Almost got a ticket this morning from game warden, we were hunting on a pond that the officer said was "baited" we did not bait it, or know it was.
He stood in the woods watching us the whole time we hunted.
It seems like entrapment to me, he could've prevented us from almost getting a serious ticket before hand. They also could have posted a sign saying area closed or something along the lines of that. This just show what their priorities are, a sign or him contacting us before hunting would've prevented possible "poaching" Which you think would be their goal to protect the wildlife, not just play commando and hide in the woods to give out tickets.
Basically don't duck hunt in Holly shelter for the rest of the seasons unless you want to get hassled
If they put signs up or warned every hunter who approached the pond, how would they ever catch the person who is actually baiting it?
My understanding of the current baiting law is that you have to be caught hunting over bait WHILE having knowledge of its existence.
That's a tough one, and it does seem like entrapment. I wouldn't think it would hold up in court as he would have a hard time proving who put out the bait and whether or not you were aware there was bait in the pond. But who wants to go through that when you weren't the ones that put out the bait. It would be a needless legal headache for sure.
But from the perspective of the warden, he's in a tough spot too. Unless he saw who actually put out the bait, he is in a tough position to prove who did it. It would seem logical that the people that put out the bait would also be the ones hunting it, but on public land like Holly Shelter, that may not be the case and appears to not be the case here.
So for him to catch the baiter he has to wait until somebody actually hunts it to commit a crime. If he turned away anybody that approached the pond a crime would never be committed and he would never catch the responsible party.
That is why I think baiting should be legal for all species. The WRC and the feds set the game limits based on what is an acceptable harvest. How you harvest your limit shouldn't matter - bait or no bait. If I get my limit of ducks (deer, bear, doves, etc.) without bait, how is this any better than someone getting their limit with bait? If they are baited in, you still have to shoot the damn things and that ain't exactly easy! If the warden didn't have to wast time essentially "staking out" a pond hoping to catch a crime, he could be in the field checking for more valid violations like people shooting over their limit.
It should be up to the individual hunter as to what is his definition of fair chase. I like to bow-hunt almost exclusively with all of my kills coming under 25 yards, but I don't begrudge someone for shooting deer over bait from a box stand at 300+ yards. That hunter has a distinct advantage over me, but my deer is no less dead than his!
So did you have a good hunt otherwise?
if the person that baited the pond never gets caught does that make him a master baiter?
No, didn't shoot a dam thing. 2 woodies came buzzing in right at shooting time. Glad we didnn't shoot anything or I think we would have got a ticket for sure.
Funny thing is that pond sucked for hunting being baited, ducks wanted nothing to do with it.
Sorry to hijack this thread, but how do you bait a pond?
Basically don't duck hunt in Holly shelter for the rest of the seasons unless you want to get hassled
I wouldn't hunt there period. Have never had much luck except seeing late roosting birds after legal shooting hours and pass shooting with 50 other people near boat ramp.
Speaking of being hassled...same goes for deer hunting. I scouted a site about 15yrs ago, got there way before legal shooting time. The site was at the end of a dead-end road. Parked my truck in the road just before it ended. About an 90 minutes after legal hunting time. A group with dogs pull up, pass my truck and turn them loose. One guy even walks across field following dog under my stand. Mind you, I was decked out in blaze orange sitting in climbing stand in obvious view from the road. I've never hunted there again.
Sorry to hijack this thread, but how do you bait a pond?
Dump out corn, milo, sweet potatoes, etc. in the pond. Usually very easily detectable from the air, ie. game warden plane.
Sorry to hijack this thread, but how do you bait a pond?[
Think of it as chumming for feathered critters instead of scaly ones.
Sorry to hijack this thread, but how do you bait a pond?
Back in the day I've seen the water in Oregon Inlet pure yellow with corn...of course you wouldn't know that until the sun came up...then TOO LATE! :shrug:
Heard last week that Mr. Green Jeans was looking for somebody that baited Masonboro too, so I would avoid that area the rest of the season.
Hunted there on mlk game wardens were there I think jones had several groups in line for tickets. He was searching trucks all bags thought I was going to get a cavity search. The good news is he caught the people who were there on sat and mon just sitting on the road shooting coots and leaving them.