I have a question. I understand the 100yd and out of sight rule for using bait. My question is how does that apply to the neighboring property owner that isn’t putting it out and is unaware of it when hunting. If the bait is 10 yds across from my property and fence line on the neighbors side will I be the be charged with hunting over bait even though I’m on my property with no knowledge of the bait but only 60yds away? I fear that what one property owner does within legal right can affect another legal hunter illegally.

If it's not on my property, I don't really have a way of knowing about it.

It would depend on the game warden yes he could ticket you for it the law doesn't say anything about property lines only if it's within 100 yards or in your line of sight past 100. I wouldn't worry about it to much wardens usually pretty good about figuring out who's doing what

I understand what you are saying but is that how a warden will view it also?

Not to split hairs but technically, baiting deer is still illegal in AL. The 100 yds and out of sight was approved for Supplemental feeding. 70% of Alabama hunters were already hunting over corn anyway so they readily viewed the supplemental feeding rule passed by the "high fence CAB" as justification that what they were doing was now legal as long as it was 100 yds away and out of sight. Baiting to assist with harvest is still not approved in any way in Alabama.

The way our GW explained it to me was that if he felt that the feed was placed there to influence deer movement so as to assist the hunter in harvesting the animal, he was going to write the ticket. We dont allow supplemental feeding on our property during the season for that reason alone.

It's really just going to depend on his mood and what kind of evidence he can find if you're 50 yards away over a property line facing the opposite direction in thick woods. Or are you 50 yards away over a property line in a clear cut looking right at it.

writing a ticket and proving the charge in a court room are two different things. If you can prove its over 100 yards and out of line of sight thats the law regardless. I've had a warden in montgomery tell me the exact opposite 2 of them were eating at the stockyard cafe back when they changed it up I couldn't help but to ask and they told me that as long as it's 100 yards or more it could be on the other side of a tree as long as you can't see it he couldn't write a ticket.

I've wondered the same thing this year. We have new neighbors at my hunting place and they set out a feeder in their front yard. We asked about it in passing and they said the like to watch them in the evenings... Front yard is fine; My stand is well beyond 100yrds from there anyway. But, what if they put out a feeder right on the line, close to my stand? One stand is about 60yrds from the line.

Here's a direct quote from Sykes on the issue.

“But a supplemental-feeding program is totally different than baiting. With supplemental feeding, you’re doing it for the wildlife. With baiting, you’re being selfish and trying to kill something instead of getting out and hunting. That’s just being lazy, and it’s against the law.”

It's completely arbitrary in my book the way that the game laws are written, you have this clarification as to proximity but the actual law, as written, still says that baiting is illegal and also defines baiting. Until it is challenged in court and the state looses, there is not definitive answer. It's up the warden and it's up the judge you're brought up before. It all depends on which part of the game law he wants to interpret as being applicable to your case. When they defined area, they should have removed or revised the illegal baiting language but they did not. Both are now the "law" and they contradict each other.

I've got a feeder flinging corn just over the neighbor's side everyday at 16:00. I couldn't quite figure out what the sound was until after the season was over. Not sure how far away it is but I just use it to my advantage on my side.

You will get ticket if you are aware of bait. GW's always say people put bait across the line so that they can say its not their bait.

Had a neighbor ask me was this still applicable if the feeder was in a pasture with livestock?

"there shall be a rebuttable presumption that any bait or feed located beyond 100 yards and not within the line of sight of the hunter, is not a lure or attractant on the area where the hunter is attempting to or taking deer or feral swine."

The important bit here: Rebuttable - is an assumption made by a court, one that is taken to be true unless someone comes forward to contest it and PROVE otherwise.

If you take it to court, you won't pay the fine. Unless the game warden has pictures/video of you spreading 50 lbs of corn the day before and spreading molasses over it and coming back the next morning, you should be good.

No that is the regulation, not lthe law. The law says no baiting.

You could ask 5 different wardens and prob get 5 different interpretations.

And there is the problem. You need to talk to your game warden in your area and ask specific questions on their interpretations..

Doesn't matter. "Your" game warden may not even show up that day and another one does. You should be able to ask any game warden in the state the same question and get the same answer across the board no matter what it is.

Amen , everything should be cut and dry , not to some joe blows " disgression.

My old landowner received a ticket (about 15 years ago) for what u are referring to. Gw told him u should've known you're hunting near bait! Landowner asked him oh really how is that, it's 30 yards over on his property, and i would have had to trepass to know it was there lol. Case was throwed out quick, but he still had to deal with the hassle of going to court...

Call your local warden, invite him out & let him decide what is best.