Montana
02-13-2020, 10:28 AM
In some places baiting is legal and in other places you'll get a ticket for it, as we all know. Here are my thoughts on it. I hunted Saskatchewan last year where baiting is legal. I sat from before daylight till dark for 6 straight days. I saw a lot of deer but every one was a doe, fawn, or small buck. Ditto for the other 4 guys in camp that week. Not one mature buck showed himself. I've stayed in contact with the outfit I hunted with and there were no mature bucks shot this year either. He blames a few bad winters on there not being any large bucks, but at the same time he said a neighbor a mile down the road from him killed a 190" buck last fall. I saw 17 different smaller bucks and many does and fawns. I think the big bucks are there, but have learned to not show themselves during daylight. This was during the peak of the rut, by the way.
Baiting is illegal here in Montana, but I've set out trail cams around grain bins where deer come into feed. I've never had a mature buck come in during daylight hours. Not one. I've had some old bucks come in after dark, but never during daylight. Now I know that the occasional big buck is killed over a pile of gran, alfalfa, etc. but I personally would never spend my time hunting over bait even if it was legal. Based on my experience, there are far better ways to hunt a mature buck. Baiting is highly overrated...
Baiting is illegal here in Montana, but I've set out trail cams around grain bins where deer come into feed. I've never had a mature buck come in during daylight hours. Not one. I've had some old bucks come in after dark, but never during daylight. Now I know that the occasional big buck is killed over a pile of gran, alfalfa, etc. but I personally would never spend my time hunting over bait even if it was legal. Based on my experience, there are far better ways to hunt a mature buck. Baiting is highly overrated...