I had one guy offer to film a hunt out at the ranch, he would not air the feeder on his hunting show. I said "no" to that. Most people know how we in Texas hunt deer, and I can say that I am proud of the way we do it. If people don't like it, oh well.

If it is a feeder or a food plot to me they are one in the same. If both were not allowed you would still hunt deer on feed. They have to eat and once you located a food source it is one in the same, you set up over it and hunt deer coming to it. All the tools and toys we now use in hunting have done several things IMO. One thing that feeders/food plots have done is allow hunter to age and study game to make management decisions on them. They also allow much more ethical and cleaner kills. They afford some safety in hunting small acreages where stalking and still hunting are not a safe way to hunt. I use all the tools allowed that are ethical to me. But I am not going to tell someone that I am right and they are wrong if they decide not to employ all the tools that they are legally allowed. If it keeps more people hunting than I am for it.

An “often” arguable topic; the purists (I suppose) will tell you that a food plot does not habitualize deer while a feeder does just that. To some extent … this is a true statement and therefore … “baiting”’ is the actual argument in terms of ethics.

A food plot provides a natural food source deer can bed around, stage around, and breed around (as does a feeder but without they timed implication). Food plots are larger and hold more deer by the way … and if you have the ability, probably a much better choice in many eyes.

But always ignored when this topic comes up is that Texas and the other states that allow baiting have enough deer to make it a feasible hunt. States that do not allow baiting often do not. So really, we’re talking about the ethics of hunting in general. Is it more ethical to under-harvest without the use of feeders and run the risk of killing off your deer with disease … ?

Doesn’t matter … if it’s legal, it’s not necessarily ethical … but it’s still your choice.

How's that for a first post?

IMO, the fight against the legal use of feeders in other states has been led by those who view them as competition to their own food plots. The same fear of someone taking "their buck" is what led many bowhunters to fight the crossbows, and primitve weapon owners to challenge the use of more modern muzzle loaders.

Texans are just smart enough to realize that if you plant, place, or position ANY food source to attract a deer for harvest, it's bait.

Is hunting over a feeder any less ethical than hunting over a doctored scrape, decoy or a food plot?

I'll even go further and say is it any different than hunting over that water source in the Davy Crockett National Forest where I'll be Opening Day, should it continue to stay this dry?

Or what about the hunter who is lucky enough to find a White Oak loaded with acorns? Heck, I'll take a White Oak that's dropping acorns over a feeder any day.

Yes, some hunters prefer to find natural food sources, while others prefer to create their own. In the end, it's making a clean kill and consuming the resource that matters most.

I think hunting Alfalfa and bean fields are easier then hunting feeders..personally

pinch points going into and out are lot more perdictable then feeders. With feeders some deer will wait until dark... Hunt the pich points going into and out of ag feilds and you get the deer that come in early/late or leave early/late..

And then there are the big mature white oaks trees..legal crack for deer hunting for two weeks of deer season

That's supposed to be a secret.

Man we need some rain for my 3 acre deer feeder!... looks like maybe a chance finally this week and weekend.

Good point. If we don't get some rain soon, there won't be many deer harvested over food plots this season.

Very ... very well said.

Love hunting Alfalfa ... we hunt both planted plots and feeders on our place, however, historically ... it's the stands set up on the funnels and staging areas too and near the feed locations that produce the best.

Our "established feed stands" are really only used for management deer and doe hunting.

no kidding my field hasnt even sprouted yet. not a lick of rain since we planted on Oct. 2nd.

I sit watching a feeder, but 1 out of ever 5 deer I see go within 100yds of it. My tactic is... see far, shoot far.

Yep, I have a nice patch of dirt.

surely a few rocks have sprouted. Our plots went in weekend before last and yesterday..... come on rain!

I would happily hunt over a feeder or food plot, but the only private land I have ever deer hunted on is with Gordon/Father of 4. I have spent 100+ hours in a tree on public land and never fired a shot. If I could afford my own place to hunt I would put out a feeder on top of a food plot with a TV next to the feeder showing all the shows any deer might watch.

Everyone that argues against feeders are in states that is not allowed and are very jealous of us. I feed with all my heart and soul and put alot of work into it. This is by no means a guarantee, this mearly improves your odds. I love the rules that TP&W have come up with.

Do what you want as long as it's legal. I will shoot a duck off the water and I will hunt deer, hogs, whatever at a feeder.