Fair Chase Hunting - Can it not be standardized for all States ?
I love to hunt whitetail deer. I just can not say that or emphasize that enough. Here is the dilema that I see for our sport of hunting monster bucks and even for hunting the doe that we all love to eat so well. For the bucks I think it clouds and muddy’s the water on how a trophy was killed from state to state or even in a different country. What is perfectly legal and accepted in one state is against the law in the neighboring state. The record book does not show hey this buck was killed over a corn feeder or on a 50lb mineral lick that he had becoming to since he was a fawn. This is what Indiana DNR says about Fair Chase Hunting.
It is illegal to use bait, salt or minerals, snares, dogs or other domesticated animals to take deer. Bait is considered any product that is transported into an area for the consumption of that animal. This includes baits in the following forms, corn, salt, minerals, prepared solid or liquid that is intended for the animal to eat. An area is considered to be baited for up to 10 days after the bait is removed and ALL affected soil from the bait.
Dogs may be used on a leash for the purpose of trailing a wounded anmal only.
Artificial deer decoys are allowed for hunting.
The use of electronic calls, or infrared sensor’s for calling or finding deer is illegal. 
This is not the case in most states. What gets me though is Indiana allows for deer feeder’s to be bought and sold in Indiana. All of the different baiting products can be purchased at a variety of stores day or night all year long and even ordered and shipped in to us. So if it is against the law why allow for the sale of the products? Kind of like the fireworks laws isn’t? Strictly forbidden to use but they sell them on every block or exit? An advanced search on google finds 82,900 items for deer feeder alone. Must be some money in feeder’s huh?
What do you think? Should trophy bucks harvested using bait be looked at differently than a free ranging whitetail that is killed in white oaks rather than over a salt lick or under a feeder? Why can’t the DNR’s country wide decide on what the law should be in each state rather than differ so much from state to state. What is legal on federal land in one state is not in the next state so it makes it confusing and the harvesting of deer even more diverse.
Hack,
Here in Oklahoma you can bait Deer, but not Turkey. In the areas I hunt, the corn feeders do not work well, simply because there is so much farm land and the Deer have a variety of food available. I had corn feeders up for over 2 years on my lease, I never seen one Deer come to it. Now they would hit it at night, and consume what was left after the Turkeys and squirrels had been in it.
So I think the answer to that question would actually vary from state to state. In Texas they come to the sound of feeders like a dinner bell. That is certainly different than what I have experienced here. If I shot a Trophy Buck off a corn feeder here, I would be just as satisfied if it had been killed while eating acorns.
But let’s say I got in a blind in South Texas, sat for 30 minutes, feeder goes off and Deer come in from every direction. I kill a 150 class Buck 1 hour into the hunt. I don’t think I would be that pumped about it honestly. It certainly wouldn’t be in the same ball game as shooting a nice 6-pointer here in Oklahoma, right off a well traveled trail I had been sitting on for 2 weeks straight.
I have mixed feelings about this. The picture I painted about shooting a 150 class in an hour is not that realistic. However it does happen, but there are people who hit the woods every year and kill a Trophy Deer within minutes after getting into the stand.
I have respect for the Man who goes out and does his homework, then carefully puts a plan together and makes it work. A guy who has done his homework will be much more successful than the Man who spends his time at the Sporting goods store buying high-tech gadgets.
Just look at the Greatest Bowhunters of all time. Saxton Pope, Art Young, Earl Hoyt, Ben Pearson, Fred Bear, and the man who pretty much made Bowhunting what it is today…Ishi. These guys were true hunters, they ate, breathed, and slept Bowhunting. These are people we should look up to and read as much as possible about their techniques and strategies.
Got a little off subject here, but I think you know what I mean,
Scott.
Scott, All good points and I am not saying that I am against feeder’s or baiting at all. I am saying that due to the variety of State’s game laws that method’s allowed for hunting are so diverse that maybe the record bucks should be looked at differently based on how they were killed. I agree with you on the corn feeder’s because here in Indiana putting out 50lb of corn might feed the squirrels, but the deer eat it right off the field everywhere. But a mineral or salt lick would work here I bet. You left Myles Keller off your list and again I think your right in looking at how these founding fathers of our sport hunted and what would they do in these situations of fair chase.
Baiting deer was just made illegal in Vermont. The fear of CWD was the winning argument.
I think it is important to keep in mind the essential elements of responsible hunting when deciding on these kinds of issues.
1) hunt safe
2) be legal
3) clean kills
4) fully utilize what you kill
5) practice fair chase
It is the last one, fair chase that reasonable people disagree on as is evidenced in this discussion. The bottom line with fair chase is the outcome of the hunt must always be in doubt. The result of this for ethical hunters is that we continually make the hunt harder as our skills improve. It is no challenge to sit over a corn feeder in TX and shoot a deer for me. For some guy out of Houston it may be and that is OK with me.
Where we get into trouble as hunters is when we try to mandate our hunting preferences on others who may not have the same skill as we do. Obviously there are some practices that the public and we have banned thru laws such as deer jacking and shooting from vehicles. As you say these laws vary between different areas of the country. Baiting, hounding and trapping bear are legal in Maine (and just survived a ballot initiative) primarily because in the thick north woods they are the only effective way to harvest bears and keep their numbers in balance. Baiting and trapping are illegal here in Vermont and we do just fine harvesting bear - different habitat and a different hunting culture.
If we as hunters can strictly adhere to the first 4 elements and use high standards of fair chase as an example of where you can go as a hunter we will be helping the future of hunting.
Eric, I agree to everything you said and you said it all very well. By being safe, ethical, legal, not wasting the game, and hunting by fair chase then we will not be hurting our sport.
What about the record bucks? If you and I hunt without bait or dogs or any fences; should all the bucks go in the same book and category as they do today? Or is the book for the deer and not for the hunter and the skill it took him to harvest the great animal?
Hack, i kind of feel lkike we are all hunters and we should just respect eachother as hunters and stop fighting about stuff. I know some people will say thats crazy but thats how i feel anyhow. I dont bait deer but I have been on hunts with deer that are baited so who cares, hutn away.
John - well said and I understand what you are saying and I agree with it. I am not being critical of anyones preferences for hunting. Just asking the question about RECORD book bucks. Should high fence and feeders be categorized differently than free roaming and no feeders in the record books?
Hunting can be expreesed to these kids very easily. They are using the principles in everything they do. Metephores are a powerfull tool and have been used to this day to reach out to folks. Focus on the “art” of hunting as opposed to the “act” of hunting. I assure you all whom you reach will realate and open up to the origin of hunting. It is in need of a resurection as it has been isolated and exploited as an act of violence over time. When infact it prevents just that and instil’s sound judgement and decision making. One hunts or is forced to hunt, and all options between that spectrum. When learning to be a parent, the task of understanding that teaching reading has become a method was put upon me to resolve. Schools are now a business and not a safe zone. I am fortunate to have had teachers whom loved the challeng of my opportunities to learn. Now the teachers are treated like sales professionals with quotas regardless of the results or the emminent impact of this approach.
My children love to read because I asked them what they loved and gave them things to read about those passions. Hunting is a gift we all are given, not taught, and strive to perfect. Even if it’s to give up one must search or endeavor to do so.
I’m done until I am moved to speak up again.
Myco - well said, I hope you are moved to speak again soon sir.
Hunting under feeders isn’t hunting at all, its killing. Big difference and not trophy’s “hunted” under feeders or a salt lick isn’t the same as someone who does his or her homework and truly hunts.
Hunters know the difference.
Billy