Ohio baiting

[gutshotem]

Ok, so I was looking through the online Ohio hunting regs in the flip book yesterday.
On page 8 it states that " A Hunter Can Do The Following" and it goes on to list certain regs. So, number 6 says that you can hunt deer over bait.
I was not aware that baiting was legal in Ohio and couldn't find anything else on the subject. Does anyone know if what, if any limitations go along with this? Is it legal to bait on public land, etc?
Thanks fellas

[dstubb]

I don't think that there are any rules when it comes to baiting here in Ohio. As far as i know public land rules are no different that private land.

[excalibur43]

yes it is legal to bait on public land.

[gutshotem]

Thanks for the clarification guys

[Buck Hunter 1]

It is the worst law they have ever put in the books, in MI they have truckloads of bait they hunt over. The deer go noctunal. Better to plant plots that have nourishment year round. Yes, it is bait of sorts. In MI it is a multi million dollar business.

[M.Magis]

It is the worst law they have ever put in the books

Your a little over-dramatic. It's been legal to bait for many years. The deer herd has only increased.

[ogg]

M.Magis is right.Everyone around where i hunt baits and even if they all got a deer or two, the herd will still be HUGE.Where i hunt i see at least 5-15 deer a day and even more in december.So im all for baiting.

[Buck Hunter 1]

So you don't, hunt? Bigger issues than you can think of are involved and directly attributed to Bovine TB outbreak in Michigan. Over dramatic, think again, it is knocking at our door.


Another social issue that should be considered is the economic effect of a ban or restriction on baiting.

Winterstein (1992) reported that sugar beets, corn, and apples were the most common baits placed by

hunters. The use of corn had increased from 10 percent in 1984 to 23 percent in 1992, while the use of

apples and carrots had decreased. Sugar beet use remained about the same. The study estimated over 13

million bushels of bait were used in 1991, with a net value in excess of 50 million dollars. In 1991, the

average hunter using bait placed about 40 bushels during the seasons. Minnis and Peyton (1994) reported

that among those who thought baiting should remain legal, 51 percent thought that economic considerations

were important. In 1995, Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) suggested support for regulating baiting if it could

be done early enough to allow farm producers to adjust their seed orders or locate additional markets for the

deer bait. In 1998, MFB passed a resolution supporting a statewide bait limit of five gallons and approved

of legislation to prohibit deer feeding statewide.


And Disease

Research data suggest that baiting has the potential to increase disease transmission through close animal

contacts with food, feces, or urine. Strong evidence that supplemental feeding perpetuates bovine TB, and

baiting has the potential to contribute to that problem. This is especially true when unregulated baiting

concentrates animals for a prolonged period of time. Concentration leads to close animal-to-animal contact

and stress that may facilitate transmission of diseases such as bovine TB.

10

There is a potential for other diseases to be involved elsewhere in the state if supplemental feeding creates

appropriate conditions for pathogenic forms, and extensive baiting could contribute to this problem. There is

good supportive evidence of relationships, but conclusive research is unavailable.

[excalibur43]

Here in Ohio, we usually put corn out to bait for does. They usually don't live long enough to pass on any disease!

[ogg]

i mean baiting doesnt affect me here,the deer do not go nocturnel and everyone i know baits around the area.