True "baiting" (putting out piles of corn for deer, etc.) is illegal in many states. Most of the time because of the fear of disease transmission when many animals congregate around a pile of corn or apples, etc..

Putting out scent lures (which attract carnivores to an area to investigate the smell), or a scrap of meat likely has little impact on local wildlife, and is a good tool to employ when conducting an inventory of the species on-site.