Me and a group of guys lease a few different tracts of property around Marengo. One of the guys' family owns a couple of acres with a house on it that we use for the camp and he also just recently bought a 30 acre piece of property with a worn out house, a couple of stocked ponds and a big 20 acre open field. This will eventually be turned into a much nicer camp than we have now, but for now we just use it to play around on, mess around with the ponds, etc.

We did plant part of the field this year and there is a shooting house and a lock-on around the field. Nobody has hunted there this year yet and in all likelihood if anyone does even hunt it, it won't be until January. We've had corn put out in the corner of the field off and on since August...not all the time, but if we think about it we'll throw a sack of corn out and put the camera on it just to keep an eye on what we've got making a visit. Other than there and behind our current camp, we haven't put out a lick of corn since 2 weeks before bow season opened.

A little while back we got a picture of the game warden standing there where there was maybe a pound of corn left from where we put it out probably 2 weeks previous...he obviously saw the corn and the lock-on, not really sure if he saw the camera.

My question is, how many man hours and dollars have been wasted staking out this place that we don't even hunt waiting for us to come hunt it...and how many poachers and criminals have not been caught while they've been wasting their time waiting on us? They would have no way of knowing that anyone was hunting there at any given time unless they were watching it or if they just happened to drop in randomly. Pretty sad really that that's how the game wardens choose to spend their time, chasing around piles of corn.

I think I'm gonna go drop another sack or two of corn out there and stick a big sign up saying "Dear Mr. Game Warden, we do not plan on breaking any baiting related laws by hunting here within 10 days of corn being here but if you do choose to stake us out you are welcome to go sit in the house. Or if you would like to chat, feel free to call this phone #" and leave the number.

I would call him and tell him exactly what you just typed. There is no way for him to know that you guys are straight up without checking you out but a call and maybe meet up would go a long way.

Why not just give them a call or drop them an email?

DISTRICT V
Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw,
Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia,
Marengo, Mobile, Monroe,
Washington, Wilcox
30571 Five Rivers Blvd
Spanish Fort, AL 36527
(251) 626-5474
email: dcnr.d5wff@dcnr.alabama.gov

If you want the illegals to get caught then call the game wardens and tell them your intentions so he doesn't have to worry about your corn piles. It would also help in the future if you need to call on them for help.

1st off, I'm not the land owner so it's not my decision...but I just happen to know the land owner pretty dang well and he ain't gonna call the wardens to try and explain why there's corn out on his property.

2nd, it's not really mine/ours obligation to make sure the game wardens focus is where it really needs to be.

3rd, you really think the game wardens are going to change their mind about why there's corn on the property just b/c we call and explain the situation?

1. call the GW and tell him ya got his pic, ya'll ain't hunting there

2. the GW is doing his job, and he works for the people of the State of Alabama and yes you do have an obligation to "help"

3. when I was working I would of listened to ya and not had to worry about that place anymore

call him or quit bitching about him "wasting time" and missing true outlaws....

troy

When you call him make sure to tell him you are from Florida.

Actually, what I'm really bitching about is that he's having to enforce a stupid Alabama law about no baiting...it's not his fault, I understand that.

Rebelman - what does being from Florida have to do with it...besides the fact that we can bait down here and it doesn't make any difference in how easy or not easy it is to kill deer?

If you want to bait and kill a deer over a pile of corn hunt in Florida. Otherwise, I would take BhamFred's advice!

I'm surprised you got a picture of the game warden. Maybe he didn't see the camera? I had a similar situation where a game warden had been on my property numerous times, because of bait, but I didn't have any pictures of him on my cameras. He told me he had a way to delete them? I don't know if he was just pulling my leg or what. I guess he could have pulled the sd card out and erased all of the pictures. Maybe he could have used a magnet or some other device to erase all the pictures without opening the camera? I don't know. I was never suspicious of my cameras, but I could tell someone had been walking around.
I did not plan to hunt the property any more that year, so I filled up my feeder and put corn in front of my cameras. Another neighbor told me he saw the game warden parked near the property line several times. When I talked with the game warden, he led me to believe another neighbor reported me for hunting over bait. He made it seem like they don't just walk all over someone's hunting property unless they have a reason. He said he covers two counties, so I would think it would be unlikley to have a game warden discover a bait pile unless it was very obvious, like a feeder seen from the road, or someone reported it.

Until it changes, he'll pursue what he needs to pursue and you'll just have to live with it.

I don't like having to come to a complete stop at stop signs when there isn't another vehicle around anywhere. But if the po-po sees me roll through it then he's probably going to stop me and write the citation.

If it was me, I'd make the call just to touch base and make him aware of your intentions. He'll do what he wants with the info from there...

Can't speak for all GW's, but I for one am glad for and appreciate them. In my experiance they are efficient, helpful, and even creative in their work. If y'all are not huntin over bait, you ain't got a thing to worry about. If you are, and you get caught, well then, you got a big problem.

My vote is for leaving the note on the corn. I bet you would never have any more problems from the game wardens after that.

Spot on

Don't feed the Trolls.

I will always support banning hunting over corn in Alabama. I will also support banning Florida people from hunting in Alabama. Do you think we could get that passed next year?

You referring to me toothdoc? I don't think I've done anything to troll...I've just shared an experience and an opinion (and apparently a lot of folks thought I asked for advice on how to handle it when in fact I did not, although I don't mind them sharing it with me)

wmd - I did just that and I found some contact info of yours in the classified section and used that instead of mine, hope you don't mind...although I'm not sure why you are insinuating that I would have problems with the game warden when I am doing nothing illegal.

leroy - you couldn't afford a hunting license if they banned out of state folks from hunting in Alabama. Plus, I was born and raised and lived in Birmingham for 30 years of my life, so I think I have plenty of right to hunt in YOUR state.

Why just corn?

Why not 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 ???

Do you oppose hunting over food plots that were planted as a lure, attraction or enticement for hunting?

Do you oppose hunting over salt, even if it is white or has Trophy Rock on the label?

Do you oppose the DCNR giving people permission to break this law to hunt hogs, deer or coyotes if you sign an agreement on their permit not to break this law while the DCNR is charged with the duty of enforcing this law?

Compare the language of the law to the AG Opinion and tell me if you think our legislature meant for "green patches" planted solely to attract game for hunting to be legal, or for white salt or Trophy Rock salt blocks to be legal to use as an attractant for hunting:

Law that was written and passed by our Legislauture in 1951 and ammended in 1991:




Link to the opinion written by an assistant to the AG in 1983:
AG Opinion written by staff member, 1983