Barry,
I appreciate and agree with your position on most issues but this isn't a high fence or large land issue. This is a "horrible law" that is not clear that put honest hunters in jeopardy if they want to supplemental feed during hunting season. The problem is their are many people from all different walks of the hunting community that believe it is past time "area" needs to be defined, they have had it with a game warden or Montgomery or a judge trying to interpret the law for them. The law needs to be common sense and needs to define area, that is what SB 346 is about. This is a supplemental feeding bill. IF you can't shoot over it, it's not bait in my opinion. As far as the year round requirement is concerned there is no reason to go there. You can already supplemental feed outside of hunting season. Its the "area" issue during hunting season that is the problem.
As far as anyone wanting to take tour of Dream Ranch or coming and seeing deer, we give 100's of free tours a year and welcome visitors.
I don't really see where the CAB or Dan Moultrie applies to this in response to Mr. Crockett comments.
The example by Blessed is another reason this issue has gotten so cloudy, and their is a lot of support for this bill.
I think you might be missing the point that some are making. This bill is at least "perceived" by so many as a baiting bill that you have strong support and strong opposition. Your opinion that this is truly just a bill to define area and has nothing to do with baiting is not shared by many.
The reason a lot of people would want to see the bill mandate year around feeding is b/c this bill will significantly increase the use of feeders and corn during JUST hunting season. Not trying to be smart but step out of your box for a minute and pretend you are in a club and the $1000 per year dues are already killing you wallet. Now introduce this bill and what would you do? start feeding 12 months out of the year or just bait during hunting season? You might also have to make the decisions to quit planting foodplots or plant fewer foodplots b/c after spending $200 per feeder, plus permit, plus feed you've run out of seed money. If this bill wasn't perceived as a baiting bill then these concerns wouldn't exist. By the way, not feeding probably really isn't an option if you want to keep your members, assuming your neighbors are baiting.
You have to understand that very few landowners can afford to feed 12 months out of the year plus establish and maintain foodplots. I'm not in a club and my family is fortunate enough to own land but we don't need to feed deer out of feeders 12 months out of the year or 9 months out of the year. Through native browse, acorns and foodplots and killing does we have plenty of food year round and our deer are in excellent shape. If the bill is passed those of us that don't have fences will have to make a choice to bait or not bait. If neighbors bait and we don't they have an advantage. If we all bait we all spend more money and no one has an advantage, so what's the point?
This is why it's my opinion that those that hunt in a fence shouldn't try to make changes for people that don't hunt in a fence.
