Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Am I alone in not supporting the baiting bill?

You are not alone. There are ample biological and ethical grounds for prohibiting hunting over bait. But my opinion is of little consequence. Only a few key facts matter at this point. One fact is that the special interest forces in Alabama are now aligned to legalize baiting. Power brokers finally have enablers in key positions to make it happen. Another fact is that baiting opens Pandora's Box. Baiting can serve as a gateway to high fences, breeder pens, tagged bucks sold by the B&C inch, and a perceived commoditizing of deer. And this leads to the most sobering fact. That is, the future of hunting will be decided by the non-hunting public. Public support of hunting is highest when game is taken for food, and it is lowest when game is taken for "sport" or "trophy" or via "canned hunts." If non-hunters reach a tipping point where they no longer support hunting, it will be taken from us. We should all let that soak in.

The moral of the story is: Be careful what you ask for. We must conduct ourselves in a way that increase public support of hunting, rather than erodes public support. Non-hunters are watching us. And their opinions matter as much or more than ours.