So if you pay an outfitter to hunt you really aren't a hunter? It is interesting how people justify their mode of hunting by hammering how others do it.

I grew up hunting DIY on public land in CO for mulies, elk, pronghorn and black bear. All of my hunting was spot and stalk and that is how I still hunt today on public land at Lake Meredith. I have never been a "sit in a blind" hunter. That being said if that is your style and it is legal then I have no issues with it. But come the hunting season you will find me in the back canyons at Lake Meredith with a pair of good binos and a packframe.

Jpwest, did you just move to Texas?
Hunting? yes. Out of the weather in comfort? Yes. Dumbed down to the lowest level? Yes. Sitting in a blind watching a feeder doesn’t check many boxes for skill set. One could argue they get a little physical exercise pulling the rip cord and dumping corn sacks. What a feeder does best is put hunters in the game that either don’t have access to or don’t want to expend the effort to go to the habitat that supports the deer. High marks for relaxation and keeping hunters a safe distance from each other as well.

Hunt the way you enjoy as long as it’s legal and stay out of other’s business that enjoy going at it differently.

Heck if you aren't using long bows and spears then is it really hunting....grow up Peter Pan....Count Chocula.

I read one of the OPs other posts and he admits to never killing a deer but he wants to. For what it’s worth, I think he is asking this question about feeders because he is truly conflicted about how he should feel about it. I dont think he is judging others. For a total novice, I definitely think this is understandable for him to feel out others opinions as he decides what to do himself.
We need all the hunters we can get so I hope we dont run him off.
JPwest, from time to time there will be new people come on here that are close to anti hunters or just want to stir up trouble. Some may judge you that way, so hang in there. This forum can be really good for a new hunter.

Been over 10 years ago but my son made very similar comments to me one morning while we were sitting in the blind watching deer and warming up smoked sausage on the mr heater buddy.

Of course it's still hunting. As long as it's legal and you enjoy it, do it. I'm just saying that some feeder hunters work harder for their game than some non-feeder hunters. I have family in NM that think it's not hunting because they are under the impression that we don't have to work hard for our deer like they do. But they don't realize that building, setting up and maintaining our spots is itself a lot of work.

I have sat in my stand watching a feeder for hours and saw no deer. I then got out of the stand and slowly walked the pasture looking for deer. At times this was another 2 or 3 hours which turned out to be a waste of time other than I was hunting and enjoyed doing it. Point is a feeder does not guarantee you will see an animal you wish to shoot.

Thank ya, thank ya very much. I'm here all week.

Some thing with doves blazing into a Milo field; that only an idiot could not limit out. You should go chase them in the wild, in the mesquite’s, where their natural habitat is. Hunting is hunting.

I don't think sitting in a blind over a feeder is particularly challenging, but it IS a test of patience and some preparation. I find staying awake in a blind more difficult than anything else associated with the activity when I've been in there since 5 AM. I'm not saying that it's not hunting, but it sure is not the same as sneaking through the woods or the brush looking for something to shoot. But, it's the way the field is striped here, with all the land being private and largely divided into small parcels...if you want to harvest something then sitting in a blind over a feeder may be the only real choice. I'll take that over nothing any day.

I never knew feeders existed until I moved to TX 26 years ago. Hunted in climbing stands 20' up straight pine trees on deer trails or field edges for years. Maybe a ladder stand or two. This was all in MS, GA, AL, SC.

Have gotten used to feeders here. Love/hate. Do miss the old days in the deep south.

Of course never ever saw the deer the rack size we have here in Texas anywhere in the south.

well, I have been hunting for over 60 years in Texas, things have drastically changed over my lifetime. When I started, there were no feeders or blinds, you merely found choke points, trails, food plots, oat patches and cuddled back in the brush or maybe a 2x6 in a tree and waited. After waiting, we would still walk hunt very slowly and stealthy as possible. Where I hunted, there were dozens upon dozens of deer, no real "trophies" and we hunted for the meat. Leases back then were free to minimal as most LO found the deer to be a nuisance and competing with their livestock, so they really wanted them all gone. We hunted hard and long, put lots of meat in the freezer and made lots of sausage. It was a way of life growing up.

over time, things have progressed to make "hunting" easier and more comfortable ... feeders and blinds, heaters, nice chairs, etc. ... equipment has progressed as well with better rifles, scopes, binoculars, range finders, etc. ... but it's still hunting to me to get out in the woods for the opportunity to see what God has provided and hopefully put some meat in the freezer.

I have a cousin who lives in Arizona and has done a good bit of Western States hunting. He told me once, "You guys in Texas don't hunt deer. You feed them, then ambush them while they're eating."

I can relate. I killed my first deer sitting on a board in the crotch of a tree. Later I graduated to tree stands, then tripods and feeders. The box stands and comfy chairs sure make it easier today for us old guys.

That is how you hunt whitetail deer.

It’s an ambush.


That’s how big cats hunt their prey most of the time too.

Baiting.
As PMK posted. Been hunting around 55years. .45 Kentucky patch & ball, purcsion.
Hunted for the trails, funnels, feeding/beding area's. With archery make shift stands 2×4's.
Whin moved ta texas. It was completely different.
Leasing, in Minnesota, farmland, some say baiting. It was helping farmers..
Their crops, still is, no baiting. Do put stuff out after hunting for trail cams, & ta help deer threw harsh winters
Hunting here has changed also, deer stands in traffic areas.
In-line muzzleloaders changed hunting. Yet still meat hunting.

First lease it was like a motor cycle rally. ATV's 3 wheelers. Every one hunted box stands, food plots ta bring deer in.
I enjoyed my walks in & out, always looking for fresh signs.
Did get more modern riffle, hunted in trees.
Eventually hang on stands, climbers, & built a box stand.
Best hunting always been old school, WMA. No Baiting.

Legal tis legal.

Every one likes the big racks.
My difference is, here a big rack had ta survive the it brown it down hunting.
Big difference of watching a deer & waiting till it reaches persons personal trophy status.
All deer are trophies.

Like opinions, every one has one.

Mine stinks, i have beans in my chilly.
pappy

To OPster
ta HF.

I see it as a matter of perception.

I love going afield. Most times it for the purpose of killing game, not harvesting, rather killing, skinning, dismembering the carcass, burning the flesh and consuming the meat in as many different forms as I see fit.

I regularly sit in a blind with a feeder near by or on a side x side and call varmints. They are either wondering by or coming to the call. Is that hunting?

Is sitting overlooking the only water source for miles hunting or killing

Is sitting over food plots/crops shooting or hunting.

Does sitting on Dekkard Flat in Jardine Montana when the elk migrate down to lower elevations because the ice is too thick to break through to forage, and folks on both sides of the flats and blast em', is that hunting.

At 72 I do not enjoy sitting in the freezing rain or direct sun when its 90-107 degrees near as much as I used to.



In addition the topography and climate are not conducive to spot and stalk. Good way to have heat stroke, get snake bit, scratched or impaled by cactus, broken ankle/hip.



Also.......



One has to keep in mind that he is not always the "top predator"



particularly at night.

Another thought, and again, JHMO, I do not hunt high fence as a rule other that when I go with 25 other guys to the Thompson Ranch in Crystal City for the annual 24hrcamfire hoot 'n shoot. That's not hunting, its shooting.

My thoughts are if the critters that are to be killed have no option for subsistence other than to go to feeder or trough, or water, then that is shooting, not hunting. I have no problem with folks doing so, I just don't call that hunting.

I've been hunting since I was 6 yrs old. The only time in my life I felt like I had "sinned" with a rifle was on a combo Elk/Mule Deer hunt in Montana. We were mounted on horses, riding down Dekkerd Flat looking for Mule Deer. IIRC, about half way down we spotted a fork horn buck amongst several does. When mounted on horses it seems one can almost ride right up.



I had no interest in shooting a fork-horn, but guides want tips and my guide said his grandma wanted some venison. So we ride up within 100 yds. I climb off the horse, get my rifle out of the scabbard, set down on a large boulder and set up my shooting stix. Had to wait a couple minutes for the buck to clear the does. I shot him dead. No self-respecting white-tail would have ever done that.


YMMV

GWB

PS: Shooting or hunting......... I call it "making meat".

The Dominion Covenant: ......and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28

I love the 6 and the 9 perspective thing. That applies to sooooooo many things in life and should ALWAYS be taken into account. It’s very strange to me that so many on this forum seem to not account for this.

Lemme splane: I hunted Mexico for 30 or 31 yrs not real sure large ranches few senderos and only one blade wide we would drive the out side fence and look for good crossings usually headed to water you would sit watching a cross sendero if possible,maybe see 1 or 2 deer each hunt and since it was only 1 blade wide and nothing to make them stop in the sendero we hunted no binos back then 3x9 leupold or zeiss if well heeled gun loaded and off safe if a big buck crossed you had 1 look and 2 seconds to shoot, We used to have to sneek in corn in duffel bags thought we were gonna slay some deer all it did was scare them to death deer had no idea what corn was ,my old huntin bud sneeked in a mineral block I was so jelllous I wanted to shoot him, He comes in after the morning hunt, says you welcome to the protien block laughing , said 2 deer smelled it and took off, in the later years corn and feeders became the norm in Mexico and hunting during the day and one we taught the deer to eat corn we had much better hunts as many as 15 to 25 deer sighting each sit. now ask your self am I gonna only watch 1 tv channel or am I gonna get cable and watch 50 channels same difference

And how fast and hard they lock in and will battle it to death before even considering the other side. Extremes are seldom correct.

I usually always look first to the extremes because I figure neither will be correct. Once I’ve ruled out the extremes it gives me a starting point to start working towards the middle. But I’ve been called wishy washy and indecisive, so there is that…….