Looking into the legality of food plots.

[tughillhunter]

ok.... so when everyone pants a veg garden, is that baiting?(deer molest them) i have friends that have food plots just to photograph deer and other wildlife, they have never shot a gun in their life....or hunted...... is that illegal? Nope. sure isnt. Is my 5 acres of soybeans, brassica, clover, chicory, and an abundance of apple trees illegal? nope. its been there and replanted just like any other crop over the last 12 years or so. find something else to cry about.

[lsnydes]

I started this post to see where most of you stood on this subject.. It has been all over the board as you can see. I now have been called a number of things, an anti, spammer, etc. Lots of name calling. I did BAIT it a little myself to keep it going. But that is OK because I struck a nerve. I am an average hunter and have been for a number of years. It is a subject that I think is being misused by a number of people so I threw it out there. What is a food plot? I don't think the DEC has a handle on it yet and they should if they allow it. What are the perameters? Is there minimum and maximum sizes? Crops that can be planted? Do they have this info? To say that an orchard or oak grove is a food plot is by definition. If food plots took as long to grow as these do there would be no food plots. What bushes and flowers do deer love to eat. I could really dress up my deer stands so if no deer pass by I can still enjoy my well landscaped location!!!

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

ok.... so when everyone pants a veg garden, is that baiting?(deer molest them) i have friends that have food plots just to photograph deer and other wildlife, they have never shot a gun in their life....or hunted...... is that illegal? Nope. sure isnt. Is my 5 acres of soybeans, brassica, clover, chicory, and an abundance of apple trees illegal? nope. its been there and replanted just like any other crop over the last 12 years or so. find something else to cry about.

If you are planting to attract deer , Its bait, plain and simple ,, Tipping the odds in your favor....Plant it over twelve years or not .. Farm fields are not planted to attract deer ,, Food plots are loop hole in the system...Gardens are planted at my house for my table.

[bubba]

Why do I get the impression those who speak out against food plots have either no place to hunt where they are used, or the resources to plant them. If you think you plant it and just sit there and wait for the boone and Crocketts to show up, stop watching silly fake tv shows. If you hunt over a food plot, you are pretty much wasting your time if you want a big buck. I have some pics of very nice bucks in my different plots.(12 acres in all on a 450 acre plot of land) All in the middle of the night. It does not make deer stupid and have them walk into an open plot in mid day just to eat. Shoot one deer near a plot and see how fast the deer stop going there in day light. Hunting near a food source is pretty common and a great strategy. Just because you supply the source, does not give you any advantage except well fed deer and good healthy numbers of deer.

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

If I had unlimited money and just say had 1/4 acres of land planted corn cut it down spread it out , and walked away.. Hunted over it cause it was my food plot... Or lets say I was lazy and went to local farmer and spread around corn I bought from him over my 1/4 I would be arressted why cause I didnt grow it to feed the deer..

[bubba]

I guess the lazy way is not the best way then.

Edited October 3, 2012 by bubba

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

Its what it is, just dont pretend because its legal, its not baiting,,,Its legal bait intented for one purpose , to concentrate deer to increase your odds.

[Paula]

I don't think you were called a anti or a spammer, someone asked or got the impression you were. I agreed. From the post i have read i think for the most part the answers you got were basically the same. everyone always has a little twist of what they take a meaning for. nothing wrong with that.

so are you saying that you have not been caught baiting or are you upset that people have food plots near you and that keeps the deer away from you?

[bubba]

Its what it is, just dont pretend because its legal, its not baiting,,,Its legal bait intented for one purpose , to concentrate deer to increase your odds.

spoken by someone who is clueless about food plots. Good luck

[mxsmitz201]

Its what it is, just dont pretend because its legal, its not baiting,,,Its legal bait intented for one purpose , to concentrate deer to increase your odds.

just like that cammo you wear thats descented and the gun/bow you use in your treestand increases your odds....

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

spoken by someone who is clueless about food plots. Good luck

Was the food plot for your family or your wall..Why did you plant the food plot???

Edited October 3, 2012 by Bowshotmuzzleloader

[bubba]

neither. It was to feed the wildlife on my property and assist them through the tough winters we have here in the north. It produces a healthy herd not a place to shoot deer. There are no stands within 500 yards of any of my plots. One field is used to feed my beef cattle so I can eat them. But, the deer eat it too, so I better stop planting alfalfa for the cows then. But I have now explained that 4 times and you still do not get it, so I doubt I can say anything different to get you to understand. So go sit on the state land you hunt and enjoy. There is no reason to be upset you can not have a place to hunt otherwise.

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

just like that cammo you wear thats descented and the gun/bow you use in your treestand increases your odds....

You right All I am saying is dont bend the truth ...Just cause its leagal it is still bait.

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

I just want to add on thing so until the last 20 years until food plots became popular.. The wildlife coulndt get by all these thousands of years , without them..Dang Maybe it was so they wouldnt have such a hard winter and grow a better rack??

[bubba]

I never said they could not get along. I said it makes for a bigger in numbers and healthier herd. I remember over 20 years ago hunting in the dacks and maybe seeing one or two deer a season. I guess seeing more deer and healthier deer and by healthier I mean bigger deer not bigger racks, is no biggie to you, so be it. Like I sai da few posts ago, those who generally oppose it cant do it. I also have an over abundance of turkeys and bear on my land. The bear do grow a lot bigger racks with due to the food plots. So I guess that I have to admit to.

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

neither. It was to feed the wildlife on my property and assist them through the tough winters we have here in the north. It produces a healthy herd not a place to shoot deer. There are no stands within 500 yards of any of my plots. One field is used to feed my beef cattle so I can eat them. But, the deer eat it too, so I better stop planting alfalfa for the cows then. But I have now explained that 4 times and you still do not get it, so I doubt I can say anything different to get you to understand. So go sit on the state land you hunt and enjoy. There is no reason to be upset you can not have a place to hunt otherwise.

The food plots I was refering to Are used soley to induce the deer to a small area to harvest.. If you farm and have livestock you may be in a different category.. I am not upset just expressing my view, the large percentage of food plots are planted to draw deer to a concentrated area, for the sole purpose of a harvest, Thus a bait in my eyes ,,, Which makes no difference to me, I just dont like when people pretented , I hunt private land not state land , and I will enjoy and am.. Hunting over 40 acres of winter wheat ...Not planted for deer

[mxsmitz201]

im not bending any truth. my foodplot is not bait, i didnt plant it to bait. if i wanted to bait id have a bucket of 16% livestock grower under my stand.

i planted it because

1, i enjoy the time and effort to plant such a thing

2, the deer/turkeys/squirrels/rabbits etc all benefit from it year round during all stages of its growth

3, what i plant is a great food source during the winter months

4, its an available food source after the farmers harvest their crops

5, its another option just like the crab apples, the farmers corn field, the clover growing in my hay field etc

6, it provides cover

7, and at this point, its naturally a part of the deers habitat, it holds no guarantee of harvesting a deer over, and isnt intended that way like A BAIT PILE IS.

a bait pile on the other hand....

1, short term, generally only used during hunting season and holds no long term benefits what so ever

2, can manipulate the deer to be there when you want them there

3, can be fatal for the deer over winter, or if CWD is present

4, concentrates the deer over the pile

5, doesnt benefit all the wildlife

6, takes no time and effort or thought process other than where to put it

7, is not readily available, does not become a staple of the deers diet, which is unlike my foodplot

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

Just like walking into the mini mart and choosing a soda there are many reasons ,decisions ,and feelings, and this topic could go on forever there are exceptions and there extremist.. No right ,no wrong.. Bottom line is you can do it for whatever reason you choose... Your points are right on, and well put

[mxsmitz201]

thank you very much!!

[WNYBuckHunter]

so tell me O' great WNY which isleagal and which is not if you just hog the field

Here we go....

Its legal to hunt over for deer, as long as you leave it where the brush hog throws it. In other words, like Ive already said, you cant pile it up. I have had the same exact discussion with multiple COs and others in the DEC. I could honestly care less about waterfowl in this discussion, thats not what were talking about.

BTW, I answered your question, what, twice now. Dont bother trolling for an argument, you wont get one from me.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I started this post to see where most of you stood on this subject.. It has been all over the board as you can see. I now have been called a number of things, an anti, spammer, etc. Lots of name calling. I did BAIT it a little myself to keep it going. But that is OK because I struck a nerve. I am an average hunter and have been for a number of years. It is a subject that I think is being misused by a number of people so I threw it out there. What is a food plot? I don't think the DEC has a handle on it yet and they should if they allow it. What are the perameters? Is there minimum and maximum sizes? Crops that can be planted? Do they have this info? To say that an orchard or oak grove is a food plot is by definition. If food plots took as long to grow as these do there would be no food plots. What bushes and flowers do deer love to eat. I could really dress up my deer stands so if no deer pass by I can still enjoy my well landscaped location!!!

DEC has a handle on it, and the rules are pretty clear. If you plant it, its legal. Size is irrelevant. The definitions of what is illegal are pretty clear as well.

BTW, do you have any idea how many land/deer management schemes include planting orchards and/or mast crop trees?

[erussell]

It baffles me some people do not understand the difference between dropping food and planting food.

Buying bags of food = illegal baiting

planting food=legal baiting

Why because the DEC has said so and they are responsible for the deer herds of NY.

Foodplots dispers deer over a larger area to avoid spreading of diseases like CWD and a host of other nasty diseases that kill deer. Bait piles put deer faces in close proximity with one another for easy spreading of diseases.

Edited October 3, 2012 by erussell

[LIHUNT]

Sounds like you've already wasted to much time on it. Def alot more then i have......

[Doc]

how about in instances when your neighbors poach, trespass from time to time and leave nothing but a few young deer left to breed?

reason i ask.....my friend has 160 acres on a hill, has 2 acres of corn and 1 acre of clover planted at the top, has an electric fence around the corn takes it down middle of october, he has about 25 stands, i think there are 2 on the edge of the corn. long story short, since hes planted corn and has the only corn around for miles the deer annihilate the corn through hunting season and through winter. come back in march and your lucky if you find a cob with 1 kernel left on it.

hes made a huge impact on the quality of deer because they do stay on his property longer/more often than they used to and dont get blasted by the neighbors, however since he has 160 acres its still difficult for him to harvest his idea of a mature deer(my idea of a good buck and his are about as different as the Dems vs. Reps) because they do wander off from time to time, but atleast hes made a positive impact.

Yeah, this is a scenario that displays some of the worst behavior among hunters. It boils down to "Food plot wars". Occasionally you hear (read) of peope who actually felt forced into food plotting just to draw back deer from a neighbor's plot(s). What does all that stuff have to do with hunting? That just comes down to neighbors fighting over the deer herd and using whatever method they can devise to take as many deer as possible from the other.

[bubba]

The food plots I was refering to Are used soley to induce the deer to a small area to harvest.. If you farm and have livestock you may be in a different category.. I am not upset just expressing my view, the large percentage of food plots are planted to draw deer to a concentrated area, for the sole purpose of a harvest, Thus a bait in my eyes ,,, Which makes no difference to me, I just dont like when people pretented , I hunt private land not state land , and I will enjoy and am.. Hunting over 40 acres of winter wheat ...Not planted for deer

I actually plant both. One field is for hay for cattle for the winter. I also plant about 12 acres of sugar bets for winter food for deer, turkeys and other critters. That does not mean I hunt over them. In fact two of my three plots are in an area no one is allowed to hunt. I just like healthy well fed wildlife. To me it beats them starving all winter. You can put any twist on it you want but that is the way it is. So since the field you plan to hunt over is not a plot in your mind that makes it ok? Talk about a weird justification for doing exactly what everyone else does on a smaller scale.