# Recreational Feeding vs Baiting



## codybear (Jun 27, 2002)

If I'm feeding with a spin cast feeder near my house for recreational vieiwing yet hunt the same piece of property farther away from the house during the youth hunt, am I in violation of "baiting" before Oct 1st? Where is the line drawn between the two on the same piece of land?

CB


----------



## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

That is a good question.

Interpretation is going to be up to the CO. Your best bet would be to call your local CO and get his answer so you know for sure.


----------



## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

I believe what I read in the guide was that for rec feeding it must be within 100 yards of your house. I would also interprete that as if you get caught hunting over it then you're in violation.


----------



## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Interesting question since it is perfectly legal to shoot out your house window.......as long as you don't violate any other safety zone......

I mean I can literally sit on my deck and shoot deer.....but where I feed for recreational viewing is only 75 ft from the house.........

Do I have to decide to do one or the other???????????


----------



## codybear (Jun 27, 2002)

wally-eye said:


> Interesting question since it is perfectly legal to shoot out your house window.......as long as you don't violate any other safety zone......
> 
> I mean I can literally sit on my deck and shoot deer.....but where I feed for recreational viewing is only 75 ft from the house.........
> 
> Do I have to decide to do one or the other???????????


Me too, I could actually see and shoot the deer heading to my plots from my house window if I wanted and at the same time I can see my feeder from the same window by just looking the other direction..

I do plan on shutting my feeder off before the youth hunt but I dont want to move it or have to rake up all the corn scraps under it that the birds ate and the deer wont.. Actually we do have a visual of the feeder from our blind, even though were hunting over the food plots so I was just wondering how this rule would be more defined..

CB


----------



## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

codybear said:


> Me too, I could actually see and shoot the deer heading to my plots from my house window if I wanted and at the same time I can see my feeder from the same window by just looking the other direction..
> 
> I do plan on shutting my feeder off before the youth hunt but I dont want to move it or have to rake up all the corn scraps under it that the birds ate and the deer wont.. Actually we do have a visual of the feeder from our blind, even though were hunting over the food plots so I was just wondering how this rule would be more defined..
> 
> CB


This is where I feel you could be in violation. 

Like I said...a CO would be able to inform you properly. CO's like answering these questions. You can usually get a hold of them by calling the local field office and asking that they call you back. Most of the time you'll get a response. With salmon fishing in full swing right now...it may take a day or two. 

Turning the feeder off a few days before hand will probably suffice. The broadcast feeder acts as a storage unit that is deer proof.


----------



## blahblah (Oct 8, 2008)

as soon as you hunt over it it becomes bait, baiting isn't allowed until Oct. 1.


----------



## brookie1 (Jan 26, 2011)

codybear said:


> Me too, I could actually see and shoot the deer heading to my plots from my house window if I wanted and at the same time I can see my feeder from the same window by just looking the other direction..
> 
> I do plan on shutting my feeder off before the youth hunt but I dont want to move it or have to rake up all the corn scraps under it that the birds ate and the deer wont.. Actually we do have a visual of the feeder from our blind, even though were hunting over the food plots so I was just wondering how this rule would be more defined..
> 
> CB


You may get a different intepretation from each CO. Basically just ask yourself what a CO would see. If you are facing a feeder or food pile with a firearm, even from 100 yards away, a CO could easily assume you are hunting over it regardless of your intention or if the feeder is even running. How much of a gambler are you?


----------



## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

blahblah said:


> as soon as you hunt over it it becomes bait, baiting isn't allowed until Oct. 1.


This is what I believe to be true as well. That corn you feed the deer becomes bait when you hunt over it. Shoot a deer out of your house window if you want to, just don't shoot one that is at your rec bait feeder. I think COs will look at what they feel your intentions were at the time.


----------



## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

ibthetrout said:


> This is what I believe to be true as well. That corn you feed the deer becomes bait when you hunt over it. Shoot a deer out of your house window if you want to, just don't shoot one that is at your rec bait feeder. I think COs will look at what they feel your intentions were at the time.



Yes but if you shoot a deer with a bow out your window on Oct. 1st you're perfectly legal regardless of where the bait is....... After Oct. 1st. your house is nothing more than a big blind........... Same as gun deer, on Nov. 15th your house is again a big blind and your bait is legal regardless where it is.........

I guess I didn't think this out fully when I posted earlier....... 

But to the OP the early season will create a new set of rules.....so I wouldn't shoot near bait.........


----------



## brookie1 (Jan 26, 2011)

Everyone seems to know not to hunt over bait before Oct 1, that isn't the question. The question is what is considered a "baiting site" so as to remain within the law hunting before Oct 1. Someone could go to the other side of their property and snipe a deer at 300 yards from their backyard feeding site if they wanted to, so I don't think there is a black and white answer. As was mentioned, it comes to a determination of intent by the CO.


----------



## lostontheice (Feb 18, 2011)

blahblah said:


> as soon as you hunt over it it becomes bait, baiting isn't allowed until Oct. 1.


exactly..and the law does not state you cant hunt the trails that the deer use to get to and from that site..you just cant hunt over that feeder or pile..


----------



## lostontheice (Feb 18, 2011)

GVDocHoliday said:


> This is where I feel you could be in violation.
> 
> Like I said...a CO would be able to inform you properly. CO's like answering these questions. You can usually get a hold of them by calling the local field office and asking that they call you back. Most of the time you'll get a response. With salmon fishing in full swing right now...it may take a day or two.
> 
> Turning the feeder off a few days before hand will probably suffice. The broadcast feeder acts as a storage unit that is deer proof.


you dont have to go that far as to shut the feeder off,just dont hunt over it..dont shot in the direction of it,or shoot at a deer feeding at it..


----------



## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

There is no law or definition regarding to what a hunting site is. Each situation presents itself with it's own set of variables. 


Posted from my iPhone.


----------



## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

lostontheice said:


> you dont have to go that far as to shut the feeder off,just dont hunt over it..dont shot in the direction of it,or shoot at a deer feeding at it..


If you're hunting within shooting distance(legit shooting distance) and have an unobstructed view of that feeder, you're going to want it off during the youth season. That's not even a question.


----------



## codybear (Jun 27, 2002)

dead short said:


> There is no law or definition regarding to what a hunting site is. Each situation presents itself with it's own set of variables.
> 
> 
> Posted from my iPhone.


Your right, it just seems the law isnt defined enough in certain areas, kinda like the bird feed law that was thrown out of court last year.. The law also states you can only bait at each "hunting site" but its doesnt define how many hunting sites you can have, especially in one general area.. For example, if a hunter has another hunting site 30 yards away, is that considered another hunting site he/she puts out another bait pile and cant view the other bait pile? I'm not looking for ways around the law, I'm just the type of person that likes to over think things :lol: It just seems to me that if there are a bunch of things that are left to the intepretation of a CO and may differ between each CO, then it seems to me the law isnt defined enough..


By the way, as I mentioned earlier, I do plan on shutting the feeder off.. Matter of fact, I'll probably do that today so there are no scraps left on the ground by the weekend.. We enjoy watching deer and wildlife from our home.. We also have an apple orchard on the side of the house but we vowed to never shoot any wildlife over the feeder or apple orchard or directly from the house..

CB


----------



## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Correct. The law should be more clearly defined. Based on the fact that all responses are purely speculation.


----------



## zeeke33 (Feb 7, 2009)

Well defined?

If laws where clear and well defined there would be a lot less work available for lawyers. Laws are by their very design are less than black and white. Just what did most law makers do before they became law makers? lol


----------

