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I grew up in an area where baiting deer wasn’t a question. It was a simple matter of fact that everyone you knew who hunted deer also set out a pile of bait, or food, to attract the deer. Some deer hunters claimed that the food made the deer stop long enough for them to get an accurate lethal shot. Others claimed that the food attracted the doe which in turn attracted the buck during the rutting period and, since the bucks were really only interested in the doe, the hunter wasn’t actually baiting a buck. It seemed that everyone had a reason for “baiting the deer” as it was called and some hunters went to extreme measures of dumping entire truckloads of cabbages, pumpkins, corn, and beets in the field to attract and hold the deer. The hunter dumping a truckload of bait on the ground had to because his neighbor dumped a half truckload and all the deer went over there. I guess you see the picture and escalation but, it doesn’t stop there.

Yet another group of hunters would argue the point that the landowner who planted a food plot for the deer also has baited the animals in for the shot. Does it make a difference because he planted clover? Had he planted corn or squash specifically for the deer in the same spot would he or she be labeled as baiting the deer but the fact that legumes of some sort were planted instead draws the label of being a provider for the deer as well as a wise steward of the land. Is this really the case?

Does it matter what you plant in the ground if the intention of the food substance is to attract and hold deer for the purpose of harvesting one of these animals?

When I started bow hunting a couple decades back I used, and still have hanging on the wall might I add, a Bear Whitetail Hunter bow. From that very basic bow I graduated to a gorgeous wooden PSE bow from which I arrowed my first of many deer. Now much like the old Bear bow the PSE had what would be termed as zero letoff by today’s standards and peaked out at 65 pounds. It seemed like a real rocket. As an instinct shooter there was no need for anything other than an arrow to complete the setup. It was sleek and no-nonsense and I could plop arrows into the target regularly from 20 yards. The perfect hunting bow in my eyes. That is until Randy showed up and told me different.

Randy is one of those guys that needs to have the latest gizmo and since Randy was also a hunter today’s gizmo was a camo bow with a handful of sight pins, a pendulum sight, a big old stabilizer, and arrows that seemed to defy the speed of sound. Compared to my arrows flying at the target it seemed his could hit the target, return, then launch again and still beat mine to the bullseye. That is of course if he could hit the bullseye. That was the one defining difference between us.
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We hear about it every year where one lucky hunter pays tens, and even hundreds of thousands, to hunt a specific animal that is sure to become a new state or maybe even world record. On the less publicized end of the spectrum are the smaller quality hunts offering true trophy animals for a fee that most hunters would find equals their annual income. In respect neither hunt is feasible for the average Joe Hunter who is quite happy with putting in some work scouting early in the year and hoping his diligence pays off in the woods closer to home.

The sentiment and action of the average deer hunter echoes through the woods in resounding numbers as hunters sound off about paying for high priced hunts and the fact that’s it’s corroding our sport into a game of money. Accusations fly back and forth regarding the core values of a hunt and the ethics supporting the fact that some people couldn’t find a deer in the woods unless they had a paid guide holding their hand. Yes, it gets pretty heated at times but it also makes for great fodder here in the comment corner. Now let’s keep in mind that some people do pay for a record book animal but that cost has been as little as $10. Surely there are hunters out there laughing at a $10 hunt thinking this must be a joke but take a look at some of the hunting lotteries that your local Fish and Wild Game Commission holds every year.
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There’s no doubt that Joe Perry, self-taught lead guitar player for Aerosmith, can blast out the tunes in true rockstar fashion but, up until lately, very few people knew that Perry also does some blasting of the hunting kind. That’s right! Joe also enjoys hunting especially back at his holiday home in New Hampshire.

This information comes to light and the forefront of the stage during an interview for Outdoor Life where Perry was quoted as saying he has enjoyed hunting since he was a kid. And, he only kills what he eats. Tongue in cheek there maybe Joe? Regardless this brings a huge following for those who enjoy deer hunting and listening to Aerosmith. It also sends a new face forward that is very identifiable and that’s where the contraversy begins.

It seems PETA just couldn’t keep their mouths shut on this one and that’s probably because Joe Perry is such a household name. In fact PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange had this to say.
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