What would you do? Baiting - or seizing an opportunity???

[j-bird]

OK, this i just a hypothetical question. Baiting is illegal in my state. What you see was not done on purpose and was not done by me. This was a simple mishap with the transfer of corn from the combine to the grain cart.

My queston: Do you hunt over this fresh pile of corn?

We do intend on putting a cam on it to see just how much activity it gets and when -there is a 40 acre field of standing corn roughly 50 yards away. That is my youngest in the picture she is 10 1/2 (I gotta put the 1/2 or she gets mad) for an idea of the actual size of this pile.

 

[bueller]

IMO hunting anywhere near that pile in a state where baiting is illegal would be a violation. I'm quite sure a game warden would agree.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

[QUOTE="j-bird, post: 26372, member: 53
My queston: Do you hunt over this fresh pile of corn?
.[/QUOTE]

Even if it was 100% legal I still would not. Just not the kind of hunting I would enjoy.

 

[j-bird]

I tend to shy away from the possability of getting into trouble when it coms to things like this myself (this is the main reason why I refuse to provide even mineral blocks to my deer). The way my state defines baiting essentially leaves it up to the CO - if I placed it there for the deer to eat and it was used to assist in the harvest of the deer then it is baiting - they don't list distance limitatins or anythig so its all up to the CO. I consider myself in very good standing with my local CO so I really don't see risking that relatnship over something like this. I was just curious what everyone else thought. I agree that it would be considered a "normal farming practice" as well so I think legally it would be safe, but is it worth the hassel - I don't think so.

 

[Jameson]

If I was not the farmer and had nothing to do with the person doing the farming I wound hunt away. A place I use to hunt rented out the ag fields to a farmer that I rarely saw and stuff like this happened. I continued to hunt and never had any benefit from it. The corner of the fields where the combine has to turn were far better spots to hunt.

 

[wiscwhip]

While what stu mentions is 100% correct, after what some of my waterfowling buddies have put up with this season here along the Mississippi River, I would not chance it. They had permission to hunt a 25 acre hand picked sweet corn field and the field has been picked this same way for 20+ years, which I would think(and they did as well) would constitute a "normal agricultural practice" on the part of that farmer. They went out opening day of the early goose season and were run out of the field before 7:30 that morning by a USFWS guy along with 2 other groups of hunters in other parts of the field and they were told he would fine them and take their licenses away if they were caught out hunting that field or any directly adjacent fields. When my buddy asked about the normal farming procedure thing, the FWS guy told them they needed to shut up and move on or he would fine them for hunting any fields within 5 miles of that hand picked corn, as he would then consider any surrounding fields as part of the "baited" area. D-bag for sure.

 

[wiscwhip]

Yeah my coworker was pretty shook up over the whole thing. He is a younger guy that has been hunting the river area with his dad since he was a young boy and said he had never been treated that way by any CO before, state or federal. I do believe they did get his name, but I haven't asked him if anything became of the deal.

 

[dipper]

In wi it would be legal. The laws language reads something to the affect of "farming practice"

 

[West Branch]

This guy fought it in court over pumpkins used for green manure and ended up winning. He told the DNR he was going to do it just to get himself a ticket so he could fight it.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_19384998

 

[kabic]

I agree...but all it takes is to read whip's post to see that "legal" is oftentimes defined by the CO...not the actual laws. Yet another example of the police state

Unfortunately in today's world you have to be willing to take the time and expense to fight for your rights in court.

 

[dipper]

I got cock blocked by a pile like that in Iowa. That perfect 170"er would have looked beautiful on my wall if I was positioned near the pile of not.

 

[dipper]

So if u are gun hunting and there is a pile 150 yards away you don't hunt that stand?

 

[j-bird]

This pile of corn has not influenced my stand placement. My stands have been in place for weeks now - this happened saturday. The ONLY way I can take advantage it to set up a ground blind after the fact or if for some reason the deer walk past my stand on their way to or from this pile.

As far as the law in IN is concerned it's essentially up to the opinion of the officer.

My concern is this -I have to walk along a 40 acre standing corn field so it can essentially act as a screen for my approach. What do I do if I round the corner of the field and Mr. Big is standing there at this pile? Am I breaking the law? My opinion - I am not (based on the fact that I did not place it there, or arrange to have it placed there with the intent of hunting over it). But my opinion may not matter!

 

[bat man]

Hunt it.

 

[THunter]

I agree...but all it takes is to read whip's post to see that "legal" is oftentimes defined by the CO...not the actual laws. Yet another example of the police state

Incorrect. What is "legal" is defined by a jury of your peers.

 

[THunter]

Also, I'm pretty certain hunting this would be legal in all states where whitetails exist. If I saw deer using it, I'd hunt it in a heartbeat. As for the guy hunting a hand-picked sweet corn field---perfectly legal--it is not mechanically manipulated to place feed in easier reach of the ducks. Most likely the USFWS guy was hunting it with his buddies. He would have had to "scribe" me when the first duck came in.

 

[THunter]

Yup...just what I want to experience for chancing a hunt around/near/by/whatever bait...no thanks :rolleyes:

Stu, I have over 700 sworn police officers that answer to me. One thing I can assure you of, a judge has an EXTREMELY low tolerance level for LEO's who don't know the law, or try to make a shaky case. It is one of our biggest risk exposures as a government.

 

[bueller]

I still say it's a bad idea.

http://hunt-indiana.com/thread/50739/another-deer-baiting-question

 

[THunter]

is light years away from the "progressive" states of MN and WI.

LOL

 

[SD51555]

I'd scoop it up and take it home. Bring it back in January and put it in your woods in small amounts over the winter, or perhaps meter it out so the critters don't get an upset rumen. Legal or not, that is a giant bullseye from a CO's airplane. "Hey Murph. Yeah, there's a big corn pile over by _____ and a guy in orange within rifle range. Go get 'em."

Accident or not, it is easily discovered via drone, plane, NSA satellite, or neighbor, and would most likely get you a visit when you're trying to have a peaceful hunt.