baiting changes!!!

[Swamp Scooter]

Well it is time to go and find the area for this Fall for us. We got information from the St. Paul info line that you COULD NOT bait before the August opening. I called back and tried to confirm at St. Paul and they said the same things. "If we go out and test bait we will be arrested." Not what I wanted to hear. I did some more checking and there are going to be rule changes for baiting but they are not going to come in to effect until the 2006 season. This is the info I got from the local area dnr office. The proposed changes told to me are this:

You must be a successful permit/license holder to bait.

You must be in possession of your license while baiting.

No baiting until the mid August date.(no more test baiting earlier)

No more than 3 baits per hunter.

This is just info I found out yesterday so wanted to pass it on and also get some feedback on how many people go and test bait, especially in new hunting areas.

How will this affect the guides?

I am hoping to see something on the HSOforum or elsewhere in writing to confirm the changes.

[tjm]

My thoughts on this is about time.Heck the last time i went bear hunting it was bait station after bait station every 1/4 mile then come hunting season and 1 out of 10 were being used by hunters Go figure.2 thumbs up DNR about time you woke up

[mechanictim]

So far all these changes are just proposed, none have been adopted. I agree with TJM that limiting the number of bait stations is a good idea, for one thing every bait you put out on public ground will have a little less competion and will probably be more effective. The guides will have to get the license number of thier clients and will be allowed three baits per client.

I used to hunt along the Echo Trail and one of the reasons I quit going to that area were the people driving like (Contact US Regarding This Word) trying to check and refill all their bait stations. I had my windshield smashed by rocks kicked up by trucks doing at least sixty on gravel and another (Contact US Regarding This Word) who tailgated me for a couple of miles nearly kill a cow moose and her two calves after passing me as I slowed down to let them get off the road,the brush that he forced them into looked like a great place to break a leg. If the proposed changes will allow people to slow down and enjoy the hunt instead of trying to out bait everyone else I am all for it.

[Swamp Scooter]

I do not have any problem with them limiting the number of bait stations. The one thing I was wondering about was the ability to put out a very small test bait to see what was around. I agree that it will be better for the hunters in the field to find a place they can use without having to compete with others that go up with a semi load of cookie dough and use it up in a week.

Since I will be trying to archery only this Fall in a new area, and have not hunted them since 2003, I wanted to check the rules for any changes. It was a big surprise to me at the response that I would get arrested for placing a small test bait, without having any access to the changes in rules.

[roosterslayer]

if placing an early bait is that important place some store bought sweet corn on the cob and place alittle VK with it. also a trail cam. no law says that you can not place corn for the deer at that time and the VK and trail cam will let you know if bears are around.

[lichen fox]

I've been doing some checking on these new regs and from what I've found on the DNR HSOforum they will or have proposed it as a permanent rule....the public input meetings were held in conjunction with the "Proposed Deer Hunting Regulation" changes and can be found in the DNR HSOforum under that title...those meetings also covered some changes in waterfowl hunting...I was rather dissappointed myself that the DNR did not deem it necessary to include Bear Hunting changes in the title line...The information is acually found on about the 3rd page of the report.

I don't have a big problem with 3 baits each...currently my partner & I start with about 6 baits each...When you read the proposed regulation changes some things are unclear...Can a hunter hunt his partners baits or only the ones with his own name on the registration? So, if we have 6 baits and only 3 are hitting and they all are registered to one liscensee...is the other hunter S.O.L.? Also they don't make it clear if you can only regester 3 baits per year per hunter or (if some of your baits are not being hit), can you unregister the bad ones and start over some where else with some new baits? What happens,(as it did a few years back where I hunt)...a tornado comes throught 3 days into the season...we lost 5 good baits because there was so many trees down it would have taken a week to saw open the trails!! Could we, would we be allowed to "start over" somewhere more accessable? I don't mind the 3 bait deal as I said, but I surely want the option to move should I need to!! I'd like to see them make it 3 baits per hunter through the first 7 days of "hunting"...60-75% of the bears are usually taken in that time period...there are much fewer hunters left in the woods after the first 7 days and most guides only hunt the first 10 days of the season...After ther first 7 days of hunting, hunters should be able to place as many additional baits as they want to increase thier chances of success...Just my 2 cents, I can understand that some areas get crowded...but they are usually not so crowded,if at all,after the first couple of weekends. I just hope they don't start limiting each deer hunter to two or three tree stands too!! They are still taking comments at the DNR info center...So if you've got an opinion or question...read the report and reply!!