Hunting Planted Fields

If you are hunting a property that does off season supplemental feeding planting their fields in spring; is it a "baiting" problem hunting on or near the freshly sown fields?

I can't think of any spring plantings that are acceptable for top sowing, so I'm assuming you are referencing seed that has been placed in the ground and covered with soil. It shouldn't be a problem. Normal agricultural practice.

Kinda what I thought; the fields did attract birds

sounds like a good problem to have

What are they planting? I'm gonna get some plots ready for spring.

I was thinking the same thing and will find out; I was a guest at a property in Coosa county called Briarpatch.

I was told they were planting peas, wheat, corn and sunflowers.

"Plant" around the end of February and when they don't make it "plant" again the first week of march?

I'd take that planting advice and run with it.

Dr. B

Had a "buddy" show up to hunt a turkey only lease one time and the land owner had top sown a wheat field.

What about milo/grain sorghum? Tiny seed, warm season crop. I've top sowed it before with good results. Never hunted over the seed though.

According to my friendly neighborhood game warden, if it's not 100% covered and the field is not over one acre in size, it is bait and you will be ticketed.

Interesting; where do we find the one acre statute?
And, how far away is required by statute?

Sounds like an ass hole. I'm in Lee county did you speak with a he or she gw?

The one acre part is a complete fabrication. Funny when they do that, but not cool.

I bet 80% of food plots are under and acre.

IMO, it would need to follow recommended agricultural practice. Planting peas or corn in February would likely be illegal as that's not recommended. April could be a different story entirely.

Lot of corn planted in March in AL...

Wheat can be top sown literally any time

Yeah, but no legitimate farmer top sows wheat in March. That's what makes it "illegal" to hunt over.

HE is. He is the same one who has been discussed in this forum before for questionable ticketing. From what I've seen he likes to "interpret" things in his own way. Some people love him, some people hate him, I just don't trust him so I don't push it.

I'm totally not trying to be a smartass...but if I had a field that I had burned down in order to plant corn or something and then decided not to plant corn for whatever reason...and had a load of wheat sitting in the barn and then decided to top sow the field with wheat to cut for hay..can a GW (who isn't a farmer) really tell me what I'm doing isn't "legitimate" and give me a ticket for hunting over a "baited" field that is really and truly planted in a crop?

Short answer, yes

How is it up to him how big a field should be before normal agricultural practices come into play? Sounds like he needs a healthy dose of sticking it square up his ass. And rotating...

April 15th is considered the last frost date by most, i don't plant any spring plantings before then. You can plant anything whenever you like and plant it any way you like, you just can't hunt over it, legally.

Yes, he can. He can't tell you how to be a farmer, but when you're hunting over it there's a standard operating procedure.