Baiting Bill HB1618/SB1942

[Bull_TN]

Nope. Unless it was illegal baiting (which would be impossible to prove) as it started in SW TN just across the line where there theoretically was no baiting, spread like wildfire and then spilled over into MS.

It being spread to small outbreaks (1 or 2 isolated cases 10s or 100s of miles away) is from hunters moving contaminated carcasses or it arises de novo on the landscape.

I don't really think baiting will cause CWD to migrate/ spread geographically. I do think baiting will increase positivity rates in an endemic area, however.

I agree hunters moving around carcasses is a big problem. I also think these high fence deer farms moving around live deer that interact with deer through the fence are a big part of the spread of CWD too. Even if you don't believe the "through the fence" spread, contaminated deer in high fence farms are putting CWD on the land to be spread.

 

[Snake]

They did address it. Texas mandates that any corn sold as wildlife feed must be tested and certified aflatoxin free. Baiting with non-cert corn in Texas is illegal. And they're strict about it. You can't buy non-cert corn there because it isn't sold.

Since TX keeps coming up, a better question would be if baiting and aflatoxins aren't that big a deal then why would TX go to such lengths to protect their wildlife resources from it? My guess is because all that money & research commanded it. Unlike TN, TX is loaded to the hilt with professional game ranches. Their wildlife is their living, a major industry in west & south TX that employs a significant portion of the population whether directly or in support of. I lived in Del Rio for a year and spent plenty time in Uvalde. Hunting ranches absolutely rule the economy. Baiting is an enormous part of selling hunts, yet aflatoxic mold in corn damages the wildlife they are selling. It was a conundrum they had to find a solution to. The economy literally depended on it. So they outlawed toxic corn and are very serious about enforcing it.

Furthermore, TX is by far & large a pretty arid state with significantly less rainfall than TN. On corn that is already tested to be free of aflatoxin mold, it's significantly less likely to acquire the mold even when poured on the ground. It gets poured out dry and it stays dry, dry enough to not mold. That isn't the case here in TN. Pour corn out tonight and it might have mold on it by morning. It's really hard to draw comparison between the two states in any way that relates to baiting.

Then if it passes here they can do the same thing here , right ?

 

[Bull_TN]

Private landowners still do not own the "public" animals on their property

I'm clear on the animals being public property, but the conversation is about bait. I think you should be able to do what you want to manage your property, plant a crop/food plot, scatter corn, hinge cut trees, put out mineral, etc.

 

[MidTennFisher]

Try to remember what you all say please . You say deer rarely come to a bait station then you say it will pull all the deer from public so which is it ? So say what you mean please. . And for the record " no one owns the deer " they are wildlife.

I don't recall saying deer rarely come to bait piles. They are easy as heck to kill over bait piles.

Mature bucks tend to wisen up to them pretty quickly and visit them mostly at night. They get killed over corn during the rut when they're acting foolishly chasing does in the daylight that are hitting the corn.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Then if it passes here they can do the same thing here , right ?

Yes but: "TX is by far & large a pretty arid state with significantly less rainfall than TN. On corn that is already tested to be free of aflatoxin mold, it's significantly less likely to acquire the mold even when poured on the ground. It gets poured out dry and it stays dry, dry enough to not mold. That isn't the case here in TN. Pour corn out tonight and it might have mold on it by morning. It's really hard to draw comparison between the two states in any way that relates to baiting"

 

[Snake]

I don't recall saying deer rarely come to bait piles. They are easy as heck to kill over bait piles.

Mature bucks tend to wisen up to them pretty quickly and visit them mostly at night. They get killed over corn during the rut when they're acting foolishly chasing does in the daylight that are hitting the corn.

Didn't specifically say you but revisit some of the posts please .

 

[MidTennFisher]

Didn't specifically say you but revisit some of the posts please .

Well you quoted me haha. So it seemed like you were implying I said it!

 

[DoubleRidge]

I think you should be able to do what you want to manage your property, plant a crop/food plot, scatter corn, hinge cut trees, put out mineral, etc.

I agree...unless the management practice can cause harm to wildlife...aflatoxin is deadly to baby turkey poults and songbirds.

Example in CWD zone...no feeding or putting minerals out on private land. Why?
Because it concentrates deer and can increase the spread of disease.

Whats best for wildlife?

 

[Snake]

Well you quoted me haha. So it seemed like you were implying I said it!

Sorry for that I apologize . Maybe I quoted your posts for another statement . Did you say the deer belonged to the public ? If so that's why.

 

[Gravey]

My hunting habit is expensive enough without adding keeping feeders full of corn. Seriously though we have a couple of feeders we run in the summer with cameras on them and I think it's 8-900 lbs to fill them all.

 

[MidTennFisher]

Sorry for that I apologize . Maybe I quoted your posts for another statement . Did you say the deer belonged to the public ? If so that's why.

Yea absolutely. All wildlife belongs to the public. So I wouldn't support someone engaging in a practice on public or private land that has such harmful effects on wildlife overall. Such as baiting.

 

[Ski]

Then if it passes here they can do the same thing here , right ?

Yes and no. Yes they could do the same here but it wouldn't be the effective solution it is in TX because climatic differences prevent it. It's too wet in TN to prevent mold, so beginning with mold free corn wouldn't stay mold free the way it does in TX.

The major difference between TN and TX hunting culture is that here it's a tradition, past time, hobby, recreation. In TX it's how people earn a living. It's literally their job. They sell hunts. Even if you are a car hop at Sonic you are indirectly participating in a hunting economy because that's where the customers' money comes from. As such TX has a very real financially driven purpose for scientifically managing their wildlife. Hunters' personal opinions don't matter there. They follow the science and invest a lot of money in that continued science. And the science shows that corn is dangerous. But they also really depend on baiting. They can't afford to quit baiting. So the solution was to make corn safe. Being an arid environment that is an option they have that TN does not.

TN by contrast is not a hunting economy. We're a fart in the wind in terms of our contribution to the economy. There is no big money to research and find a solution to allow baiting. We only have personal opinions of hunters, half of which appear to either refuse to acknowledge the issues with it or don't care. Simply put our climatic conditions and hunting culture is completely different than in TX so it's foolhardy to believe the same solution is suitable.

My thoughts are that why do it at all? TX has skin in the game with something tangible to gain. They recognize it has risk an have effectively mitigated/minimized it because the gain is worth it. TN can't say that. We've nothing to gain and everything to lose. So why do it at all?

 

[Snake]

Yea absolutely. All wildlife belongs to the public. So I wouldn't support someone engaging in a practice on public or private land that has such harmful effects on wildlife overall. Such as baiting.

Go try to trap a deer and see what happens if you get caught . They belong to the no one especially not people (public) they are "wildlife " .

 

[Doskil]

I should point out the bill applies to all species that can be hunted not just deer

And no exemptions for CWD

It would allow baiting bears and turkeys if I'm reading it right

 

[DoubleRidge]

I should point out the bill applies to all species that can be hunted not just deer

And no exemptions for CWD

It would allow baiting bears and turkeys if I'm reading it right

Yeah...would be a disaster if it passed.

State Rep I contacted doubts the bill will ever make it out of committee to the floor...hope hes right.

 

[Hawk103161]

The "it's private property" argument doesn't hold water. Wildlife is owned by the public, not by a private land owner.

By the "it's private property" argument, should landowners be able to shoot deer at night with a Q beam, kill hen turkeys in June, and kill ducks in March? None of those would be good decisions for wildlife. Nor is baiting.

Ok #1 your comparing poaching to feeding them. That's not even close although people do that too. There is NO WAY the a pile of corn does the same damage as poaching. No way.... #2 Private property does hold water. I don't care what you do on your land. Why should you care what I do on mine? Wildlife is "owned" by the public as long as it's public land. They come on mine they belong to me for however long they are here. That's why the game laws cover ALL property not just public. Just to be straight I voted "I don't care". Private is Private. As has been expressed through this whole discussion there are exceptions to everything. I live in Knox county. How in the heck could me doing whatever here effect say Benton, Humphries, Madison ETC. Etc. in West Tennessee. The TWRA declares the Tennessee river as the break for CWD zone. I've seen many Deer swim lakes around here that's way wider than the Tennessee. So what the heck... Just like @FTP said it's about a Narrative that is presented.

 

[Ski]

Actually you do not own the animals while they're on your property. Ask any game warden that question and you'll get the same answer every time. Private or public you are beholden to game laws. Period.

 

[scn]

Ok #1 your comparing poaching to feeding them. That's not even close although people do that too. There is NO WAY the a pile of corn does the same damage as poaching. No way.... #2 Private property does hold water. I don't care what you do on your land. Why should you care what I do on mine? Wildlife is "owned" by the public as long as it's public land. They come on mine they belong to me for however long they are here. That's why the game laws cover ALL property not just public. Just to be straight I voted "I don't care". Private is Private. As has been expressed through this whole discussion there are exceptions to everything. I live in Knox county. How in the heck could me doing whatever here effect say Benton, Humphries, Madison ETC. Etc. in West Tennessee. The TWRA declares the Tennessee river as the break for CWD zone. I've seen many Deer swim lakes around here that's way wider than the Tennessee. So what the heck... Just like @FTP said it's about a Narrative that is presented.

100% wrong about game belonging to you if it is on your land.

 

[MidTennFisher]

Ok #1 your comparing poaching to feeding them. That's not even close although people do that too. There is NO WAY the a pile of corn does the same damage as poaching. No way.... #2 Private property does hold water. I don't care what you do on your land. Why should you care what I do on mine? Wildlife is "owned" by the public as long as it's public land. They come on mine they belong to me for however long they are here. That's why the game laws cover ALL property not just public. Just to be straight I voted "I don't care". Private is Private. As has been expressed through this whole discussion there are exceptions to everything. I live in Knox county. How in the heck could me doing whatever here effect say Benton, Humphries, Madison ETC. Etc. in West Tennessee. The TWRA declares the Tennessee river as the break for CWD zone. I've seen many Deer swim lakes around here that's way wider than the Tennessee. So what the heck... Just like @FTP said it's about a Narrative that is presented.

Correct what you do in your county in East TN won't have much affect on wildlife in West TN but that isn't the point. The point is the negative effect that baiting will have on the wildlife around you, which is fully negative, and that is why bait should stay illegal.

 

[Hawk103161]

100% wrong about game belonging to you if it is on your land.

100% right... You trying to tell me I can't kill a deer on my property that goes between other properties....I can't kill squirrels dove, Crows Starlings Coyotes because they belong to you... LMAO.... Let me tell you this They belong to me till I s**t 'em out.