Moose Droppings

Supplying Minerals For Deer Will Remain Legal In Bear Hunting Counties

Oct 28, 2007 @ 11:49 pm by Moose

In a move to clarify the changes to baiting rules for counties that have a bear season the Wildlife Commission adopted guidelines at its latest meeting to make it legal to put minerals out for deer.

In North Carolina, placement of processed food products in areas with an established bear hunting season is against the law. General Statute 113-294 defines a processed food product as any food substance or flavoring that has been modified from its raw components by the addition of ingredients or by treatment to modify its chemical composition or form or to enhance its aroma or taste.

Deer hunters need to pay close attention to these rules even if they don’t bear hunt because many of them still apply to them. In the past deer hunters could legally put out bait products specifically designed to get after the sweet tooth of deer including sweeteners poured over stumps, products containing powdered molasses, and even good old peanut butter. In counties that have an open bear season these products are no longer legal. You can still use unprocessed food like corn, sweet potatoes, and raw peanuts.

In areas containing non-processed food products, such as corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts, it is against the law to still hunt for bear. Hunters using dogs to hunt bear may release dogs at a site containing these non-processed food products.
Placement of mineral supplements specifically for attracting or feeding deer remains legal. Bear hunters are reminded they cannot hunt or release dogs on these sites.

NCWC

I still don’t understand why it’s legal for hound hunters to use deer bait sites to release their dogs at but stand hunters can not hunt over them. Seems to me they should either be legal for everyone or illegal for everyone. Hound hunters have a very good lobby and the laws are certainly slanted in their favor. This issue is far from being done I’m sure it will be on the agenda for next year’s public meetings.