Baiting, I know this has been discussed and discussed this is just my rant....LOL

[Natty Bumppo]

People on the time on this forum are worried about being on their land when its not deer season - or even a chain rattling on a gate. That tells me folks at least think human activity affects deer behavior.

Agree. I go with the exact opposite logic as far as land use. I use my land constantly for all kind of activities...mtn. biking, trail running, nordic skiing and snowshoeing, trail grooming, walks with the dogs, maple syrup production, etc...and then all of the usual logging and TSI.

One of my goals it to attract as many does to my property as possible. I try to do the exact opposite of what Jeff Sturgis recommends.

And then agree with this...and I do the same. And as a result I have does that are very used to me and permit behaviors and movements on my land that I would not realize elsewhere. They are less cautious of me and even my dogs. They are less wary. I once had a young fawn that was so used to my presence and my activities with a chainsaw near the end of the season that she would follow my boot prints in the snow after I walked in for an evening sit. I could almost guarantee she'd show up...following me in.

With calm does that aren't spooked by every foreign noise and smell, it's much easier to hunt the bucks when they show up looking for them.

I think this works on my land as it's typical Northeast big woods. I doubt some of the deer born on my land ever even see another human for much of their life. This probably isn't typical in other areas. But creating a doe factory and "educating them" that I am not a threat through many and varied neutral interactions pays big dividends for me during the rut.

 

[Baker]

This guy films a lot of unpressured deer.

They are licking and grooming. Arrest them. Don't they know they must wear a mask and stand 6 feet apart to avoid spreading CWD.

 

[Telemark]

One of my goals it to attract as many does to my property as possible. I try to do the exact opposite of what Jeff Sturgis recommends

Same. Sturgis gets a few things right, but he's probably wrong as often as he's right. And I can't stand his smug attitude in his videos. I quit watching him years ago.

I think his whole approach has contradictory elements, and the idea of separate areas for does and bucks is only really possible on the largest properties, with existing natural features that hold bucks year-round.

I have not been able to pattern a buck pre-season anywhere I hunt. My odds are better if I have does to attract bucks for the rut, and late food for post-rut.

 

[Ikeman]

Agree. I go with the exact opposite logic as far as land use. I use my land constantly for all kind of activities...mtn. biking, trail running, nordic skiing and snowshoeing, trail grooming, walks with the dogs, maple syrup production, etc...and then all of the usual logging and TSI.



And then agree with this...and I do the same. And as a result I have does that are very used to me and permit behaviors and movements on my land that I would not realize elsewhere. They are less cautious of me and even my dogs. They are less wary. I once had a young fawn that was so used to my presence and my activities with a chainsaw near the end of the season that she would follow my boot prints in the snow after I walked in for an evening sit. I could almost guarantee she'd show up...following me in.

With calm does that aren't spooked by every foreign noise and smell, it's much easier to hunt the bucks when they show up looking for them.

I think this works on my land as it's typical Northeast big woods. I doubt some of the deer born on my land ever even see another human for much of their life. This probably isn't typical in other areas. But creating a doe factory and "educating them" that I am not a threat through many and varied neutral interactions pays big dividends for me during the rut.

I feel like my dad has a similar situation with his place. It is mostly open pasture, but the back 13 acre corner has a good size creek that acts as a connector for much larger patches of cover. He is kind of the central connector. He realized that since such a small piece of his place could be hunted, he couldn’t play the “no impact” game.
Instead, he is VERY active on that 13 acres all year. He smells like a rancher, acts like a rancher, uses equipment like a rancher…. Almost daily in that 13 acres. When the pecan harvester comes to the area to shake and vacuum everyone’s trees, they typically stop in his creek bottom for the evening. They have spent the whole day making the most noise you have ever heard… shaking 50-80 year old trees until they drop every last ounce of their crop. An hour after they shut the equipment down, he has 10-20 does browsing all around the tractors.

The one thing he gives the deer is their crepuscular times and the darkness. Outside from hunting, he will not walk back there in golden hour or the night.


If deer expect human movement, but don’t perceive it as a threat, they will get VERY comfortable around that human activity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tangler]

Land and Legacy just had a 90 minute podcast on the subject. I found it so ironic and so blatantly obvious that they spent 90 minutes JUSTIFYING why they recommend baiting to their habitat customers. Really boils down to two reasons people use bait on their property. One they justify the fact that they "will never KILL a deer" because my neighbors all have bait out or they are making $$$ off the fact that they can get hunters to pay them to shoot deer off their property with guided "hunts". Their podcasts have become less and less about habitat work and more about how to kill a deer one way or the other. While not directly saying it ..... they hinted in every way possible on that podcast that even if you aren't in a state that legally allows baiting you should be doing it, because all your neighbors already are.

You can choose to use bait if you like, just don't bother trying to justify it to me. There is not a single valid reason other than the 2 I listed above for baiting. Baiting has absolutely no positive impact on wildlife populations. They made the comment in the podcast that if any biologist wanted to reach out to dispute what they were saying to please do so...... funny how they shut off the comments section for the audio podcast and the YouTube version of the podcast. What a joke these 2 have become. I won't bother to listen to or watch another thing they produce the rest of their existence and for the sake of wildlife I hope they decide to retire from pretending to be knowledgeable soon.

Well, I finally got around to listening to the whole podcast. In my opinion the discussion was more nuanced. I did not think they came off as pro-baiting.
I am relatively new to this stuff (I have a lot to learn) but the summary of my situation is that I own and manage two small properties. One in Al (where I grew up) and one in NH. Both states allow baiting but I do NOT bait. I think it is a bad practice for Deer (CWD) and turkey (aflatoxins, nest predators, ) and I think the data is pretty clear regarding this.

I have studies I could quote and attach to support my feelings about baiting but I feel strongly enough about it that I would rather be a less successful hunter than use bait.

Anyway, I listened to the whole podcast and I did not think they said baiting was good. I also did not think they hinted that people should do it in states where it is not legal.

They (The Land and Legacy folks, who made the podcast) do virtual habitat planing (VPE sessions) and I used them to get help for planing how to manage my properties. I used one of their very kind and knowledgeable employees (Frank C) and during my multi-hour long video planning sessions (using On-X and pictures of the property) we discussed habitat management. (Cover, food, water, travel corridors, bedding areas, stand location, access, food plots, FSI, prescribed fire, herbicide recommendations, etc).
Not once did Frank mention the word Bait. It was not recommended nor encouraged.

For what it is worth, I do think the podcast hosts can sometimes sound a little arrogant on this podcast and It is not my current favorite podcast (I am a huge fan of wild turkey science, Deer University, Wildlife Investments, Mossy Oaks Game-Keepers).

Anyway, for folks that did not listen to the podcast, I would not assume that these guys are Pro-baiting. I think that's not really true nor fair IMO.
I think the discussion was more nuanced. I think they acknowledge that baiting can and does work to attract deer but that in a perfect world it would be illegal with stiff fines and heavy enforcement.
Not picking a fight. Just a difference of opinion.

 

[SD51555]

One thing to consider, and this may be a tad conspiracy because the data is elusive and we just don’t look for it. A majority of feed ingredients consist of distillers grains from ethanol production, and soy leftovers from crush plants.

As those things are broken down for ethanol and junk food additives, the chemical residue load is consolidated in the remains. A guy by the name of Mike Adams ran tests on chicken feed when the chickens quit laying for a while. He found wildly different levels of glyphosate, aflatoxins, and heavy metals in different brands of feed, even organic feeds.

If you have a few minutes, check this out. You can play it right in the web page, and it’s right at the beginning.

The Health Ranger Report: Situation Update, March 7, 2023 - Chicken feed test results and USA military hardware in Poland

0:00 Chicken Feed 27:42 Critical News 44:59 Other Headlines 51:04 Bizarre Story 1:03:03 Interview with Kristen Meghan and Tammy Clark - Tractor Supply chicken feed test results released - About twice the glyphosate and aflatoxins of other tested brands - But still within ranges considered "safe"...

healthrangerreport.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Natty Bumppo]

The one thing he gives the deer is their crepuscular times and the darkness. Outside from hunting, he will not walk back there in golden hour or the night.

Yes, exactly. I do the same. And once September rolls around I do curtail all activities on the land where my treestands are mostly located.

 

[Tangler]

One thing to consider, and this may be a tad conspiracy because the data is elusive and we just don’t look for it. A majority of feed ingredients consist of distillers grains from ethanol production, and soy leftovers from crush plants.

As those things are broken down for ethanol and junk food additives, the chemical residue load is consolidated in the remains. A guy by the name of Mike Adams ran tests on chicken feed when the chickens quit laying for a while. He found wildly different levels of glyphosate, aflatoxins, and heavy metals in different brands of feed, even organic feeds.

If you have a few minutes, check this out. You can play it right in the web page, and it’s right at the beginning.

The Health Ranger Report: Situation Update, March 7, 2023 - Chicken feed test results and USA military hardware in Poland

0:00 Chicken Feed 27:42 Critical News 44:59 Other Headlines 51:04 Bizarre Story 1:03:03 Interview with Kristen Meghan and Tammy Clark - Tractor Supply chicken feed test results released - About twice the glyphosate and aflatoxins of other tested brands - But still within ranges considered "safe"...

healthrangerreport.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, I will listen to it. One problem with feeding corn (or any grain) is that every scientist I know thinks it is a bad idea and presents data to back up their hypothesis.
Corn may may be perfectly free of fungus and contain zero aflatoxins when initially purchased but then put that in a field in Alabama with high humidity and frequent rain and the situation changes rapidly. Mold grows quickly. Also Dr Will Gulsby (Auburn, Turkey science professor) presented data in a course I took showing that 75% of corn used in feeders was Not eaten by deer. Rats, raccoons, pigs, possums, are eating a lot of feed and they are not the animals I want to “supplement”. Deer congregation in an unnatural way promotes CWD. Turkeys are at increased risk of being eaten on the way to and from the feeder and they get aflatoxin poisoning (liver damage, immune dysfunction, death) from fungus growth on corn & grain. Nest predictors are eating a lot of corn from feeders.
Anyway, I don’t think it’s a conspiracy theory. I think their are plenty of smart people who advise against it including: Dr Craig Harper, Dr Marcus Lashley, Dr Will Gulsby and others.
Sorry to perseverate.

 

[gjs4]

I have read and reread posts and have heard most the pods. I own and hunt in a state where people bait illegally (wo recourse) and in areas where it is legal (and i hate it) and now where is is almost necessary due to habitat offerings/weather.

Personally knowing some of the habitat guys out there, having used them and having been one myself to a certain degree.....everyone has their strongest application demographic/geographic.

Like cars, booze, guns, money, social media, AND the above two topics; it varies with application and personal ethical assignment, I have bird feeders- is that baiting or because I dont shoot them its okay? Am I helping the birds? As stated earlier in the thread, based on my areas and people of exposure, OH deer hunting and the herd is tanking due to baiting + hunter culture. The data shows that over 70%+ of harvest occur on a property with baiting in the state. It has been legal there forever but more people, more pressure and more bait was the result. This has lead to more bucks taken which has lead to a decline in their age. Hate it and want out.

Whether we love it or not- more states are going to baiting than from it. To me it is like driving around smelling skunks everywhere now that weed has been legalized in many states. Once it happens, it wont get reeled back. Unless it is enforced it will occur. To tell young people that it screws with their development or will limit their motivation falls on deaf ears. Point being- its here and never leaving, a consultant will not shun it if it is legal when trying to maintain their business and we can fight, protest or even call in the experts and it all rolls back to what we experience ourselves and react to that.

The forum philosophical version of "if you love it you're in luck, and if you don't you're fugged"

 

[Tangler]

I have read and reread posts and have heard most the pods. I own and hunt in a state where people bait illegally (wo recourse) and in areas where it is legal (and i hate it) and now where is is almost necessary due to habitat offerings/weather.

Personally knowing some of the habitat guys out there, having used them and having been one myself to a certain degree.....everyone has their strongest application demographic/geographic.

Like cars, booze, guns, money, social media, AND the above two topics; it varies with application and personal ethical assignment, I have bird feeders- is that baiting or because I dont shoot them its okay? Am I helping the birds? As stated earlier in the thread, based on my areas and people of exposure, OH deer hunting and the herd is tanking due to baiting + hunter culture. The data shows that over 70%+ of harvest occur on a property with baiting in the state. It has been legal there forever but more people, more pressure and more bait was the result. This has lead to more bucks taken which has lead to a decline in their age. Hate it and want out.

Whether we love it or not- more states are going to baiting than from it. To me it is like driving around smelling skunks everywhere now that weed has been legalized in many states. Once it happens, it wont get reeled back. Unless it is enforced it will occur. To tell young people that it screws with their development or will limit their motivation falls on deaf ears. Point being- its here and never leaving, a consultant will not shun it if it is legal when trying to maintain their business and we can fight, protest or even call in the experts and it all rolls back to what we experience ourselves and react to that.

The forum philosophical version of "if you love it you're in luck, and if you don't you're fugged"

Good points. I very much like the weed analogy. I guess I am just ok with never doing it and I am OK with being a less lethal hunter who has to work harder and perhaps shoot fewer deer and spend more time/ energy/ money doing what I think is right. Just because most people are smoking dope does not mean it would be good for me. The last thing I need is more appetite and less motivation. (Not to mention psychosis, lung cancer, emphysema, and increased traffic accidents). I am at peace with my decision to never do it. I also realize there is a gray area, but I am not even using bird feeders for birds. I will cultivate pokeweed and ragweed etc for their seed needs.
Anyway, I am the old man yelling at clouds.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have read and reread posts and have heard most the pods. I own and hunt in a state where people bait illegally (wo recourse) and in areas where it is legal (and i hate it) and now where is is almost necessary due to habitat offerings/weather.

Personally knowing some of the habitat guys out there, having used them and having been one myself to a certain degree.....everyone has their strongest application demographic/geographic.

Like cars, booze, guns, money, social media, AND the above two topics; it varies with application and personal ethical assignment, I have bird feeders- is that baiting or because I dont shoot them its okay? Am I helping the birds? As stated earlier in the thread, based on my areas and people of exposure, OH deer hunting and the herd is tanking due to baiting + hunter culture. The data shows that over 70%+ of harvest occur on a property with baiting in the state. It has been legal there forever but more people, more pressure and more bait was the result. This has lead to more bucks taken which has lead to a decline in their age. Hate it and want out.

Whether we love it or not- more states are going to baiting than from it. To me it is like driving around smelling skunks everywhere now that weed has been legalized in many states. Once it happens, it wont get reeled back. Unless it is enforced it will occur. To tell young people that it screws with their development or will limit their motivation falls on deaf ears. Point being- its here and never leaving, a consultant will not shun it if it is legal when trying to maintain their business and we can fight, protest or even call in the experts and it all rolls back to what we experience ourselves and react to that.

The forum philosophical version of "if you love it you're in luck, and if you don't you're fugged"

Yep lots of truth. Honestly it’s why I bought a duck property this year too. I need to diversify away from so much invested in deer. The experience is going to hell in a hand basket and it’s not the deers fault…humans could run a wet dream. Reading that drone thread and I can’t help but say to myself about drones… “taking the wild out of wildlife one flight at a time”. Why the hell do we need bait and drones and cameras that tell us everywhere a deer takes a piss. But we do and here we are.

 

[SwampCat]

Yep lots of truth. Honestly it’s why I bought a duck property this year too. I need to diversify away from so much invested in deer. The experience is going to hell in a hand basket and it’s not the deers fault…humans could run a wet dream. Reading that drone thread and I can’t help but say to myself about drones… “taking the wild out of wildlife one flight at a time”. Why the hell do we need bait and drones and cameras that tell us everywhere a deer takes a piss. But we do and here we are.

You are familiar with the controversy over duck baiting laws - right. In my opinion, it is more of a cluster than deer baiting

 

[Telemark]

One thing to consider, and this may be a tad conspiracy because the data is elusive and we just don’t look for it. A majority of feed ingredients consist of distillers grains from ethanol production, and soy leftovers from crush plants.

As those things are broken down for ethanol and junk food additives, the chemical residue load is consolidated in the remains. A guy by the name of Mike Adams ran tests on chicken feed when the chickens quit laying for a while. He found wildly different levels of glyphosate, aflatoxins, and heavy metals in different brands of feed, even organic feeds.

If you have a few minutes, check this out. You can play it right in the web page, and it’s right at the beginning.

The Health Ranger Report: Situation Update, March 7, 2023 - Chicken feed test results and USA military hardware in Poland

0:00 Chicken Feed 27:42 Critical News 44:59 Other Headlines 51:04 Bizarre Story 1:03:03 Interview with Kristen Meghan and Tammy Clark - Tractor Supply chicken feed test results released - About twice the glyphosate and aflatoxins of other tested brands - But still within ranges considered "safe"...

healthrangerreport.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe it. Last year I put out a block of some cheap deer feed, and it was mostly still there in the Spring. The deer didn't seem to want it. I think a lot of deer bait is full of junk we don't want deer to eat. This winter I gave them corn, soybeans, molasses, and goat mineral. I did sprinkle in maybe two pounds of Acorn Rage that I found leftover in the garage. If I feed them again next winter, it will be corn and soybeans, since that's what they eat off the nearby ag fields. They should be able to get minerals from the mineral site near the food plot.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

You are familiar with the controversy over duck baiting laws - right. In my opinion, it is more of a cluster than deer baiting

Yeah, 100%. I’ve got my opinions on that as well! I’m never going to be mad at somebody who provides habitat for wildlife. I don’t consider flooding corn to be baiting. Just the same as if my neighbor left 20 acres of standing corn and held a bunch of late season deer I’m gonna give him a high five for providing a valuable resource.

 

[BenA]

I understand and believe the health implications of baiting. But, I'm not going to continue doing habitat work to make my place better for wildlife and not bait, if wildlife aren't going to spend a significant amount of time using it. If the wildlife are going to concentrate more on poorer habitat just because baiting is done there, I'm not going to spend the time and effort I have just to make me have the warm and fuzzies. There are states where baiting has been legal for generations, and their deer population isn't declining because of it.

But, more states are moving forward with baiting than against it. The biologists in these states are doing a poor job if they aren't convincing enough to make it illegal. They should be pushing their suggestions hard to the commissions or whatever body votes on the regulations. If baiting is such an evil threat to wildlife, then the state DNRs and agencies need to do better. If they are allowing such a threat, they aren't being convincing enough.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I understand and believe the health implications of baiting. But, I'm not going to continue doing habitat work to make my place better for wildlife and not bait, if wildlife aren't going to spend a significant amount of time using it. If the wildlife are going to concentrate more on poorer habitat just because baiting is done there, I'm not going to spend the time and effort I have just to make me have the warm and fuzzies. There are states where baiting has been legal for generations, and their deer population isn't declining because of it.

But, more states are moving forward with baiting than against it. The biologists in these states are doing a poor job if they aren't convincing enough to make it illegal. They should be pushing their suggestions hard to the commissions or whatever body votes on the regulations. If baiting is such an evil threat to wildlife, then the state DNRs and agencies need to do better. If they are allowing such a threat, they aren't being convincing enough.

I actually agree. I don’t think from a deer herd health perspective, baiting is decimating a herd. Does it concentrate, maybe enough of it but no different than another hot food source. Cwd has spread just fine where you can’t bait and EHD has no relevance to bait.
I applaud the guys trying to find the health and wellbeing angle to outlaw it but I’m not sure that will ever work. Where I find issue is it’s not fair chase to me. Like thermals and using a drone to stalk a deer I find no distinction in killing a deer over a bait. But everyone has their own line they won’t cross and that’s mine, not the health angle, it just hasn’t proven out.

 

[SwampCat]

Yeah, 100%. I’ve got my opinions on that as well! I’m never going to be mad at somebody who provides habitat for wildlife. I don’t consider flooding corn to be baiting. Just the same as if my neighbor left 20 acres of standing corn and held a bunch of late season deer I’m gonna give him a high five for providing a valuable resource.

The baiting laws are different for deer and migratory birds, though. It is legal to pour out 500 lbs of corn for deer - but not for ducks - yet it is legal to plant forty acres of corn, leave it standing, flood it - and hunt it. That is not a normal farming practice anywhere I have been.

At least baiting for deer is on a level playing field - anyone with ten dollars in their pocket can successfully bait a deer. When the duck hunters got that law passed back in the 70’s, they knew they were segregating the haves from the have nots. It is a tangled web.

Guy hunting a flooded standing cornfield for ducks is worse than a guy hunting a corn pile for deer - in my opinion of course.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

The baiting laws are different for deer and migratory birds, though. It is legal to pour out 500 lbs of corn for deer - but not for ducks - yet it is legal to plant forty acres of corn, leave it standing, flood it - and hunt it. That is not a normal farming practice anywhere I have been.

At least baiting for deer is on a level playing field - anyone with ten dollars in their pocket can successfully bait a deer. When the duck hunters got that law passed back in the 70’s, they knew they were segregating the haves from the have nots. It is a tangled web.

Guy hunting a flooded standing cornfield for ducks is worse than a guy hunting a corn pile for deer - in my opinion of course.

Definitely entitled to your opinion and I won’t say you are wrong cause the debate is definitely nuanced. One thing I take issue with is I don’t like socialism in my hunting! I personally don’t care if one guy can only afford to dump out $9 bags of corn and another can levee and flood 20 acres of corn. I’m not big on level playing fields cause it ends up dragging people down not lifting up and the same goes for the resource. Guys in Missouri who are flooding corn are providing critical habitat when the species could really use some help. Sorry Louisiana but things change. Hell guys in ACE basin of South Carolina use to have some of the best ducking east of the Mississippi but things changed. They didn’t get strom Thurmond to write some letter demanding guys in th Chesapeake Bay Area destroy habitat so ducks would come back down
Here’s a good listen if interested. It’s backed in science and also shows the Louisiana guys shouldn’t be complaining when it comes to number of ducks killed

 

[SwampCat]

The biggest problem I have with baiting ducks - as flooded unharvested cornfields are - are the potential impacts. I can put out bait on my place for deer and affect my land and potentially my bordering neighbors. I probably increase my deer population 25% over what it would be without baiting.

In arkansas, something like ten private properties, at times, hold 75% of the ducks in the delta. That is much more impactful than what effects baiting would have on non migratory deer. Those guys 250 miles away could theoretically be negatively impacting “my” ducks. In addition, the last couple years have seen some fairly significant outbreaks of avian influenza. Concentrating 250,000 ducks and geese on 5,000 acres can not be helping that situation. These big clubs are affecting 100,000’s of thousands of acres. A lot of these guys are flying semi truck loads of corn on their rest areas - no different than me not hunting my feeders. That would be like ten properties in KY baiting and attracting 75% of the deer in the state to their property. That is impossible to do with deer - but it is happening with ducks. If corn in a bag were legal, duck hunters all the state would be using it, spreading ducks far and wide.

While the husk provides some protection, it can trap moisture, leading to ear rots such as Diplodia, Gibberella, or Fusarium, which may be accompanied by mycotoxin contamination. I am not sure using a drone to fly on 1000 lbs clean corn a week would not be a safer practice than leaving corn ears in standing water

In addition, flying corn into flooded native habitat would provide the best of both worlds - corn - plus native seeds and plants, a much higher invertebrate load, and no ground disturbance or chemicals required to grow corn.

I am against leaving unharvested crops AND flooding or spreading corn or similar. But if you are going to let them hunt flooded unharvested crops, you should let them hunt flooded seeds to help prevent large concentrations of waterfowl on small land acreage - in comparison to the total available.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

The biggest problem I have with baiting ducks - as flooded unharvested cornfields are - are the potential impacts. I can put out bait on my place for deer and affect my land and potentially my bordering neighbors. I probably increase my deer population 25% over what it would be without baiting.

In arkansas, something like ten private properties, at times, hold 75% of the ducks in the delta. That is much more impactful than what effects baiting would have on non migratory deer. Those guys 250 miles away could theoretically be negatively impacting “my” ducks. In addition, the last couple years have seen some fairly significant outbreaks of avian influenza. Concentrating 250,000 ducks and geese on 5,000 acres can not be helping that situation. These big clubs are affecting 100,000’s of thousands of acres. A lot of these guys are flying semi truck loads of corn on their rest areas - no different than me not hunting my feeders. That would be like ten properties in KY baiting and attracting 75% of the deer in the state to their property. That is impossible to do with deer - but it is happening with ducks. If corn in a bag were legal, duck hunters all the state would be using it, spreading ducks far and wide.

While the husk provides some protection, it can trap moisture, leading to ear rots such as Diplodia, Gibberella, or Fusarium, which may be accompanied by mycotoxin contamination. I am not sure using a drone to fly on 1000 lbs clean corn a week would not be a safer practice than leaving corn ears in standing water

In addition, flying corn into flooded native habitat would provide the best of both worlds - corn - plus native seeds and plants, a much higher invertebrate load, and no ground disturbance or chemicals required to grow corn.

I am against leaving unharvested crops AND flooding or spreading corn or similar. But if you are going to let them hunt flooded unharvested crops, you should let them hunt flooded seeds to help prevent large concentrations of waterfowl on small land acreage - in comparison to the total available.

I hear ya and I don’t disagree with everything you said. I have a surface level opinion and my take remains planted food is a far distinction from pouring out bait. You think 10 properties can hold 75% of ducks in ark? Not arguing, genuinely asking. But to play devils advocate wouldn’t properties providing amazing habitat not have a ripple effects ultimately benefiting everyone? It’s not like deer who will hold to a decent sized property, we are dealing with migrators. Additionally there is a lot of new-ish research saying that one of the biggest issues facing ducks is the lack of rest/feeding areas once they head south. Every damn spit of water 200 miles from a flyway is hunted. So ducks are returning to their breeding grounds unhealthy enough to effectively reproduce. i don’t hate these big properties, in fact god bless them. They are providing the food and security that is likely sustaining the resource, especially if they hold as many ducks as you claim

In terms of flooded corn north of you, would you have the same feelings if it were Milo, or millet, or moist soil? Can you maybe admit that it’s not so much the food source as it is the weather? Ducks aren’t pushing down like they use to. What about hearing about 10,000 mallards sitting on pool 6 in January last year cause it was still open. Corn didn’t do that. Also anecdotally anyway, Arkansas was ON FIRE the last week of season. Everyone I talked to had a season worth of ducks in a week. Why is that…it got cold again!