As I watched five-hundred deer eat the hundred bushels of screenings I put out in the field for them, I wondered how many deer are still alive just because of this weekly "miracle" for the deer. How many of you have ever fed wildlife or watched wildlife brought to an area by being fed?
The ban on feeding wildlife
As the legislature season is upon us, one bill has had a lot of controversy. This bill is named SB2351. If this bill is passed, all wildlife feeding will have to cease. It was brought to attention by people that thought it was unethical to place bait out in front of their stand and wait for deer or other animals to come and eat the bait. Once the animal is at the bait, it is then harvested.
Doug Leier is a proponent to the bill. He doesn't necessarily believe it is unethical, but that it could spread diseases between animals. When food is placed out for animals in the winter, it can draw many different types of animals from many miles. When animals are bunched up together like that, diseases can spread like wild fire.
Many people think people are just out there baiting for hunting. According to Willard Swanke, a hunting guide in western North Dakota, there are many reasons a person could feed animals. He uses feed to keep deer away from his hay bales that he feeds his cows. Is that a wrong reason to feed animals? What about the handicap people that can't get out much to hunt? Is it wrong for them to bait? If this bill is passed, nobody will be able to feed animals whatsoever!
This topic has had many external publics, including Barnes County Wildlife Federation and the North Dakota Guides and Outfitters Association, holding meetings and sending out newsletters to let the public know their idea on the bill. The internal public can't really say much because the animals can't talk! What do you think the animals would say about baiting/feeding? I'm sure there would be mixed results. I'm sure some would love the feeding aspect but not the baiting aspect. After reading this, are you for feeding wildlife or do you think it should be banned?
Now back to that first question I asked. How many answered that they had never fed or watched any wildlife being fed? For those that said they hadn't, how many of you have seen a bird at the bird feeder? Or even put that bird feeder up? Will birds be the next thing we can't help in the winter?
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Can one go fishing and be successful without bait? This is a question we need to answer if the pass for this bill is actually approved and put into effect. Putting a ban on the use of all baits would hinder the use and effectiveness of a lot of hunting techniques.
ReplyDeleteHunting serves as a means to control the numbers of over populated animals such as deer. I think this is actually an advantage it helps keep deer off the road which helps prevent accidents. Baits are a hunting tool and serve nothing but good purposes in my opinion and should not be banned.
For everything that has an advantage also has disadvantages but in this case I think that the advantages out way the disadvantages.
I honestly have a split personal opinion on this matter and believe that not many people think the way I do on this matter. If they are going to outlaw baiting they should only do it for Rifle hunting, not bow hunting. Bow hunting is far more difficult. The comment about you saying "Will birds be the next thing we can’t feed in the winter"? I talked to Professor Bob Anderson yesterday and he said there is already alot of talk about possible banning ALL feeding for song birds, and other birds that come to your feeder. The reason for this is they are starting to think that its changing migration patterns and that too many are dying from running into windows. They think that baiting is to blame for this…. (In my opinion this is ridiculous)
ReplyDeleteI would rather see them not ban baiting for big game period because if they do song birds will be next which means no bird feeders. They are worried about diseases.....Deer will congregate in hundreds if not thousands sometimes in the winter regardless if there is bait on the ground. They do this in thick trees and fields to escape the winter coldness. I have driven by fields and seen deer laying 1 foot away from each other. There was no bait down. If there is a disease going around....regardless of bait...they will get it.
I write to say that I am opposed to the bill SB2351. The Spread of disease does not come from a kernel of corn or an apple these are natural foods for deer and to say that it will is just scare tactics. Deer congregate naturally in wild there is proof of this right now in the winter months they herd up for protection and will be looking for food as a herd. There will be large deer herds on top of farmer’s bales, silage piles, elevator corn piles, and wherever there is food. How can we stop deer from doing that? Is that not a type of feeding? Is scent lures and sprays considered as baiting? Will feeding songbirds in back yards be next? Do you think that it’s ok to see deer die of starvation in harsh winters when there is people willing to feed them? There are so many questions to ask!! Voice your opinion to your local Represenitive about your thoughts on this bill before its to late, the hearing for this bill is next week theirs not much time.
ReplyDeleteI would be more worried about what people are feeding than trying to get it banned. There are some studies that are out of the state of Michigan that are finding that deer with stomach full of corn are starving to death because they can’t digest it. As far as the disease issue they would have to come up with some way to keep deer out of hay yards and feed lots as well because they will congregate there as well. Also another big issue they will have is enforcement of the law because anyone that knows a farmer could go and buy some feed out of their bins.
ReplyDeleteJames has a good point with this topic. Feeding of deer during the winter isn’t all that bad. Since deer are already in herds during the winter, there is not much else that feeding will do to spread diseases. If a disease is to spread it will more than likely spread to other deer anyway because they are already in a herd during winter. As others have pointed out too, without putting food out for the deer they will go after the haystacks of farmers. This makes farmers mad because the haystacks are for their livestock. As for baiting, it helps out for archery season because it is hard to get animals in close enough otherwise. But for rifle season it shouldn’t be allowed because humans already have quite the advantage over the deer since a rifle shoots a lot farther.
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