Why don't the state of Alabama sell deer baiting tags? Like make it where you can buy a tag for say $250 put your license number on it, and put said tag on your feeder. Now you are the only person that can hunt it legally, make it where one person has a three tag limit or something. I am sure it could be tweaked a lot, but just on that basic thinking, seems like a good way for corn hunters to be happy and for DCNR to make $$$.

this is an interesting idea ...

They'll start fabricating fake tags just as they do anything else... Today's printers and 3D printers can do incredible stuff...

Didn't think about that..

They can't issue a tag for something that is illegal.

To go all 49'er on you, here is a copy and paste of the law which makes it illegal. The rule about 100 yards, and out of site is how the DCNR gets around "baited" and uses the term "supplemental feeding":

Section 9-11-244

Taking, etc., of protected birds or animals by means of bait.

No person at any time shall take, catch, kill or attempt to take, catch or kill any bird or animal protected by law or regulation of the State of Alabama by means, aid or use, directly or indirectly, of any bait such as shelled, shucked or unshucked corn or of wheat or other grain, salt or any other feed whatsoever that has been so deposited, placed, distributed or scattered as to constitute for such birds or animals a lure, attraction or enticement to, on or over the area where such hunter or hunters are attempting to kill or take them; provided, that such birds or animals may be taken under properly shocked corn and standing crops of corn, wheat or other grain or feed and grains scattered solely as a result of normal agricultural harvesting and provided further, migratory birds may be hunted under the most recent provisions established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources within the limits of the federal regulations.


This is from the hand book:

Prohibited Methods of Hunting

The following are prohibited methods of hunting in the State of Alabama as condensed from the laws and regulations. Consult the Alabama Game, Fish and Wildlife Law Book and the Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Regulation Book for the entire law or ­regulation.

It is ILLEGAL to:

Hunt any area where baiting/feeding has occurred until 10 days after all bait/feed has been removed or consumed.

Another 49'er from an article talking about the CAB recommendation about corn:

Alabama's Conservation Advisory Board voted to define the area in which someone can legally hunt deer and wild hogs while also engaging in an on-going supplemental feeding program as at least 100 yards from the feed and the feed has to be out of the hunters line of sight through shielding by natural vegetation or natural contours of the landscape. Conservation department officials said the new definition does not legalize baiting. (Courtesy ADCNR)

What about this? If you are a land owner or have a lease you can buy a feeder license let's say at 250.00 each. As many as you can afford that meets whatever the feeder requirements may be. You would have to go to the DCNR office in person show your proof of land then purchase your feeder license and that info stamp on your paper feeder license and notarized. Each decal will have a number on it that matches what's on your paper license that you keep on you at all times like your hunting license. Make sense?

Once we could start legally putting out corn in GA, we started seeing many more deer on our property. Why? Because once putting out corn was no longer illegal it leveled the playing field for those that try to play by the rules.

Fuzzy, ya need to reread the 220-2-.157 reg about the area....it says "bait or feed"

I get a kick out of you guys that want to give the government more power and more money

Thanks, I was looking for that. So I guess it is legal to hunt over "bait", but still say it is a chicken shucks way of doing things and leaves too much to interpretation of the officer and penalizes folks trying to be legal.

Why does he handbook still list hunting over bait as illegal?

Or make it legal and not have to pay anything additional to do so.

I agree with this.

I like this way better. Ain't it like that in Mississippi and Louisiana Brad?

it's a stupid, poorly written regulation...and , it seems, very poorly enforced.

I believe so. Been a long time since I've hunted MS.

Coming from you... It tells us a lot about it...cuz you definitely know....

This, definitely. Don't make it more difficult, stupid and regulated, and especially for a regulation that currently is vague and confusing.

They could sell you the feeder tag and make it just like a house trailer sticker,you buy it at the courthouse and it has a # and the year that it's good for,you slap it on your feeder and anybody that's hunting that feeder would be covered,there would be no printing fake ones off,they would be good from the 1st day until the last day of deer season

X3. Simplicity is always best.