What’s up everyone!

Alright, here’s the question; Is sitting in a blind near a feeder hunting, or is that just killing? I understand that there are people that hunt for that trophy deer and those that hunt for food, me personally I just enjoy hunting for the meat no matter what the animal is! So if you’re shooting deer at a feeder for food then I can see that, especially if that is your only means of getting food. But for those that are hunting that trophy buck, does hunting at a feeder still give you the same sense of pride when killing that deer?

I apologize if this seems rude, it’s a serious discussion I’d like to have an I’m curious on others opinions. I would like to make it clear that I am a big advocate of people doing what they want to do and my opinion or anyone else’s opinion doesn’t matter, as long as you’re happy!

Excited to hear other’s opinion!

Welcome to the form.....troll much?
And to answer your question...Yes thats the only way I can get food is waste critters under a feeder.....I’m a poor person. TY for understanding

Hunting? Yes. Is it like spot and stalk Elk or Mule Deer out west? No, but still hunting. To me it's more of selective harvest hunt, with feeders and road corn next to wheat fields. I select the deer I want out of the herd, I'm hunting for them.

Of course it's hunting. When sitting in the blind I often have to hunt for my thermos of coffee, or those two donuts in a Ziploc bag somewhere in my pack, or my even phone, etc. Heck, last season I hunted for my pipe tobacco for darn near ten minutes before I realized I left it back a camp.

I have only been deer hunting for about 32 years....not near as long as many. Vast majority of those never hunted around a feeder...just sat near game trails, food plots, in hardwood timber, overlooking ag fields, travel corridors, etc. Last several years have hunted near a feeder more frequently, but not exclusively. For some reason I just can't get most of those "trophy bucks" to walk out to the feeders when I'm sitting there waiting for them any different than when I was hunting without them. So yes, until I can figure out how to train them to come out when and where I want them to, I still consider it hunting.

What is hunting? Many will have different views but there are too many out there that want to take it away from us. We are human and all have opinions but yours is right for you, mine right for me and everyone else's is right for them. some only hunt with traditional archery equipment while others use compound or crossbow. Blind and feeder or slipping through the woods scanning carefully going very slow through the woods can be very effective.

Bow kill years ago still stands out in my memory. I watched a doe bed in a pretty new cutover on a nice drizzling day with light consistent wind from a few hundred yards away. Slipped in on her with the wind right, bush between her and my approach got to 7 yards, found a little hole I could see her chest through. Slipped an wooden arrow through the window from my 45lb recurve and she ran off about 60 yards stopped got the wobbles and fell over. That is hunting. I have also killed quite a few deer from nice comfy stands and enjoy many of the legal methods of hunting.

if it is legal, hunt the way you want and do not worry about what others think or judge others because their method might be different than yours.

Well said, and I agree.

I’ve hunted/killed deer by just about every means, and for me it’s just what I’m feeling that day. I live on my ranch and I might go out with a longbow over trails one day and then a scoped rifle on my bench rest over my feed pen the next day.

If someone is doing this, they have other means of getting food, like buying it at a grocery store. Nobody hunts a feeder as their only means of "getting food".

My oldest son brought this up after we set up a new deer blind a few weeks ago. He’s really more of a bird hunter. We were sitting there looking at the feeder and he said, “This isn’t really hunting, it’s more like selective killing.” I think he’s right but we have a lot of fun doing it.

The other day I was reading a thread on my woman’s forum titled “ is it really shopping?” talking about the rise of online platforms and Amazon and how real shopping consisted of heels on the ground, put in the work effort of visiting department stores and boutiques….

Seriously, who cares. It’s deer hunting. Sitting in a blind over a feeder is a method of hunting just like spotting a deer at a mile and stalking in on him is a method of hunting.

Even with a blind and feeder, no guarantees you will be successful.

For what it’s worth, elevated stands set up over crossings and meadows is a popular form of hunting in Europe, and they hold themselves to a lot higher standard of hunting ethics compared to many over here.


At the end of the day, if you don’t want to use a feeder, don’t. It’s not mandatory

Hunt any legal way that gives you enjoyment and I will support you.

Tired, old discussion. Some let others do their own thing, others relish looking down on anyone different.

And, some folks can't be pigeon-holed to one type of hunting. I just got back from a fairly difficult, spot and stalk, NO FENCE hunt. I've been fortunate to do this several times in my life. Gotta get out to my place and top off 7 feeders. (Low fence.) Kids and adults learning to HUNT are coming.

I'm confused about the woman's forum. Is it your wife's forum, or do you frequent a forum for women? Not that it matters, just unclear.

I'll come help you with the feeders if you need help.

Much appreciated! I think I'm getting a system down that's fairly easy, bulk feed trailer, etc. I'm thinking about a GoFundMe account though, protein, alfalfa...

I like to see how the other half lives…


Come to think of it, it was actually this forum, reading about a bunch of women argue about what “real hunting” is

Some people should just go stick there [censored] in a beez nest .

their

Some people should go stick their [censored] in a beez nest . That better ?

I believe hunting a feeder that you built or at least set and filled out of a blind that you built is more sporting and more what I would consider hunting than paying someone to sit in a stand that they put up over a trail to an ag field. Hunting is about putting in the time and effort to make it happen. Feeders and blinds are a lot of work. Happy hunting.

Yes

Indians hunted over mineral licks, which would be about the same as hunting over a feeder. Were they really hunting? Hunting methods are dictated to some extent by the cost of a lease. 5 hunters spot and stalking on 500 acres is going to run most of the deer off the 500 acres pretty quickly. 5 hunters hunting feeders on 500 acres is a little more feasible as far as seeing deer. 500 acres at $2500 for the lease is doable, whereas 1 hunter at $12,500 is a little steep for me. I would like to drive around and mule deer hunt using spot and stalk after seeing a nice deer, but I probably cannot afford it. If you raise goats in pens, feed them every day, worm them, vaccinate them, etc., are you a farmer or do you have to have so many acres/goat and run the goats on pasture to be considered a farmer? Would I like to hunt differently? Yes, but the price of a lease usually dictates my hunting methods. If I am stalking around in my 100 acres, I am probably going to have 4 other hunters mad at me most of the time, if they are sitting by feeders.

If the GoFundMe pans out, let me know so I can start one too!