Well, here we go again...

[Greenhead22]

February 4, 2006

Bait bill advances
House OKs pilot program on hunting

By Laura Hipp
lhipp@clarionledger.com
And Bobby Cleveland
bcleveland@clarionledger.com


Baiting

Current law: It is unlawful to hunt, trap or kill any wild bird or wild animal of any kind with the aid of bait.

Proposed law: Wildlife officials shall establish a pilot project allowing hunting deer over grain in 30 counties.

Deer hunters who want to shoot over buckets of corn near their stands can do so based on a pilot program in a bill the state House approved Friday.

Hunters in 30 counties in south Mississippi and near Meridian could hunt deer as they feed on grain through 2010 under the proposal.

House Bill 1089 must be approved by the Senate and signed by the governor before becoming law.

"I can see it now," said Jackson resident Laura Reynolds, a deer hunter who is anti-baiting. "One day my husband and I will be at deer camp and we'll be skinning a deer and when we pull down the hide, one of the hind-quarters will be stamped USDA-approved corn-fed deer."

Hattiesburg deer hunter James Morris, a retired contractor, said he doesn't see baiting as all that bad.

"Hunters in other parts of the state might not see the need for it, but for south Mississippi, with all our pine forests, I think it's different," Morris said. "Besides, they can't enforce any wildlife laws anyway."

Whether to legalize baiting has been been a question among lawmakers for a decade.

A violation carries a fine of $25 to $100. The fine would change to $100 to $500 under House Bill 1089.

The practice is legal in Washington, D.C., and 20 states, including Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Arkansas. If lawmakers consent, Mississippi would join three other states that allow baiting in limited areas.

Friday's vote was the second time a bill legalizing the practice passed the House. In 2005, the House legalized baiting statewide with certain restrictions but met opposition in the Senate, which has never given baiting favorable consideration. A similar bill is alive in the House.

The movement is particularly strong in south Mississippi, where many people from Louisiana have moved.

"Baiting is a very contentious issue in Mississippi even between hunters," said Larry Castle, wildlife director at the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "Baiting is confusing to hunters in Mississippi."


Fast facts

Baiting is legal in Washington, D.C., and 20 states, including Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Arkansas.

If House Bill 1089 is approved, Mississippi would join three other states - Michigan, South Carolina and Wisconsin - that allow the practice in limited areas.

Confusion stems from an existing law that allows people to feed deer. The animals just cannot be shot while they are eating food placed by a person.

The department does not take a stand on the issue, and did not request deer baiting, Castle said.

Studies have shown that deer eat at night more often where baiting is allowed, making them more difficult to hunt, he said.

Experts also worry about the spread of disease as deer share buckets of grain, he said. If baiting is allowed, more people will feed the animals.

Some hunters say it's just unsportsmanlike.

Britt Burt of Calhoun City said Mississippi has plenty of deer and no one should have trouble shooting one. But he has seen others bait.

"Most baiting up here is with sweet potatoes," he said. "You can sit in one spot on the highway and watch trailer after trailer and pickup-truck load after pickup-truck load going down the road, and you know they aren't headed to the market."

House Bill 1089, approved in a 63-46 vote, would require the wildlife department to report the results of the test program to the Legislature by the 2008 session. If enacted, it would take effect when deer season starts after July 1.

Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, voted against the measure.

"Where's the sport when you're shooting Bambi while she's eating over a tub," he said.

Nicholson said hunters can plant grass and use scent to attract deer, which is the same practice.

"It's really been blown out of proportion," Nicholson said. "You bait every day you go fishing."

As the bill was debated, the number of counties where baiting would be allowed jumped from 24 to 30 as representatives added their home districts.

Jackson resident Ron Taylor wondered why lawmakers stopped at 30 counties and not all 82. Though he does not bait, he knows many people do.

"I think that anything they do to get more people to hunt is a good idea, and I do think we need to do anything that will help eliminate deer," Taylor said. "I drive a truck for a living and I'm tired of dodging them."

[Cotten]

Yep, looks like the wimps are going to take over deer hunting. It must be sad being that weak.

[peewee]

Thats the truth cotten. Bottom line is folks dont want to hunt, they want to kill. Doesn't matter to them if they ever learn any skill or not.

[cwink]

Ok, Ok. I know I'll probably get raked over the coals for this, but let me present a situation for you. I grew up hunting in TX where hunting over a feeder is legal (My Dad still hunts there). He and his brother hunt on 200 acres and they have about 3 feeders running year round with a mixture of Grain, Corn and Protein Pellets. This provides food for Quail, Dove, Turkey, Deer, and unfortunaly a whole lot of hogs.

What is the difference between this and hunting over a food plot. You don't expect me to believe all of those food plots are to prevent soil erosion now do ya?

[Greenhead22]

What would be the difference between a food plot and an oak tree that produces acorns? A deer has a choice of whether or not to walk out in that food plot in broad daylight or through the woods when he/she could easily do so at night like they've been doing for the past 3 yrs on my lease.

That deer is coming to that feeder during the day, plain and simple. If they wait til night their chances of getting a good meal are slim and none with the other night feeders around.

The art of traditional hunting and sportsmanship is going out the window as every year passes. People just want to kill kill kill, when it's not always about the kill, that's why it's called HUNTING. As long as we have these insurance companies pushing the increasing of harvest limits in the state of ms it will only get worse. Heck, they are the main one's that are pushing the corn bills.

[cwink]

GH22,

I see a huge difference between an Oak Tree and a Food Plot. One is a natural occurance the other is man made.

"That deer is coming to that feeder during the day, plain and simple. If they wait til night their chances of getting a good meal are slim and none with the other night feeders around. "

I will tell you this, you will not see a big buck on a food plot in the middle of the day during hunting season, he just aint that stupid, nor will you see him under a feeder.. You wil have doe and yearlings come to the feeder in the morning or afternoon, (just like a food plot) but you don't see bucks doing it...

The theory behing a feeder is to keep deer in the area, not to shoot them under the feeder... In fifteen years off hunting this lease in TX, a buck has never been shot under the feeder..

[Greenhead22]

GH22,

I see a huge difference between an Oak Tree and a Food Plot. One is a natural occurance the other is man made.

"That deer is coming to that feeder during the day, plain and simple. If they wait til night their chances of getting a good meal are slim and none with the other night feeders around. "

I will tell you this, you will not see a big buck on a food plot in the middle of the day during hunting season, he just aint that stupid, nor will you see him under a feeder.. You wil have doe and yearlings come to the feeder in the morning or afternoon, (just like a food plot) but you don't see bucks doing it...

The theory behing a feeder is to keep deer in the area, not to shoot them under the feeder... In fifteen years off hunting this lease in TX, a buck has never been shot under the feeder..

Some of our "food plots" are spots where grass naturally grows, no need to mess up what is already there. As for seeing bucks in food plots during the day, heck that's when we see them, between 10am-noon, not at first light nor at last light. I know guys that kill 140-160 class bucks in food plots consistently, and they aren't planting anything different than I am. Every buck we killed this season was standing in a food plot, not necessarly eating out of it. We couldn't catch a glimsp of a buck in the woods this past season, and really caught trouble 2 seasons ago when we didn't have any food plots.

As for bucks not hitting the feeder during the day, seen plenty of bucks that were killed with a belly full of corn in the surrounding area with zero cornfields to be seen in year's past.

Most guys that hunt in TX don't use the feeder to kill bucks, instead they pour out tons of corn on the cinderos and shoot the buck when he walks out.

I would be willing to bet that if we had a poll about whether or not guys on here bait.......if they would be totally honest.......I'd venture to say at least 50% hunt over corn in some fashion.

If hunters don't have see any problems with shooting deer over corn then heck let us let all the duck hunters setup feeders in the middle of their holes and sling 50 lbs of yellow acorns a day, now what's the difference in that now?

I do agree, however, that most of the casualties of a feeder will be does and yearlings, and we've already got deer #'s at an all-time low because of the overkilling of does as it is already, don't need anything else that will add to it.

[cwink]

Ok, so your saying that if I were hunting in TX with a feeder as described above and I suddely replaced that feeder with a food plot, then that is not baiting the deer?

[Greenhead22]

Yep, that's what I'm saying. That buck doesn't have the "want" to come to that food plot on a consistent basis, whereas he would if there was a feeder there or corn slung out in the roads. A deer won't travel 5-7 mi a day roundtrip for a food plot, unlike he would for a corn feeder.

I see a very big difference in shooting deer over a food plot versus corn, maybe it's just me I don't know.

[Unkljohn]

"we've already got deer #'s at an all-time low because of the overkilling of does as it is already, don't need anything else that will add to it."

I don't want an argument I would just like to know where you got that info. I think there are more deer now than there were back in the mid 70's. JMO though, I don't have any scientific eveidence to back that up, just what I have seen over the years.
I haven't made up my mind about baiting, I can see some positives coming from it, and, of course some negatives too.

[cwink]

To me, it does not matter if you hunt over a food plot or a feeder, anything that you do to draw in or hold deer in your area is baiting.

[Greenhead22]

"we've already got deer #'s at an all-time low because of the overkilling of does as it is already, don't need anything else that will add to it."

I don't want an argument I would just like to know where you got that info. I think there are more deer now than there were back in the mid 70's. JMO though, I don't have any scientific eveidence to back that up, just what I have seen over the years.
I haven't made up my mind about baiting, I can see some positives coming from it, and, of course some negatives too.

Here's where I'm coming from. Our club averages 12-15 bucks a season, majority of those are 8 pt 12-15" inside. The past three seasons we have killed 12 total. We are seeing a 1/3 of the deer we are used to seeing, especially does. The doe population in our area has taken a major hit in the past 3 years, which was totally uncalled for since 90% of the does taken were killed over the limit. Finally, we started seeing some does this past season, mostly at night though.

If you kill your does, your bucks are leaving, and that's what happened to us because we are surrounded by meat hunters.

[Greenhead22]

To me, it does not matter if you hunt over a food plot or a feeder, anything that you do to draw in or hold deer in your area is baiting.

So you fill the same way about duck hunters that hunt over rice, corn and soybeans?

[Dutch Dog]

I don't know why...but I am not opposed to baiting deer. (right now) I mean everyone is doing it anyway...what's it gonna change...except maybe doing it a little more openly.

***Note to self...if the law goes through remember to buy stock in Moultrie feeders***

[cwink]

Yes. Anything that does not occure naturally to me is baiting. Now, I don't necessarly think that baiting is bad.. I think the problem is that under the currently law they don't consider baiting to be food plots which is fine. But if you going to outlaw corn or other minerals, increase the fine so that no one is tempted to do it..

25-100 dollar fine is not enough. People that are trying to follow the law are losing out to big high dollar camps that put out tons of corn every year and pull the deer away from the neighboring camps that don't..

Again to me it is all baiting, but the way the law is written it favors unethical hunters with big wallets...