GEORGIA BAITING BILL

[bama]

I read the below article yesterday.

Legislators Pass Baiting Bill Only the Governor's signature stands between legalized baiting for Southern Zone deer hunters. By GON Staff Posted Thursday April 14 2011, 1:28 PM The Georgia House of Representatives voted today, April 14, the final day of the legislative session, to approve House Bill 277, the "Baiting Bill."

The only remaining step before HB 277 becomes law is the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal.

The Baiting Bill will allow Southern Zone hunters to hunt deer and hogs over bait with no distance requirements.

The Baiting Bill does not allow Northern Zone hunters to deer hunt over bait. Northern Zone hunters would be subject to the existing law, which requires hunters be 200 yards away from and out of sight of bait to hunt deer. However, the Baiting Bill would allow Northern Zone hunters to hunt hogs any day of the calendar year over bait with no distance requirements.

The House had already once voted in favor of HB 277, but the state Senate had made a change to the House version, so the House had to vote again to approve the bill with the Senate change. The House today voted 110-39 to agree to changes made in the Senate.

The Senate amendment, and the reason the Baiting Bill went back to the House for another vote, addressed concerns over Northern Zone properties because of the 200-yard rule. Feed placed within 200 yards of a property boundary could cause hunters on an adjoining property to be hunting illegally too close to feed. This is not new. It has been an issue for a decade, since the 200-yard rule was first implemented. The Senate amendment made it so deer hunters would not be in violation of baiting law for feed placed on an adjoining property.

[BWD]

If two Northern zone fellows, with adjoining properties, wanted to bait, they could legally help each other out for sure.

[Blueridge]

this is a sad day for deer hunting in Ga. maybe they are trying to draw a bunch of these TV hunters in to make "hunting" shows.
Bad move in my opinion.
The term "hunting" is used very loosely.

[BWD]

To me the beginning of the sad days in Ga. was back when they raised the limit on does to ten.

[GRINCH]

Alabama supposedly has a similar bill,don't agree with it but it's already happening.

[Blueridge]

That was a bad move too. I don't know anyone who shoots 10 does during a season but the fact that you can shoot them beginning day one, Everything goes nocturnal alot sooner.  Season is a lot longer and should be moved backwards not forward.
They really screwed bow season up by starting it too early. Hunting in Ga. is good , its just "different" from the way it used to be when I started in 1970. Baiting is just not needed here, of course nobody had food plots back in the early days either. "the times they are a changing"

[Blueridge]

the 200 yd rule is a joke anyway. that just opened the door for a lot of corn in the woods.
No more scouting for trails , rubs , scrapes.
makes it real easy now.

[dixiearcher]

Baiting is allowed here in arkansas and it is sad...however it is not allowed on state owned land and wildlife management areas so there are still a few refuges for those of us who still want to hunt the way it used to be...and should be in my opinion

[tarponnut]

It's definitely needed for the hogs. You certainly can't eliminate them, but at least put a dent in the population.

Where I lease(in Fl), deer(bucks actually) rarely come to a feeder during daylight hours.It's definitely not like shooting fish in a barrel.

Thanks for the update.

[Blueridge]

I'm ok with baiting for hogs which is allowed by land owners only after deer season and before turkey season starts. we are beginning to have a hog problem here in North Ga. where we didn't used to. I think the 300-200yd. baiting law a few years ago has something to do with that too.

[DesertDude]

[bama]

I'm assuming it passed because of popular support in the southern half of the state.  That being said, if its the will of the people, I'm fine with it.

[Uncle Buck]

I grew up in Michigan where pretty much unrestricted baiting was allowed for a while. In my opinion it made the deer more nocturnal and wary. It also disrupted the natural order of nature. concentrating them in areas and teaching them to depend on rotting piles of sugar beets. eventually diseases pop uo in the herd. To make matters worse the DNR in Michigan is run by political hacks and not real conservationists. I would hate to see the same thing happen in Georgia

I personally think the real root of out of control herds  herds is the dramatic decrease in the number of hunters. Too many people are too busy to take a kid hunting or fishing

[Blueridge]

I guess you could drink a lot of coffee while propped up watching a bait pile huh.

[stabow]

I have a feeder in my back yard and been feeding the deer now for over 2 years it's not to hunt over , the wife and I like to watch them from our back porch. I seen one spike in those 2 years the rest have been does. IMHO I think a bunch of people will be spending a lot of money on corn for no reason.....stabow

[Terry Green]

This one has been move to Issues/political forum AND the GA forum.