Would an acorn based scent with no nutritional value be considered bait in Massachusetts?
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Food based deer scent
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Baiting: Any natural or artificial substance, including but not limited to corn, wheat or other grains, hay, silage, apples or other fruits or vegetables, and salt or other chemical compounds of a like food-related nature to attract or entice deer.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
The bear baiting regulation is even more restrictive.
Bob
“Bait means any natural or artificial substance, including but not restricted to, shucked or unshucked corn or other grains, apples or other fruits or vegetables, honey, molasses, anise or other spices, pastries or other breadstuffs, meat or fish products, or any other substances or products which may be fed upon, ingested by, or which otherwise constitute a nutritive attraction or enticement to bear.”
321 CMR 3.00: Hunting
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
White acorns are long gone now. The tannins have had time to leech out of the reds so they will be on them now if any are left.
Browse is good now. Red brush or tree tops.
The sign will tell you.
Bob
IMHO scents are a waste of time... What they're good for is separating a hunter from his money. People are always looking for something they can buy that will bring them some success.
The best probability of success comes from putting down good old-fashioned boot leather and working on your woodsmanship skills.
It's time to ditch the fixed position over hunted tree stand or the ground blind, start doing some still hunting and scouting.
Scout, scout hunt... Rinse and repeat.
The best probability of success comes from putting down good old-fashioned boot leather and working on your woodsmanship skills.
It's time to ditch the fixed position over hunted tree stand or the ground blind, start doing some still hunting and scouting.
Scout, scout hunt... Rinse and repeat.
Ive
So.....no.
lol yes I’ve had a slow season. It’s attributed to having next to no time to hunt. Looking for any edge I can get. This baiting law has always confused me, we can’t use food based scents. However, we can use doe piss and various other substances to lure them in. It makes no sense.Having a slow season are we?
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
Sounds like you pretty much understand it. Urine based scents only. Even products like Acorn Rage mentioned above are not legal as the regulation is very broad.
The abstracts do a really crappy job defining baiting. You really need to look at the reg itself.
Bob
“Bait means any natural or artificial substance, including but not restricted to, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grains, hay, silage, apples or other fruits or vegetables, and salt or other chemical compounds of a like nature which may be fed upon, ingested by or which otherwise constitute a nutritive attraction or enticement to deer.
Baited Area means any area where baiting has taken place and such area shall remain a baited area for the period from ten days prior to the opening of the exclusive archery season as provided in 321 CMR 3.02(4)(b)2. to 12:00 P.M. on the day following the close of the exclusive primitive firearms season as provided in 321 CMR 3.02(4)(b)4.
Baiting means the deliberate placing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of bait so as to constitute for deer a lure, attraction, or enticement to or on any area where hunters are attempting to take them.”
321 CMR 3.00: Hunting
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I have more hair on my ass than on my head. Will this work for me? Jack.
SpaceCritter
NES Member
I did notice they're kicking acorns up hard now in the area I hunt, which has loads of acorns this season. I recently spent some time sitting on stand at a well traveled pinch point but they browsed through at night. I'm gong to wait to go out again until after this coming cold snap and snowfall, and I'll be leaving the climber behind.
Just have to be aware and adjust. That is part of woodsmanship.
We're at the tail end of our season. The deer have been hunted hard for months now including evading deer drives. There's no piece of public that hasn't been trampled at this point. But the deer didn't disappear. They're out there. But that stand set up over last year's rut sign is going to make for some lonely sits at this point.
IMHO - right now the deer are in the thickest, nastiest tangled terrain on the land. The kind of stuff you can't walk through without bleeding or a bulldozer. That's where I would focus my scouting at this point. Scout from far enough to not alert anything in there, look for trails going in, and give them a sit. Deer aren't going to come out without being able to scent check first, so you'll be lonely on the downwind side. I think the best chance is high-risk high reward sits in just off winds on the upwind side. Or you can still hunt into the thickets with the muzzleloader at this point. Either case, it's tough-going, but if you want to get in the game...
We're at the tail end of our season. The deer have been hunted hard for months now including evading deer drives. There's no piece of public that hasn't been trampled at this point. But the deer didn't disappear. They're out there. But that stand set up over last year's rut sign is going to make for some lonely sits at this point.
IMHO - right now the deer are in the thickest, nastiest tangled terrain on the land. The kind of stuff you can't walk through without bleeding or a bulldozer. That's where I would focus my scouting at this point. Scout from far enough to not alert anything in there, look for trails going in, and give them a sit. Deer aren't going to come out without being able to scent check first, so you'll be lonely on the downwind side. I think the best chance is high-risk high reward sits in just off winds on the upwind side. Or you can still hunt into the thickets with the muzzleloader at this point. Either case, it's tough-going, but if you want to get in the game...
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