Baiting for deer

[Andrewsdad]

Deer baiting is becoming a much bigger problem. I hunted an area last year that was completely devoid of deer when just the weeks before it was full. Found out later that some guys with Potlatch land next to the public land had place a huge pile of corn. The tracks around the feeder told the whole story. The deer were hanging out around there and not moving like they were prior to the season. Oh yeah, they also had built a four season tower blind right above the corn pile. Some real sportsman! What do you propose should happen to these guys? Seems to me they are destroying deer hunting in northern Mn.

[harvey lee]

Contact the local CO and let him know and they will take care of the problem.

[sachem longrifle]

Deer baiting is out of control in wisconsin. That is the main reason why I hung up the deer rifle. Its not just they use a small pile of corn or apples, they will bring huge truckloads of bait. So the competition was who could have the biggest bait pile and draw all the deer from whose land and make them nocturnal

[love to hunt]

I agree with Harvy. Let your local conservation officer know about it. There are very specific rules that cover this and if they are tuely hunting over the pile that is poaching.

[Riverratpete]

Turn em in! mark it with a gps give the local co the coord's. Only way were going to get control of this growing problem is by ethical hunters not allowing it(baiting) to occur and thats by reporting it everytime you see it...sooner or later once some of the unethical hunters get pinched hard the word will get out to the other goof balls that could go either way...If they want to hunt over bait piles go to Wisc, Mich or Texas, then they can go brag to their bar buddies about what GREAT hunters they are.

[Sportfish1850]

Quote:

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Found out later that some guys with Potlatch land next to the public land had place a huge pile of corn.

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First of all be sure you know this actually did happen. A lot of "a guy did this" factual stories start out as "some guy probably did this" guesses by a guy far removed from the person who ends up taking action. But if you know for sure this did happen then in addition to calling the DNR, also call the Potlatch land lease manager as feeding is a direct violation of the Potlatch lease agreement. Guys like that have no pla ce in the woods so get their access to the woods revoked. If you go to the potlatch land lease site you should be able to find the tract number on which the violation occured. However, without any proof (pictures or something) its just your word against theirs so I doubt anything will happen the first time. But once the same group of guys on that lease has several reports against them or a DNR violation its will build up some credibility and Potlatch will likely revoke their lease.

Potlatch is doing what it can to make sure its lease holders are good stewards of the woods and game animals. Baiters and those who artificially feed (linked to Chronic Wasting) are not people they want in the woods.

[deerhuntr8]

Please read forum policy again prior to posting. FM in no way supports illegal activity. Thanks!

[Buckslayer]

Ahh.. the old Deer baiting argument....Happens every year here at FM. I'm sure we'll see the same agruements as last year!

[Powerstroke]

Baiting is totally legal up until 10 days before the season. Then the area must be completely devoid of any food stuffs.

Last year I turned in a group for baiting on the property I had permission to hunt. I realize that I kinda put myself in jeapordy by doing so, but the law is the law.

They were caught and the CO found 2 other bait piles on the property. All of them had to be cleaned up in 24hrs and they wree still fined. I was kicked off the property by the landowners for getting them tickets. Oh well. I received a nice reward in the mail from the TIP hotline, but thats not the point.

If everyone turns in the baiters when you find them, you can do your little part to discourage baiting in your area.

The worst part was the CO said he had to fine the dad in front of his two sons. Nice learning experience. Now the dad will badmouth the CO to his kids further teaching them the wrong things about hunting and ethics.

[2thepointsetters]

I tried to turn in some hunters baiting two days before last years deer season and when I called the local CO's office they didn't even care. So I took care of it on my own which probably would have been bad if the people with the bait would have caught me destroying it.

[harvey lee]

If they didnt care then I would have called the main office in St. Paul.Then the CO could have explained why he didnt care,it is his job.

[BobT]

What leads you to believe they didn't care? I find it hard to believe, although not impossible, but hard nonetheless.

Bob

[2thepointsetters]

When I called the CO's office I was told by the person who answered the phone that there was nothing they could do about it. Which I thought was really weird myself. Now I know a couple of CO's up here and I will contact them directly if it happens again this year.

[harvey lee]

Nothing they can do if it is before the season.You cannot hunt over bait in Minnesota unless some new laws were passed.Yes,Wisconson I believe and North Dakota you can hunt over a bait pile.

[ddsbyday]

Who do you ticket? The dealer or the addict. In northern minnesota for the recreational baiter they buy the corn at the local gas station, grocerey store. They are selling a legal drug. Make the buyers sign off. I am sure that with a little announcement that the DNR will be following up on corn buys that stand out you might weed out the recreational baiter. Just a thought.

[harvey lee]

People could be buying corn for squirrels or other critters.If I was a CO and caught someone hunting by a bait pile he would either have to do alot of explaining or he would get a ticket.The states you cannot hunt by a bait pile.If you didnt put it there but you were hunting by it,you may be in trouble.

[rippinlips]

What do you guys consider baiting, hunting right on top of it. hunting the trail to it (what) be specific on what you consider baiting, just because there's corn, apples and what not around the area does not mean it's baiting you have to take a good look around the area. I could hunt a farmers pasture where he feeds his livestock and that is not considered baiting. Somebody could have a bird feeder in the yard and you might not know it and you might be 200 yards from there yard hunting the trail that leads right to it and not even know it. There are gray lines when it comes to baiting. By any means do I in any why approve of baiting it's unsportmen like. Just make sure for certain before you turn someone in that they are indeed baiting. That's all.

[BobT]

From the pages of the regulations for 2006:

Quote:

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"Bait" is defined as grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, or other food that is capable of attracting or enticing deer and that has been transported and placed by a person...

Hunters are not allowed to use bait or hunt in the vicinity of bait that the hunter knows about or has reason to know about or hunt in the vicinity where bait has been placed within the previous ten days.

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It seesm that this rule is somewhat of a judgement call on the part of the CO. Basically, it's best to avoid the situation.

I do not believe it is unlawful to feed deer but it is unlawful to hunt where you have been feeding them within the last 10 days.

Bob