Use Of Bait To Be Banned?

My friend Dan posted this on the AHT Forums. Apparently, it was originally posted on Bowsite. I am glad to have a “semi-official” look at the proposed law, as the rumors have been kicking around for awhile.

This post is to inform Arizona… hunters that the Arizona Game and Fish Department will be discussing proposed new legislation banning “baiting”, including the use of salt, this Friday, Dec 5th in Casa Grande.

Quote from Ron Day:

Good Afternoon,

I recently heard there was a thread on this site relating to a proposed rule change that would prohibit baiting. I am in charge of the Article III rulemaking process and would like to address a few of the issues listed in this thread. The Game and Fish Department, as part of its 5 year rule review process, is proposing an amendment to rule R12-4-303 that would prohibit baiting. As part of the rule making process, public input is not only welcome but encouraged. The Commission Meeting will open the rule making docket for Article III. Once the Commission approves this rule package it will be filed with the Secretary of State and opened to the public for a 30 day comment period. The proposed rulemaking is scheduled to return to the Commission for final approval in April of 2009. The proposed rule language is as follows:

R12-4-303. B.Except for the use of nutritional supplements, salt, or salt-based materials produced and manufactured for the livestock industry and placed by individuals raising livestock or the Department for the benefit of wildlife, the following uses of edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game are unlawful. 1.An individual shall not place edible or ingestible substances, including salt or salt based products, to attract big game for the purpose of taking big game. 2.An individual shall not take big game with the aid of edible or ingestible substances, including salt or salt based products, placed for the purpose of attracting a big game animal to a specific location.

This language is intended to prohibit the placement or use of any type of bait, including salt, to attract big game for hunting purposes.

This language does not prohibit hunting over water, the use of game calls, the use of cover scents or the time of day an individual may hunt.

This language is intended to reduce the number of big game animals taken with the aid of bait. Permit numbers, regardless of whether they are issued through the draw or over-the-counter, are issued based upon an anticipated harvest. If that harvest is exceeded either the permit numbers are reduced or, in this case, the method used is changed.

This change has been recommended as a result of an increase in the number of individuals who archery hunt using bait. Baiting is a very effective way to attract big game, particularly white-tailed deer, to a specific location. The below table shows the white-tailed deer harvest in game management unit 22 from 2001 to 2007. You will see the reported archery harvest increased until in 2006 more white-tailed deer were taken during the archery season than during the general firearms hunt.

GAME MANAGEMENT UNIT 22 WHITE-TAILED DEER HARVEST
Year / Archery Harvest / General Harvest / Total / Archery % of Total Harvest

2001 25 139 164 15% – 2002 47 129 176 27% – 2003 47 155 202 23% – 2004 27 129 156 17% – 2005 67 117 184 36% – 2006 97 96 193 50% – 2007 53 158 211 25%

This type of harvest exceeds the anticipated archery harvest and the Department, in an effort to adjust the archery harvest to pre-bait levels, is recommending a rule change prohibiting the use of baiting. There are other methods available to the Department to adjust this disproportionate harvest downward including placing more archery units into the draw or significantly shortening the season.

In addition to the increase in harvest attributed to the use of bait, the Department queried many states regarding baiting. Of the 12 states that have responded to date, 10 including New Mexico, Colorado, and California, prohibit baiting in one form or another. Only Utah and Kansas do not restrict baiting. One of the reasons responding states have cited as to why they prohibit baiting is to prevent the spread of diseases including Chronic Wasting Disease. Although we have not detected CWD in Arizona, the spread and transmission of wildlife diseases is in itself, enough reason to be concerned over the increase in the use of baits.

In addition, I noticed that you have the wrong date posted when this agenda item will be presented to the Commission. The correct date is this Friday afternoon, December 5, following the 2:00 PM Revocation Hearings.

Ron Day Small Game, Predator and Furbearer Biologist Arizona Game and Fish Department

Now the use of bait is frowned upon in lots of places, and done without a second thought in others. As long as it is legal, to each his own, I say. This legislation bothers me however. First of all, what is it based on? There is no place on a hunter’s survey to indicate that bait was used.

Next – it opens a bunch of cans of worms, enforcement-wise. What about doe-in-estrus scents (pee)? What about apple or acorn scents? What about a salt block in a cattle field? What about synthetic scents? Under an apple tree? Over water?

Finally, what happened to the Department mantra of “more opportunity”? If they have accurately estimated how baiting affects harvest numbers, why not simply reduce the number of tags offered?

I’m normally very pro-department, but there is something rotten in Denmark, and it’s not a pile of salt….