deer baiting law??

[bowhunter73]

The regulations say.  You cannot hunt over or in the vicinity of bait.
 So my question is what does that mean?
 If you have, a feeder in the back yard for viewing proposes. Does this mean you cannot hunt on your back 40 or do you only need to be 100 yards away? At what point and distance do you need to be away from “bait” to be legal? 

 I am pretty sure it use to give a distance of 100 yds now it has changed to in the vicinity.
I for one like laws like this black & white so there is no question if you are right or wrong.

We feed for over 15 years up until 2 years ago. We did it only for viewing (good family times) we did not hunt in that area! It was there safety zone. In all of the years this was done only one deer was taken there as a mercy kill, her lower jaw was shot off. It needed to be done.


 I would guess most people busted this year for baiting where doing just that and on stand within 50 yds and should be tagged but how many were tagged for being in the vicinity.

 How do you view this law what does it mean to you??

[jd mn/nd]

According to the CO MT and I spoke to in September, if you have knowledge of a baitpile and the trail leads to or from the baitpile even if it is NOT on your land and you are hunting there you can and will be given the citation and or worse. Now that being said how do they plan on proving that you have knowledge of your neighbor having out a bait pile as YOU should have reported it to the local CO, so if you don't report it plead ingnorance an state that if you knew you have dimed his butt out. However you had no knowledge of bait pile. Also if you had knowledge of a bait pile on someone else land they could then turn around and nail your butt to the cross for having tresspassed onto their land. As the CO stated in the conversation there is no black and white to this law and there may never be as they all like it that way it leaves it open to interpretation by them and thier discrestion as to wether or not your breaking the law. So in your case if you only have a 40 acre parcel and the deer feeder is 15 yards out the back door you just blocked off all of your land and the neighbors from being huntable since most likly the neighbors know that you feed the deer in your back yard, you just screwed up not only your land to hunting, but thiers as well. If they get pinched I am sure that you will hear about it.

Later JD

[Grute Man]

 I think it means if you're on a trail leading to or from the bait pile or if you're withing gun shot of the pile.  I can't say I "know" this for a fact but that's what I thought.  I never knew anything about them asking if you knew about the pile.  If its on your land though, they're gonna assume you know about it.

[HD]

We have a feeder, and the kids like seeing the deer.
But when it comes close to hunting season, I stop feeding the deer.
Also, keep in mind that we have a very small feeder, and it's in my pasture close to the house, so it doesn't get used that much by deer.

As it is stated on the DNR site....All feed must be cleaned up COMPLETELY (no crumbs, nothing) 10 days prior to season open. So, I make sure that EVERYTHING is cleaned up, with no trace, for at least 3 to 3 1/2 weeks.


That way we can enjoy seeing a deer from time to time, and not get into trouble for "baiting"

Hunter

[stevejedlenski]

People havent been reading the regs again....

this just changed again from last year... last year it was written that you could bait on your land...
its right in the begining of the regs and tells your where to find it

please read your regulations book... its all in there

Hunting Method Restrictions
Bait or Feed
• “Bait or feed” is grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, or other food that
is capable of attracting or enticing deer and that has been placed by a
person.
• Hunters are not allowed to use or hunt over bait or feed or hunt in
the vicinity of bait or feed if the hunter knows about or has reason
to know about the placement of the bait or feed.
• A person otherwise in compliance with this section who is hunting
on private or public property that is adjacent to the property
where bait or feed is present is not in violation if the person has not
participated in, been involved with, or agreed to baiting or feeding
wildlife on the adjacent property.
• An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of
the bait or feed.
• Liquid scents, salt, minerals, and bird feeders containing grains or
nuts that are at least 6 feet above the ground are not considered
bait or feed.
• This restriction
does not apply to foods resulting from normal
or
accepted farming, forest management,
wildlife food plantings, orchard
management,
or similar land management
activities.

no your neighbors wont have to stop hunting if you are feeding deer!!
this law is grey, as are most laws... i would say that vicinity means if your hunting close enough to the feed that it would be influencing deer travel. so if your on a trail thats headed for the bait, or close enough to it to have an advantage you are baiting..
however say your on the other side of the 40, or there is a impassible object (fence or river..) between you and the feed i would say that your not in violation.

remember this law is left this way for descresion... it will be up to the indivudual officer to determine and also you may influence the officer one way or another by what your doing... so get as far away as you can and dont be a di(k and you may not be cited.

[Spinach]

Very simple... Don't feed the deer.        i interpret the law as being within 100 yards of any baitpile or feeders, that's how it use to be defined, so I would use that as a guideline. I'm sure they changed it because some yahoo placed himself 101 yards away and beat the system. Keep in mind that feeding deer is more harmful than the good it does, especially when you feed them all year and then stop 10 days prior. Hunter i know u said your feeder is very small and i am by no means singling you out but think about it for a second, a small feeder is just as harmful as a large bait pile in my opinion, the deer come to rely on this and all of a sudden they have to find food for themselves which is bad enough without even bringing cwd or other diseases into the debate. I am only stating this for debate purposes and apologize to Hunterdown for using you as an example. Plain and simple, if your gonna feed deer then please don't stop feeding in the winter just because it interferes with your harvesting a deer and trying to stay legal. Your better off not feeding them at all and providing plots.

[HD]

No problem Pat....Like I said, it's in my pasture, close to the house. My cows and chickens use it more than deer do. I think that there maybe 2 to 3 deer that use it, and you only see them out there when the cows aren't out.

So, I guess you can't really say that I'm feeding deer. They just happen to use it sometimes.
BUT, to be on the safe side...I clean it up before season, so I don't get into any discussion with anybody feeding deer.

I guess I didn't explain myself good enough.....

Hunter

[beeker]

it's kinda silly to say that deer will forget how to forage for food because of  feeders. the baiting law is designed to keep deer from herding up.. that is how they pass CWD and other sicknesses to each other and to keep people from "training" deer to walk up at a specific time so they can be smoked. anyone hunting over a feeder isn't hunting, they're shooting deer, lets not confuse the two..

ohhh and just so you know where I'm coming from.. I have been trying to get food plots started on my 40.. plus I planted about 25 apple trees this year. and we try to QDM. passed up 2 ok bucks this year hope they make it back in a few years.

[Stensethfan]

What I cannot seem to figure out is how they say no to corn or anything like that, but they will let you use C'Mere Deer because it is all mineral extracts and what not.  In my eyes they both cause deer to come to a specific area which would make it easier to harvest them.  Both in my opinion are attractants.  I don't get it. 

[stevejedlenski]

well most of it is attractant power. you put out corn and deer will be there until its gone pretty much. you put out c'mere deer and it will attract deer but one bag would last you all year and some of next.

i think its giving in to hunters that want to bait deer, but not enough to make deer hunting into target practice

[Grute Man]

The products like C'meer deer don't actuall "feed" the deer.  They still have to forage for food to fill their belly.

[Auggie]

The products like C'meer deer don't actuall "feed" the deer.  They still have to forage for food to fill their belly.

Just to let you guys know, A buddy of mine dumped the liquid c'mere deer out in my pen and the deer actually avoided that area for a week!!!! Some real good stuff eh!

[stevejedlenski]

Auggie, have you ever used doe in heat in your pen. i think that stuff is a joke also

[Auggie]

The only ones my bucks have ever cared about were the ones that came from single does. I think they run about $40 per bottle. When I have does in heat they could care less about any of them.

[deadeye]

I have only seen one thing consistantly stop a deer and have them check it out.  We all carry it with us.  I usually put some about 40 yards from my stand.  If it wasn't so common, I would bottle it and sell it.  Funny how some people go to great lengths to avoid leaving any around their stand.  I'm wondering if any of you also use this.

[Stensethfan]

are we maybe talking about something of your own that you can produce?

[deadeye]

Yes we are.

[Stensethfan]

similar to what they might put in a bottle and sell in the stores for us to use as attractant?

[deadeye]

I really hope they don't!

[HUNTER2]

He's talking about people scent.

[Stensethfan]

figured as much. 

[stevejedlenski]

well id rather have them come throough my area than stop. if it works for you great. but i dont think i will be using it.

[deadeye]

I'ts your urine.  

[HD]

Does it work better if it's beer flavored?   


              

[Cody Gruchow]

i use C MERE deer and yes it does work. i have hunted over it a few times and one of the times was bow opener and thats when i seen the other big deer came down the trail and hit the pile then left. i put it on a really well used trail my main purpose for it was to get the deer to stop. plus it helps to put it on a rotting stump or something like that.

[stevejedlenski]

cody did you shoot that big deer?

[Cody Gruchow]

no i didnt

[deadeye]

Over the years I noticed deer tracks in the snow around the spot I releaved myself.  I tried it with a trail camera and could get pictures of deer stopping to check it out.  I have never seen a deer spooked by a location I took a pee.  Last year my brother in law urineated near his stand.  During the that morning 11 deer passed his stand.  Everyone of them stopped and checked out his spot.  So much for the guys peeing in a bottle.  I just let her go from the stand.

[Cody Gruchow]

why not i do it  its either that or climb all the way down undo your saftey vest, plus peeing in a bottle sucks

[stevejedlenski]

deadeye, do you check the wind direction and see where the deer are coming from and do you see mature deer or yearlings? i ask because on many occasions when i do as much as possible to cover up my scent i still find yearling bucks that will follow my trail with their nose right in my tracks. also i have never seen a large buck on a day where that happens. these small bucks are also very nervous while getting into the woods and take about 20min to go 50'. i have had a couple follow it right to my tree, look up and see me then run off. i can only imagine how many mature deer get that scent and just totally avoid my area.