Agreed to a point. "Success", though, is in the eye of the beholder. For me, it's not about the killing but enjoying the sport. I haven't really killed any more deer/bigger deer since baiting has been allowed. But there's no doubt we consistently have more deer on our place than prior to it, so that means opportunity is increased.

I don't think what you possibly insinuate, however, is always true. For some hunters, indeed it's all about personal satisfaction. But I think for most I know, there's also a balance between "what's best for me" compared to "what's best for the entire deer herd". IF the state and experts could successfully convince people that baiting is bad, then I believe most would pay attention to that. The problem is that both the state and "experts" often have skin in the game that distorts their opinions - and thus can't be trusted for reliable information.