Yep, Osage Orange, but we used to call the hedge apples when I was a kid.
I think your question is sort of tricky. If I were you, i'd call the local DNR office and ask them. To me baiting would mean you brought something in with you and put it in a specific pile. I would think that you can surely unburry them from the snow with no problem, but it's the putting them in a pile that may seem like baiting. Tricky.