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07-04-2003, 01:32 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 1,665
RE: Bear Baiting
Yes, baiting should be legal as long as it is regulated and the laws are enforced to make sure that it does not give baiting, and all hunting for that matter, a black eye.
Baiting is a great opportunity not for just hunters, but for people that want to view bears in the wild. We had ten people go to the bait sites this year at one time, only 2 of us brought our bows to hunt. The rest sat in the stands at night and watched bears, spent time fishing and letting the kids enjoy the outdoors. I saw 14 bears in two nights, shooting a bear at last light on the last night.
There are no documents of bears becoming habituated to human food sources due to baiting. Areas in Alaska that have outlawed bear baiting have become problem areas in the state for people and bears. More vehicle/bear accidents occur in Juneau, Ak than the rest of the state, and they contain about 5% of the states road system, maybe less. a huge percentage more calls are made regarding problem bears in that area than any other area in the state that allows bear baiting.
If the population can withstand a greater harvest from baiting, I think it is foolish not to allow bear baiting. After this year I have found it is more fun to stalk bears on the ground then be in a stand, but that is just me. I fully support the freedom to bait, even though I don' t plan to do it in the future. All sportsman should do the same.
Baiting is a great opportunity not for just hunters, but for people that want to view bears in the wild. We had ten people go to the bait sites this year at one time, only 2 of us brought our bows to hunt. The rest sat in the stands at night and watched bears, spent time fishing and letting the kids enjoy the outdoors. I saw 14 bears in two nights, shooting a bear at last light on the last night.
There are no documents of bears becoming habituated to human food sources due to baiting. Areas in Alaska that have outlawed bear baiting have become problem areas in the state for people and bears. More vehicle/bear accidents occur in Juneau, Ak than the rest of the state, and they contain about 5% of the states road system, maybe less. a huge percentage more calls are made regarding problem bears in that area than any other area in the state that allows bear baiting.
If the population can withstand a greater harvest from baiting, I think it is foolish not to allow bear baiting. After this year I have found it is more fun to stalk bears on the ground then be in a stand, but that is just me. I fully support the freedom to bait, even though I don' t plan to do it in the future. All sportsman should do the same.
07-07-2003, 10:28 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 1,665
RE: Bear Baiting
Other benfits to baiting that you don' t hear that often is that prividing an alternate food source for the bears in the spring will keep a good number of bears off elk, moose, caribou and deer calves while they are finding ample food at a bait station. This in turn helps the caving survival rate and helps replenish populations of ungulates in areas that are hit hard with bear predation. We attempted to get grizzly baiting passed in areas that were in dire need of it, but the board of game didn' t let that fly since it would of been a public relations nightmare for them. I know they thought it was a great idea for the area however. Maybe in two years when the moose, caribou and sheep populations crash even more, they will allow it if it is still legal nationwide.
08-02-2003, 04:52 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 68
RE: Bear Baiting
Here in MN where baiting is legal, the bear hunting success is less than 20% of hunters. Baiting is darn hard work, and no guarantee of success at all. If there wasn' t baiting, the DNR would not be able to manage our bear population - at least that is what they said at our bear clinic last week.
It should be legal in my opinion.
It should be legal in my opinion.
08-04-2003, 07:50 AM
#8
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22
RE: Bear Baiting
I think all states should allow baiting to be legal for all the reasons expressed here. I would like to support SuperX in his claim about how much time and work is involved in doing the baits and staying with them for months before season. For the recreational sportsman it' s like having a part time job after work.
There is nothing more exhillerating that sitting in a ladder stand 20 yards off of a bait and watching the bears come in.. no matter how big or small they may be. I' m hooked on it.
There is nothing more exhillerating that sitting in a ladder stand 20 yards off of a bait and watching the bears come in.. no matter how big or small they may be. I' m hooked on it.
