Debating Baiting
December 5, 2007
When the public wildlife meetings take place this January one of the hottest wildlife issues, baiting of bears by hound hunters will not be on the agenda. Granted if there is time at the end of the official agenda the floor will be open to the public for other topics and comments and this can certainly be one of the issues brought up.
A little background for folks on this issue is that baiting of bears in North Carolina has been against the law for a number of years however it is legal to feed bears. For years some bear hunters would “feed” bears in the spring and summer and eliminate the feed just prior to the season and hunt the area. In effect this was really hunting a baited area because in many instances oils and sugar from the processed food and candy had leeched into the soil even though it was no longer visible to the human eye. Additionally in the state of North Carolina it is legal to bait deer that complicates matters because often deer hunters use grains that are also attractive to bears and draws them into the bait sites.
North Carolina Wildlife Enforcement a few years ago began a crack down on bear hunters hunting over baits. Caught up in this was some of the hound hunters who’s hounds treed bears or chased bears through bait sites many of these being bait sites for deer and tickets were issued. The question then became what is considered a bait site and for some clear understanding for both hunters and law enforcement on this issue.
The North Carolina Bear Hunting Association, which is made up by predominately hound hunters, took up the lead and challenged North Carolina Wildlife Commission and law makers to address the baiting issue. At last year’s Public Meetings a rather elaborate law was presented and for the most part rejected by the public. The law as proposed would have allowed a certain amount of grain to be present but if it exceeded that amount it would have been illegal among other things. The law if it had been enacted would of muddied the water even more instead of clarifying it. The NCBA and NC Wildlife Commission got together and came up with the current law we have now and got it passed by lawmakers.
Under current law it is legal for hound hunters to put out “natural baits” and to start their hounds on these bait sites but still hunters can not use “natural baits”. This is clearly not equitable to both styles of hunting and favors hound hunters. They should either make baiting of bears legal or illegal and not just listen to special interest groups like the NCBA.
Earlier today I emailed the following letter to a number of the Commissioners of the North Carolina Wildlife Commission.
Lack of Parity in Bear Hunting Laws
Dear Sirs,
I’m contacting all of you because you represent the district I live in or one of the districts I currently hunt / lease land in or your and at large member who represents all of the state.
As an outdoorsman and hunter I’m concerned about the lack of parity in the game laws when it comes to bear hunting in this state. As I’m sure you are well aware that there is mainly two methods used by hunters in North Carolina to hunt black bears either you still (stand ) hunt or you pursue them with hounds. North Carolina has also had a ban on the use of baits when it comes to bear hunting up until this year when the law was changed to allow hound hunters to run their hounds off of natural baits but it bars still hunters from hunting over the same natural bait.I see little difference in a hound hunter running off natural bait and a stand hunter sitting over one. I believe the way the current law is written it is favoring one method of hunting over another and adversely putting a big disadvantage on the still hunters. I would hope that an important issue like this one can at least be formally put on the topics to be discussed at all the public wildlife meetings this January to get input from the average hunters of North Carolina.
I understand Commission Ray White is who I need you to contact and tell him you are in favor of all the hunters of this state having a say and not just the special interest groups.
Sincerely
Daniel McLaughlin
Raleigh NC
moosesign@aol.com
I’m not opposed to baiting nor am I opposed to the use of hounds I just like to see all sportsmen get a fair shake. Either legalize it for all or don’t allow any bear hunter to use baits.
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I believe you are right on this… if the hound hunters get to bait, shouldn’t everyone?