food plots that are actually beneficial to the animals, but corn provides no nutritional value and doesn't help them out in the long run.

I really don't like this "take the easy road" mentality that is hitting the hunting world.In states where it is legal, all they want to do is increase their out of state hunters coming in so they can profit off of the sale of out of state liscenses. That is where their real profit is.This is going on in MS right now. I am still waiting to kill my first bird, but when it happens you better believe that I will have earned that kill and can feel a since of  pride knowing that I am a better hunter for the trials and errors.

[Siwash]

no judgement , and apples and oranges

suplimental feeding outside of season or in area that wont be hunted over to help maintain the flock health is completely different than sitting 20yds off a timed feeder with a shotgun.

if you're saying your law doesnt allow baiting but you just want to suplimental feed up until season to keep them around and well fed than go for it but the Topic at had was baiting

This was actually what I was getting at...

Thanks!