Bear Baiting Rule Clarification Heads Up

[bwana_d]

This one is a little long, sorry, but I think we bear hunters that hunt with others in a group need to pay attention to the rule changes being proposed.

The short version is the DNR is clarifying the baiting rules because they are confusing (agreed).  To that end, even the first draft of the rule change was wrong according to the person who published the information, the first draft was going to require guides to put the clients names on their bait page signs (I can no longer find that in print).  The real clarification I am told was the requirement to include anyone who baits the page on the sign.  My questions were around allowing anyone from our group to hunt a bait page no matter who it is registered too.  I was informed that is not an issue, anyone from your group or even someone you don't know can hunt your bait page, just because you register it, does not mean it is yours to hunt.  I then asked what the purpose of registering was and they let me know it was to hold you accountable if they find trash at the bait page.  When I have asked COs about baiting and use of bait page, etc. I have received a number of different responses.  At the moment, I am still struggling with a stranger hunting a bait page registered to someone they do not know.

For more information (of course it doe not match the conversation I just had with the person overseeing the process):

• Request for comments links  http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/rules/rulemaking/wildlife/request-for-comments.pdf
• Another link about the rue making and the change http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/rules/wildlife/index.html 
  • In case the verbiage changes, this it what states the day I am posting this  - Requiring bear bait stations to be registered under the name and Minnesota DNR number of the person who is hunting over the station.

 

What I had sent in for comments is below, did not hear anything in a week so I called to understand the next steps and found out I should be even more confused, the main answer I was provided, was talk to the CO in the area and get their interpretation so you are not getting a ticket.

 

Good Day,

 

For context I am going to share how we hunt, would like clarification of the current rule and potential impact on future rules.  For our party this has been a grey area and we receive different answers from depending on which CO we talk to about it.

 

We bear hunt as  a group of 4 people who apply for permits as a group.

 

We typically bait  7 – 8 sites each year we are drawn.

 

We share the bait sites between us, allowing the person who has gone the longest without shooting a bear the opportunity to pick which

page they want each day based the activity we are seeing.  It does change from night to night.  We hunt where there is limited if any cell phone coverage, it makes it very difficult to unregister and reregister sites depending on who will be hunting a given page from our party.

 

When we have asked about if sharing bait sites they  way we do is proper we receive multiple answers making even more murky:

1. Technically you need to register the bait in the name of the person who will be hunting it.

2. Don’t worry about it, just make sure every one’s name is on the sign who might hunt it.

3. The only time there would be an issue is when someone kills a bear, they are no longer hunting and their sites are done.

4. I have had to people from the DNR debate one year – one took the side of it does not matter, you can't hunt a page that is not registered to you, the other took the side of – what’s to stop someone not from you group hunting your bait page if that is the case.  There was no good answer at that point.

 

Since we also share baiting responsibility we have been keeping each other’s name and license # as required. At some point in the last 6 years that changed to needing it on the sign.  FYI – since we do not get drawn each year, it is hard to keep up with the changes that occurred the years we do not get to hunt.

 

 

My comments on this are:

1. Groups should be allowed to hunt each other’s bait page – maybe base it on the group application number

2. Groups should be able to bait each other bait page, again base it off the group application number

3. Not sure what to say for non-quota areas where people hunt as a group, but they should be allowed to do the same thing.

4. Bottom line it is murky at best now based on the different interpretations, intent does not seem to match interpretation based on all the people I have talked too about this one.

 

 

 

[Boar]

Wow that is really bizzar, As long as Ive known as long as you have a lisnec in the zone ur hunting, lotery or no qouta as long as its legaly registerd one can bait for another. maybe the page need to be rigisterd un all names possibly hunting and baiting. 

And if one registers it, anyone can come in and hunt it?? boy that wont sit well with anyone walkin into stand and seeing mr. Schmoe sitting up ther, "Howdy! came across this here bait page the other day and figure Id have me a sit and see what comes in" 

I agree with ur comments,  id' press hard to find out deffinate answers form top brass that handles big game in MN. keep us posted.

[certified jumbo]

This is a lot to digest here.  Let us know what you find with this.  My interpretation is potentially not what I'm reading. 

So, if you ddon't register as a group but you hunt as a group.  Can you hunt one another's pages or only those registered in your name?  And you can't have others bait your station?   I'm finding this confusing.  

[icehole10]

I'm all for registering your bait stations, but what would it matter who is hunting it, if the true purpose is only in case there is an issue with trash being left behind, as long as they have one name on the sign, and its registered correctly, they should already know who to contact. Ill be curious to see where this one ends up. I personally don't see what the purpose of this proposed change is going to provide the DNR. Think I'll add my comments to the link provided!!