tatonka

The age old debate... baiting is illegal one place, but perfectly legal someplace else. In some states it's legal on private land, but not on public land. You can plant an apple tree and hunt over it when it produces apples, but you can't put a bushel of apples under a tree and hunt there.. Food plots are legal most places, but Heaven forbid should you put out a bushel of corn someplace... Baiting is illegal in fear that it will congregate deer and increase the spread of CWD, yet it's ok for deer to congregate around a grain bin where grain gets spilt... It's all nonsense and just makes for more foolsih things a warden has to deal with instead of more important things like poaching...

Oldtimr

Killing deer over bait where it is illegal is poaching, the illegal killing of wildlife is the definition of poaching. If you are hunting where bait illegal and you bait you are a poacher. In addition, if you are hunting where bait is illegal you are drawing animals from the property of others who do not violate the law. Your assessment of illegal baiting is ridiculous. I was a warden for over 30 years and I enjoyed catching hunters hunting illegally over bait because it was an intentional violation that stole game from honest hunters!

Bocajnala

Test post......

tatonka

Yup...everything you are saying is absolutely true. As a Game Warden you are obligated to enforce every law on the books regardless of whether you agree with them or not. Wouldn't a food plot draw animals from public land to private land and deprive hunters who didn't own land the opportunity to fill their tags? It's legal, of course, but everything that is legal isn't necessarily right.

Oldtimr

Apparently you haven't been around baiting very much. Most game land's in my state are surrounded by farm land and there are crops on game lands as well. While growing crops will attract deer and other wildlife it is not like baiting where grain and other things are placed in one spot, right where the hunter's stand is and it is more effective to drawing wildlife before the gun. I hunt wild hogs over bait, they aren't big game animals they are vermin and it is legal. My point was, if a person is unlawfully taking game they ARE poachers. For the record, I fully agree with prohibiting the baiting of deer and other big game animals , I believe it should be unlawful to bait, big game, enforcement officer or not.

tatonka

You're correct...I haven't been around baiting as it is illegal in Montana. I did hunt Saskatchewan a couple years back where they bait.... Not much came in other than does, fawns, and little bucks.. Like most places, the old bucks only came in after dark. It was kind of fun, but at the same time quite boring..fun watching the deer interact but it wasn't for me.. I had never done it before and wanted to try it... I wouldn't do it again, however. In my mind, planting a two acre food plot really isn't any different than putting out some corn, grain, or whatever. People plant a small food plant from what I've read about and then set up stands so that they can hunt it regardless of which way the wind is blowing. I'm not sure of the current laws in Montana, but it was illegal to plant a food plant solely for the purpose of attracting deer... The intent had to be to harvest whatever you planted. I don't know if that has changed or not as it's really of no interest to me. I've got a few acres here that is in Alfalfa and some in crested wheat grass, but I've never shot anything on my place...more fun watching the deer even though I'm an avid hunter. I don't post what I have...anyone is welcome to hunt if they want to....

bronko22000

Oldtimr do you hunt hogs in PA?!?! Just curious. I know there are some around in certain areas but how can a warden differenciate between baiting for hogs rather than deer? Just curious. Is this done in the summer or off season and is all remaining bait cleaned up 30 days before deer season?

Oldtimr

No, I don't hunt them in PA, they are too few and far between to make it worth while for me. I go to South Carolina, I did hunt them in Georgia once. Like everything else, the wardens have to have the evidence to prove the charges for bait. If there is bait present during the deer season and it is not in an area where bait for deer is legal the officers would have to watch the site when people are hunting and if they only shoot deer there would be no problem, in addittion if there was evidence of deer being killed in the baited area site it could be used as evidence of hunting deer over bait. A baited are doesn't have to be specifically aimed at shooting deer, it is unlawful to take advantage of bait no matter why it was set out.