Bear Bait Sites

[bwana_d]

This was the first year our group was drawn where we were only allowed to bait 3 sites per person. Some questions we have started to ponder:

• Can you party hunt bait sites (you cannot party hunt bears)?
• Can you still use a bait site registered to a hunter who has taken their limit of bear?
• Once you have harvested your limit of bears do you need to abandon those bait sites?

The implications of this to group hunters and to guides could be rather limiting.

I am no legal expert, but know some laws are written from the stand point of what they allow, while others are written from the stand point of what they do not allow. What can be used as bait for crayfish is an example of where it says what you can do, it does not say you cannot use game fish parts, but it does say you can use carp. Minnows on the other hand specifically state you cannot use game fish parts....according to the author; in both cases you cannot use game fish parts.

[jerkbait]

Yes you can hunt over another hunters bait in your party.

No you can not party hunt for bear, once a hunter reaches their limit of bear they are done hunting.

Not sure about running the baita after the hunter has reached their limit, I have wondered that myself.

[CANOPY SAM]

I think, to be completely legal, if the "registered" hunter on a particular site had already tagged out, one would have to re-register the site in the new hunters name? Not sure though.

As far as fish for bait, I believe most, if not all, bones are supposed to be removed? However, I would recommend against using fish (parts) as bait. They can get REALLY stinky, REALLY fast, and attract a ton of insects, and undesirable critters.

Instead, I've used Kipper Snack juice in the past. This stuff is extremely pungent, and you can carry it in sealed in a ziplock bag. Sprinkle a little of this juice on the trees around your bait, and on the bait crib, and you can smell it from a long ways away.

I'm no expert, so I'm sure other bait hunting vets could offer more concise advice. Great questions.

[Boar]

Not sure but good Q's. You can bait for some one without compensation but you need to have his DNR# on hand in which case the site should probabley be registerd in his name an #. also. if its the same site you tage out on. Just cant bait it until 24 hrs after registerd. I think. Fish bad. dont waiste ur time with it. BUT a great cheap substitute is to go on line an order up some salmon oil or any other fish oils from trappers supply places. Mix it with fryer oil. Any fish oil works great.

[bwana_d]

Sorry about the confusion with fish, I was refering to the fishing regulations and trapping of crayfish and minnows. It is illegal to use gamefish parts (heads, guts, etc.) as bait in crayfish traps or minnow traps. In the case of minnow traps the Minnesota Statutes are written specifically stating you can not use game fish parts. For crayfish they do not say you cannot use gamefish parts, but do say you can use carp. I was told by the fisheries chief that in both cases you cannot use game fish as bait.

I was just using it as an example of how the bear bait site law could have been intended when it was written - not clearly stating how no party hunting impacts bait sites leaves the possibility of it be interpreted multiple ways - it is not mentioned in the statutes at all.

FYI - I only use fish outside of my bear pits as a stink bait, if I use it at all.

[bwana_d]

So I went and reread regulatioins the DNR publishes, after reading it again I have a new question about bait signs. When hunting as a group - we in the past have typically divided and conquered the chore of baiting up to 8 pits for 4 people....we registered the pits to 2 maybe 3 people not all 4.

It appears based on the following if you are part of a group or a friend without a license - anyone who is doing the baiting needs to have their name on the bait site sign along with who ever the bait site is actually registered too. Seems redundant to needing to carry the DNR# for who the bait is being place for..makes me wonder if they were paying attention when they wrote the laws or (and now I am going to the dark side) the laws were written this way so they could always find a way to write a citation.

How many people in groups put more then one name on their signs this year?

Anybody else read it that way?

Starting to feel like I need to call the DNR and get this clarified, ideally in writing.

Per the 2012 Bear Hunt regulations - A person may establish and maintain a bait station for someone else, without payment, if the station is registered and displays a sign containing the name and driver’s license number of the person who is actually doing the baiting and the name and MN DNR number of the person for which the bait is placed

[Boar]

Yea i read it that way. Pretty clear.

[jerkbait]

Best to email the DNR, then you have it in writing.

[jay83196]

I wouldn't trust that either...I sent dnr a question including a picture of a sign on a trail on state land that reads no motorized vehicles allowed, Except big game exemption. I emailed asking if this meant I can use my wheeler bear hunting and baiting and was told yes by two different people one last year and once this year. I ran into a co this year out there (not while on trail) he said absolutely not they are wrong and I would get ticket. Yet another example left hand not knowing what right hand is doing at the dnr! Can't trust any info you get...he gave me statute number and I looked it up it is for animal recovery or use during Oct-Nov deer hunting basically. Once you read past all the details in it...no use in aug/Sept unless recovering game...

[CANOPY SAM]

Were the first two people that told you it was legal representatives of the DNR, or were they just average folks? I'm sorry I don't understand your post. You emailed this question to the DNR, yes? And two different people there said it was legal, then a CO in the field said otherwise, correct?

Do you still have the emailed response from the DNR? This would be a good example to share with them about conflicting information. I'd definitely give them the names of the folks who gave you the wrong information the first time. They need a little education about the info they're sharing.

[jay83196]

Yes they were both from dnr one a reply from info center other forwarded to somebody that replied. Yes I saved them, not that matters I only emailed twice cuz a buddy said he asked a co out there about my email and was told its incorrect. So emailed again being more specific including a picture of the sign. Then this year I spoke with co I met and asked him he said no to using my wheeler. I don't get it they should know or be able to refrence easy enough its a brown dnr sign why wouldn't a guy be able to trust them on it. It sure would suck to get s ticket or wheeler, bow etc taken! Co was nice guy but made sound like could care less about emails even if I had it printed in my pocket, just said " they don't always know all the details and are wrong" NICE!

[CANOPY SAM]

Yea. That's a little disappointing. Like you said, left hand not talking with the right. I still think it would be more than appropriate to send copies of the emails back to the DNR just to clarify the discrepancy..for their own benefit. Who knows, those two misinformed "answer" people might still be telling other people it's legal.

You sure did the right thing in questioning the situation. In cases like this, where one gets conflicting information about a specific detail, I'd expect a little leniency from a CO, but I suppose it might be foolish to hope for that as well.

[jay83196]

Yeah its certainly frustrating we have to verify the answers we get. I have been misinformed several times over years thats why I started emailing for a hardcopy and better detail but thats clearly not the answer either.