My buddy says bullchit lol. He recently was ticketed for allegedly "Baiting deer" look these guys are on a feeding program and feed year round, but he still received a ticket for influencing/enticing or some horse chit like that lmao. He's fit to be tied

Pretty sure it's no different this year than the last few

100 yards and out of line of sight

Might be wrong though, wouldn't be first time

Feeders are 100 yards out of sight, and he knows he can beat it but it's still a bunch of money chit

Baiting law is ridiculous. A little different deal but a Friend of ours got nailed for hunting over a field that was top sewn with wheat before the rain last week.

My father-in-laws hunting partner got a $100.00 ticket a week ago for "hunting" over corn. I put "hunting" in parenthesis because the guy is 80 years old, on oxygen and won't even get out of his truck to walk to the shooting house. He pulls his truck right up to the food plot and sits there. Yes he has a gun and I guess is technically hunting but, in my opinion, it takes a sorry person to write an old man a ticket for something as trivial as that.

I used to be against it but my opinion has changed. Hunting over acorns, standing corn, fallen pears, etc. is the same as corn to me. For every deer that is killed over corn, 10 are fed during the lean months.

Damn I would have never dreamed that would be illegal. With this drought every dirt plot hunter is illegal. That is ridiculous and nit picky as I've ever heard.

This will keep on until somebody does take it to court and the court renders an opinion. That is what needs to happen. Either it is ok if it is 100 yards and out of sight or it isn't. But who has that kind of money.

Dove hunting?

I would assume they used feed wheat and it has an occasional corn kernel in it.

I'm always willing to beat on this dead horse.

While there are always two sides to every story, there is no mystery as to why so many hunters have such a low opinion of game wardens, if the above is accurate. I'm sure there are some good wardens out there, but ones like this give all a bad name.

"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 take deer or feral swine.
�Not within the line of sight� means being hidden from view by natural vegetation or terrain features"

So, "bait or feed" can be placed 100 yards away and out of the line of sight, and the reputable presumption is that it is not a lure or attractant on the area where the person in hunting. So, what "proof" could the Game Warden have that it is a lure or attraction?

If words have meaning, and I think they do, then the game warden is WRONG!!! I think any game warden should be fired or heavily fined for ticketing someone who is abiding by the regulation.

I'm glad your FIL is still going out, but doing what he was doing is considered hunting. At what age do we get a pass from a citation?

The "baiting" law is vague. Either make hunting over stuff - corn, rice, whatever - legal or not.

Baloney. One hunter out of 100 won't go put corn out after the season ends. Late February is when they would need it most.

That's why I'm not in favor of it. If they make baiting legal, then many food plots won't be planted and then the deer really won't have any extra to eat after the season goes out.

I actually agree on both counts. I never thought about food plots not getting planted. We would still plant, but I realize many wouldn't. And there's no way I'd put out corn after season.

How much benefit are the deer getting from foodplots right now?

killing deer over bait gets rid of all your deer, just ask Kansas, Oklahoma, GA, FL, Canada, etc. etc. All their deer are gone now.

I never thought about NOT planting, either. I guess there are a lot of hunters who will save money on seed and fertilizer for their green fields and invest in corn for baiting. Especially if they live close to their hunting area and can put out a bag or two each week during the season.

I'm not a betting man, but if I was I'd bet you on your statement of 100 hunters.

I believe you are wrong. Those that are serious in management and crazy over deer, want to know what deer remain on the property(ies) take a camera census after season, over corn.

God Bless,
David B.

You left out Texas. And we planted food plots as well as using timed feeders.

Baiting is allowed in Wisconsin, too. Limited amounts. They don't have any deer, either. All gone gone.

In Florida where baiting has been legal for many years, almost everyone feeds year round and plant summer and winter food plots. If you don't, your neighbors almost certainly do and will pull deer onto their property. Most just turn the duration and frequency down on their spin feeders to cut expenses and time filling feeders. Many also provide supplemental protein in troughs during the antler growing months. Just my opinion but I sure wish Alabama would just legalize it. People are going to do it no matter what. I believe legalizing it would level the playing field for law abiding hunters and stop the confusion.

I was told that a warden in Pickens country will stand at your feeder and look to see if he can see your stand. If so you get a ticket.

That is a little different than being in the stand and not being able to see the feeder. If might be that from your stand the leaves, trees or whatever block it and you cant make it out. I think it is a stupid rule. Either make it legal or illegal. The ambiguity of this law is intentional, so tickets could be written.

It seems everything the government is responsible for, from game laws to the tax code, has to be complicated.

When they passed this new 100 yard rule they opened up the flood gate and it�s completely on the �state� for doing so. It�s open now and completely ludicrous to be ticketing anyone. At this point, just say it�s legal and find something better to do with the wardens time.

There is enough corn being sold at the walmarks and co-ops already that I doubt anyone would even notice a change in the law.

You left out Texas.

Dr. B

Anyone who is supplemental feeding with just corn alone is doing it wrong anyway. Just legalize the chit and be done with it.

None, but do you really want to get into a debate about something that might happen just like this every 40 years?

Yall do realize without the corn, supplemental feeding, green fields, etc.....the deer will still live perfectly fine like they have for hundreds of years right?

I just like seeing pictures of them

40 years? My foodplots are gone by January every year.

My oaks don't produce every year, either. Seasonal food is just that. It wouldn't be any different if someone was feeding.

It's about money, plain and simple.

Making baiting completely legal would kill a lot of revenue from tickets. When it was completely illegal, not as many took the risk and, the ones that did were harder to find because every Tom, Dick and Harry wasn't baiting. The way it's written now, a lot more people will use corn. Much easier for warden's to find bait and then it's your word against his on whether you were breaking the 100 yard rule. It's a revenue generating, money racket.

The deer aren't going to starve to death during our super harsh Alabama winters, without a couple of 1/2 acre fields scattered around a club.

So make a law that feeders require a permit or something on them and charge 10$ per permit. Should make more money with that than writing tickets

Invest in shoe leather and smarts and stop bitching whining about damn corn, good grief.
Most private land that has a huntable population of deer is significantly better hunting even in the "lean" years than the pressured "public" lands(where corning/baiting would not be legal) for the vast majority of hunters.
Where does anything say hunting supposed to be easy??

My corn field has deer in it right now.

Just make all feeding grain illegal. Then maybe more people would actually learn how to hunt.

so the guy that puts in 40-60-80hrs a week working isn't as good a hunter as the guy who can go scout any time he wants?
What is wrong with it being easier? I thought it was about enjoying the experience all this time. I never knew I was supposed to make new hunters, women and kids be miserable and go days upon days scouting, seeing nothing and suffering through the cold.

Just because that's not how you hunt, doesn't mean you can belittle those that do.

hunt: verb: to pursue and kill (a wild animal) for sport or food.

There's nothing in there about how you do it. I'm not saying I'm for legalizing hunting over bait, but don't belittle someone just because they don't agree with what you think hunting should look like.

I don't know how to feel about this.
Please, someone explain to me how I should feel about this.

This, I will get serious about killing a big deer when the rut hits. In the meantime my focus is on taking my kids and it sure makes a difference when they can see deer. The kids are under same managment rules as the members so they seldom get to shoot but we enjoy sitting on a foodplot in a shooting house. I know its lazy but it works for the kids that what we do.

I agree. It's just a dang deer. If hunting over bait was legal I be sitting over a pile of corn in the morning with my kids and it's not because I'm lazy. On the places I have to hunt you are lucky to see a deer during the daylight hours......it doesn't matter how much shoe leather you invest.

More laws and fees, along with something else attached to hunting, is not the answer.

no chitt Clem.

IMO sitting over a feeder is no different than sitting on a planted corn plot/green field. Except that the law goes after the less fortunate man with no tractor, land, etc.... I have no tractor, 15 huntable acres and only able to hunt 6-8 days a year. Yes, I'm going to put the odds in my favor to take one deer. One deer. So call me a criminal.

What County?

What County?

This stuff would not be legal here -- http://www.evolved.com/dirt-bag.html


I put it out in front of cameras this summer and it was gone in days. It's great for camera work. Looks like dirt. Smells like molasses. Dirt ain't easy to find like yellow corn. Spread in a plot or here-there in the woods, unless you walk straight to it and see whatever's there, you won't know it's there.

IMO this would be like selling pot in cigarette packs with something added to hide the aroma.

Does anyone have a link or can paste the actual law and exactly what it says?

It was posted on the first page

it isn't a LAW, it's a regulation.

I like your style!!

Sorry, I just saw it. What exactly is the difference between a law and regulation?

regulation=passed by Commish
law=passed by state legislature

No, they won't but I don't plant 1/2 acre plots. I plant large plots that aren't over grazed.

James, tell your buddy to go to court and subpoena Chuck Sykes. Have is mouth piece ask Chuck these questions, "Mr. Sykes, did you state the feeding law was as written, 100 yards and out of sight, nothing more , nothing less" ? " Mr. Sykes, did you make the statement, you do not have an officer that can read a deer's mind"? Judge raps the gavel, case dismissed.

You've told me this before. I understand the definition as you say it. But what does it mean for a guy going to court? What is the difference if he doesn't pay the fine? Does a regulation violation go on his permenant record?

Oh, yeah? Well, don't get so distressed.
Did I happen to mention that I'm impressed?

#oldschool

Not trying to belittle anybody just making a point that hunting by scouting,studying trails,feeding and bedding areas is getting lost and replaced by dumping corn etc.
Hey some would see nothing wrong with putting out a huge glue trap to stick the deer then walk up to it and knock it on the head with a stick. But hey if its legal and you want to do it that way then by all means help yourself .Its your business.

Fred Bear used bait for hunting. He was pretty good with a bow, too.

Ole Fred. I saw a mounted bear he got with a bow. It was much taller than me. He definately had guts.

What am I missing here???

Nothing. Was just being silly. Carry on.

Fred can explain the details you were asking about.

"most" game violations will go on a record in that county, usually not on a statewide record.

No diff if you don't show or pay, a warrant will be issued by the court and served by the GW or the SO

What about a property where you can't put in a greenfield/summer plot but want to put a feeder in the most central part of the property to entice deer to hang around and move through your property and your closest stand is 200-300 yards from feeder? Would that be acceptable for the anti-bait crowd?

On pocket Ranger app, under hunting, then, rules and regs, then hunt over bait, it includes the language that was in the digest first year they promulgated the area feed regulation/definition IF AVAILIBLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE CASE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS HUNTING BY AID OF BAIT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DISTANCE OR HIDDEN FROM SIGHT STRUCTURE THAT WILL EXEMPT THEM FROM ARREST.

So, the only difference is who passed it: The legislature or the dictator. That's BS. We have no say with the dictator but can voice our opinions at the polls with legislature.

OK, continue on with the corn debate. My 2 cent: I don't care one way or the other.

IMO if you hunt private land hunt how you want and only thing to me that should be regulated is bag limits. Public land they can control whatever they want.

I heard him say the same thing about his officers not being able to read a deer's mind.

Very same night he said those things he told me there wouldn't be any February hunting in Jackson County too, so who knows what he'd say if pressed on anything.

No sir. It cost the agency more money to pay the officers to convict someone that we get in return. The fines go to the court, not our agency. We get a very small percentage of those fines. If you knew how much you'd say it wasn't even worth it to write one. That's why we are not funded by tickets.

This.

The only thing regulated should be bag limits on personal property. If you are on private land and want to put a couple deer in the freezer, i could not care less if you shot them off a corn pile at midnight. Your land should be yours. Too much private property regulation. Resources would be better invested tracking down road poachers and guys who shoot 50 deer a year and never eat the first one than looking for corn. Jmo.

Most folks I know do this anyway

Any LE entity that depends on fine money for sustaining their budget is in really bad shape to start with. On a $200+ ticket that an officer writes, the agency sees $10 or so. More goes into the Judicial Retirement fund to pay for the judges retirements than the agency sees. On top of that for a municipality the $10 goes into the city general fund budget and has to be budgeted again back to the agency. They may in reality, see none of the fine money. I've tried to explain this on here when discussing speed traps, etc. but people find this hard to believe.

Great Myths of Hunting

"Gotta be freezing weather to get 'the rut' going" ...

"Wildlife Agencies are just writing tickets for revenue" ...

"black panthers" ...

"corn is evil" ...

"It was free range in the big pen" ...

Maybe that was the intent of the regulation for those that had a supplemental feeding program versus those that want a pile of corn or bait just out of site and/or off the edge of the foodplot.

As I recall "hunting" over "bait" as defined by the State did not change. The only thing that changed was from the continual moaning from those that could not define what "area" was so they appealed to the almighty government to come up with a fix so they could work on how to be just as confused and beg the almighty government (you know the ones that they wanted to fix the first "problem") to "fix" their problem again! What will be the next problem that will need to be fixed be with more regulations and laws??

Shoe leather and smarts will kill a lot more deer than posting about how wrong it is not being able to bait deer on an internet thread. Just my 2 cents, carry on!

Nailed it. Especially the last one.

Starting and ending "shooting time."

Oh, wait.

I never said anything about any particular agency receiving any money, or where it was going at all for that matter. Regardless of where it goes, it's generating revenue for someone, somewhere.

All game violations are filed in the District court in the county where the offense occurred and reported statewide via Alacourt (which is a subscription access database that your Supreme Court sold to a private corporation for a song)

There not doing it for the money, there just being Richard heads. Reminds me of this guy at work the other day talking about hunting bears on TV and they put out honeybuns, said it just wasn't right. I asked him how would he hunt them. He couldn't answer.The baiting law is stupid, just like having to wear hunters orange on private property, if I walk in and out in the dark what difference does it make. Game wardens should have to wear orange too, they always crying about officer safety.

Ive never understood the orange on private property but oh well. I'm glad we are not required to wear it in stand. That's just about plain dumb. But I don't see the big deal on orange on private property. I'm pretty sure a deer won't be holding a flash light.

Orange is not required while you are in the stand.

http://www.eregulations.com/alabama/guide/hunting-laws-regulations-information/

Hunters are not required to wear hunter orange when hunting from a stand �elevated twelve (12) feet or more from the ground, when hunting in an enclosed box stand, when �traveling in an enclosed vehicle, or when traveling on foot no more than twenty (20) feet �directly between an operating enclosed vehicle and a stand where the hunter is exempt from the hunter orange requirement.

I've heard that explanation before, but...

I guess I look at it a little differently. The officers are getting paid anyway, right? Regardless of whether or not they write tickets, they are getting paid. So what additional expense is there for an officer going to court vs an officer going to the woods? None, as far as I can tell, since his salary is funded in way other than tickets.

So, the agency has money for salaries from another source plus any additional funds that come in to the agency through fines, no matter how small a percentage, thus, the agency has more money based on the number of tickets, and ultimately the amount of the fines that are paid.

In other words:
Agency funding from another source (whether tickets are written or not) + percentage of fine money = Total funding for agency

Therefore, the more money brought in by fines, the more money the agency has.

What am I missing???

Your missing that fines are not the incentive for writing tickets,enforcement is

I'm not missing that at all. I know that is their claim.

What is the reality though? Do fines increase their budget? Yes. Do fines increase their budget even if they say it is not an incentive? Yes.

The mere fact that they say the salaries are funded by some other means shows that the wardens will get paid whether they write tickets or not. They can't claim that it "cost" them to go to court when no additional funds are required. They get paid if they go to court or go to the woods or go to the coffee shop.

THEREFORE, since they are getting paid anyway, the percentage of money they get from the fines is in addition to the salary money and INCREASES their budget.

Anyone can say anything, but I can assure you that agencies try to maximize their budgets.

Years ago, an ex Auburn coach, Eddie Gran had a place next to us. He has a special needs daughter. She has since passed. Kid wanted to kill a deer in the worst way. Eddie set up a blind and yes, put some corn out. GW wrote him a ticket while the kid is there crying in a wheelchair. He broke the law, yes, but dam, can't you look the other way sometimes.

Of course not. Government has to get involved, create board and count dead deer. Then there's paperwork, ect... silly you.

Probably a bammer fan officer pissed about 6 in a row.

That works until your neighbor kills the 11 point you've had on camera for 2 years at Midnight, over a corn pile...lol

I refuse to believe he would cheat like that {sarcasm}

Ha... actually I think you are correct. Jeff Brown. Tallapoosa County

I wouldn't of wrote that ticket.

I don't know many that would. I actually think there was a bit of a pissing contest going on. I really do believe Jeff was a rabid Alabama fan and was out to get Eddie. The kid passed away a little while later and Eddie sold the place. It was a bad deal.

In all my years on the job I never had any pressure put to me to write more tickets...by anyone. I had Capts send me to areas of complaints to work, esp on nighthunting.

Montgomery sent out a notice for us to concentrate on working bait one time. Before you think this is pressure to write more tickets, know that bait cases are prolly the most time consuming violation to work. They eat up the 40 hr clock...making it harder to make other cases.

Personally I felt that my job was to gain compliance with the laws/regs by whatever means worked. If education worked, then good. If I could talk to someone and get them to comply, well that was good. Some folks needed to be ticketed, some hardheads needed to be ticketed a LOT, some needed to go to jail. A couple went to prison. It was all about compliance to me.

We were never under any kind of quota on number of cases to make. In fact I had pressure from some to reduce the number of cases I made. WTH?

Actually going to court DOES reduce the number of cases one could make. Court costs time, time off the 40 hr work week. Time that could of been used to make more cases...so loss of income to the Dept. See how that works??

That's good to know. I don't know you, never met you, but it sounds like you were a pretty reasonable guy. I think/hope that is the case with most, yet sometimes the encounters that others have had, leaves me scratching my head.

In the late '90s I was duck hunting with a group of guys. We had a banner day and killed 41 ducks: mallard hens/drakes, gads, bluebills, the works. Everyone met back at the truck and threw all the ducks into a pile, stood around catching up, etc.

Game warden pulls up. How y'all doing, looks like a good morning. No, don't need to see licenses or such. And then this:

"Who's ducks are these?"

We stood there looking around like "Duh, ours you dingdong." Someone finally said, "Ours" and everyone kinda laughed.

"No, which ones in this pile are yours," and he pointed to one of us. "Which ones are yours, and yours, and yours?"

He was firm but informative, letting us know that because they weren't separated he had know knowledge of whether someone shot 18 or two, or 10 mallard hens or none, and although the big pile looked cool for photos and such that it wasn't a good idea.

Instead of citations, which he could have written, that education lesson still lingers and always will. He didn't shirk his duty, IMO. He made the best lasting impact in that situation.

2 sides to every story,when someone posts a GW story.you are just hearing 1 side. Every one wears their own unique set of rose colored glasses. Just saying

.

Agree with that. My dad was good friends with Warden Don Herring down here when I was growing up. The stories of "what really happened" seldom matched up with the story the perpetrator was telling.

thats the dang truth....

Clem, I checked some duck hunters one morning with a pile of ducks in the boat. Back when there was was a point system. I told em to sort out who killed what. After 8 er 10 tries I told one of em to claim the extra ducks and we'd settle on that.

If there weren't hunters there wouldn't be the $ for game wardens. Some game wardens need to realize that their livelihood is 100% dependent on hunters.

I've had 3 citations in my 52 years. I was in the wrong on all 3. Game Warden was as nice as could be. First one was when I was 16.

The point system definitely could make a guy think about pulling the trigger and double-check on the gender/species, for sure.

Was on another hunt one morning when we had a banner day. No one wanted the ducks, which pissed me off because we spent several hours in the blinds and they were just going to dump them, I guess. No one even said "I know a guy who will take them." Made me mad as hell.

I took home a garbage bag of probably 30+ ducks and spent an afternoon cleaning and packaging all of them. Still pisses me off that they did that.

a buddy and I killed a pile of ducks one morning, seems like it was 17 er 18 ducks, all 10 pointers except a crippled hen mallard I killed when picking up the decoys. I had em at the house, fixing to take em to my duck cleaning lady, Estelle. My Capt drove up to talk about something and kept eyeing that pile of ducks. I finally told him to sort em out so he wouldn't pop a gasket. LOL Two legal limits.

A gaggle of 10-pointers made for a good morning ...

If there is a question you have about a hunting situation that you can't get a straight answer from your game warden, what is the number in Montgomery that you can call to speak with someone?

334-242-3465 and ask for Law Enforcement

The "flaw" in the regulation is the regulation itself.

It should have never been implemented.

If they wanted to clarify "area" for purposes of the *statute* they should have just said 400 yards. If you are hunting and their is corn within 400 yards boom your are in violation of the *statute* that prohibits hunting with aid of corn.

By implementing the 100 yard rule they *intentionally* created a situation *inviting* hunters to purposely fudge with hunting over/with aid of/use of corn - albeit at a distance of 100 yards and one inch and just behind a bush, tree or dip in the ground.

Let me give you a scenario that happened to a buddy a few years ago and get your thoughts. He was in an elevated shooting house, had taken his orange hat off. Hunting over a place where corn had been. No corn had been added for 10 days but there were still some husks laying around. Anyway GW comes up (same one I mentioned above) and calls him from the house. He leaves his gun and orange hat and meets the GW at the feeding spot. They argue over whether or not there's bait. GW writes citation for hunting over bait, and citation for no orange..... (again, he left his hat and gun in the shooting house). Now let me say this, knowing the guy, there was probably some smart arse remarks made... Opinion?

corn ticket I don't know, wern't there

orange ticket, bs IF the gun was left in the shooting house. Dosen't matter the smart arse remarks, stilll should not of written the orange ticket.

Ole Jeff didn't care who he wrote a ticket too. My aunt and uncle were his neighbor and he wrote a friend of theirs a ticket on their pier. He took his grand kids down to fish and he was just helping them out baiting hooks and taking fish off. He told my aunt he was gonna shoot her lab with a BB gun for getting in his trash. She is a dog nut and went ballistic he said it won't hurt them. She told him to let her shoot him with it and see if it hurt. Lol.