Baiting

[KYHUNTER14]

I went out to my usual turkey hunting spot yesterday. I have hunted this place for about 10 years now. It is a hunting club. My dad and I have put a blind in the same spot on the land for 5 or 6 years. We went out yesterday with the idea of putting out our blind for this year. We get to our spot and not 50 yards away is a blind already set up. About the time I noticed the blind, my dad saw a flock of turkeys running away from us in the same area where the new blind was.

Man, dad was PO'ed. What can you do though? I am assuming that whoever put the blind there has probably gotten permission from a member to be on the place and I am also assuming that they didnt know that this was "our" spot. I am also assuming that they have just as much right to be there as we do.

Keep in mind that I have hunted this spot every spring for a long time. I have seen occasional scratches in the leaves for nuts. Well as we were leaving yesterday, I noticed hundreds of spots where turkeys had scratched. Completely out of the ordinary. I knew what was up immediately. I didnt see any corn left on the ground, but there is an old barn that is near the blind and when I looked in there I found sack with leftover corn in it. I know the guy is baiting turkeys and my have taken a turkey during the youth season (i looked in the blind and there was a coffee cup and snuff tin inside, so someone had been hunting in it).

What should I do? I have no problem at all with reporting this behavior. It is unethical and should be reported, but I am afraid it will be viewed as sour grapes becuase this guy took our spot. Also, I have no idea who the blind belongs to and even though I am 100% sure the guy is baiting the turkeys, how can something like that be proven? What do you guys think?

FYI, the hunting club is located in Greenup County, so if any of you all know the CO in that area let me know.

[GSP]

.....and even though I am 100% sure the guy is baiting the turkeys, how can something like that be proven? What do you guys think?




So you are 100% sure though you didn't find bait and you have no proof other than gut feeling? I would back down to a least 98%. :rolleyes:

[12 pointer]

Field - corn = no proof of baiting IMO. Gonna have to catch the corn on the ground I twould think????!!!!????:confused:

[RutNBuck]

could the bait have been left over from deer season?
you know another approach would be to call the local CO tell him that you have permission to hunt the farm and that you found corn in the barn...
ask him if he has had any reports of illegal baiting if he kinda hints that he has been watchn the place or such id steer clear..
(baiting during deer season is legal)

turkey hunting is an enjoyable sport nothing would ruin it any quicker then to be set up on a gobbling bird only to see the men in green approach you EVEN thou your your innocent but at the wrong place at the wrong time
this is just my opinion

[matewsq2]

It dont matter the guy next to us got popped for baiting he was fined 250.an still gets to hunt on the farm an the c/o wont call anyone back to answer the bait ? regs.so im thinken he got paid off.

[Luckybuck]

It dont matter the guy next to us got popped for baiting he was fined 250.an still gets to hunt on the farm an the c/o wont call anyone back to answer the bait ? regs.so im thinken he got paid off.
Call his boss and tell him you can't get a response.

I would be careful anytime you find a blind on property, nothing worse than someone shooting at you...

[stratos907]

Call his boss and tell him you can't get a response.

I would be careful anytime you find a blind on property, nothing worse than someone shooting at you...

Yea...I'm thinking getting shot would put a damper on your season...

[CHL]

I agree. There's some crazy people out there, and if they get wind you're the one "telling" on them, well then......it might not be too pretty. I agree it's not right, but there's a bunch of birds out there to go around.:cool:

[matewsq2]

Call his boss and tell him you can't get a response.

I would be careful anytime you find a blind on property, nothing worse than someone shooting at you...
Can't get ahold of him eather!!!

[hunter4life]

The CO would have to catch the person putting the bait out or hunting over it, there is no way to prove it by the ground just being scratched.

[JDMiller]

The CO would have to catch the person putting the bait out or hunting over it, there is no way to prove it by the ground just being scratched.

I had a situation last year where an adjoing farm to ours was baited. If the CO's find any bait thats been scattered ..specifically before season... they can photgraph & document. Then if your caught hunting that property....you will receive a fine. Otherwords.... the bait does'nt necessarily have to be present on opening day. If its present anytime during the no baiting time period ... its baited property. You dont necessarily have to be hunting over the bait to be cited either.

Also... every situation from a Co's stand point can be handled differently depending the circumstances. They can shut the entire baited property down and can also shut the adjoining properties down as well. In our case ... the bait(broadcasted cracked corn) was'nt 20 yds from our property line. The CO's worked with us & thankfully did'nt shut our farm down but we agreed not to hunt approximately a 50 acre strip that bordered the baited property.

I was never sure if the Co's caught the low-lifes that had baited the property. However they did discuss this with the landowner and they lost their hunting lease because of it. On that note... the landowner is not letting anyone hunt or lease because of this. Thats pretty sad ..hunting property was lost because someone could'nt play by the rules.

In KyHunter14's case.... I'd discuss it with a CO and just explain it as you suspect it could be baited but did'nt actually see any bait. Let them check it out and make dang sure its not. As I stated earlier... you dont have to be hunting directly over the bait. The law states ...under the influence of bait. You , your dad.... anyone hunting the property can be cited... even if you did'nt have a thing to do with putting out the bait.

Co's.. are just like us. They know the value we put into enjoying our hunts and being legal. It would be better for them to give you the blessing that the area is legal to hunt than show up on opening day issuing citations.

[jesse]

just a thought try setting up a trail camera

[KYHUNTER14]

Neither me, nor my dad will be hunting this property this year. Gonna try to get in touch with the CO in the area. Anyone know where you can get the contact info for the CO?

[barney]

Neither me, nor my dad will be hunting this property this year. Gonna try to get in touch with the CO in the area. Anyone know where you can get the contact info for the CO?
http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/kfwis/viewable/lawenforcement_districts.gif?lid=1454&NavPath=C439

[CHL]

I had a situation last year where an adjoing farm to ours was baited. If the CO's find any bait thats been scattered ..specifically before season... they can photgraph & document. Then if your caught hunting that property....you will receive a fine. Otherwords.... the bait does'nt necessarily have to be present on opening day. If its present anytime during the no baiting time period ... its baited property. You dont necessarily have to be hunting over the bait to be cited either.

Also... every situation from a Co's stand point can be handled differently depending the circumstances. They can shut the entire baited property down and can also shut the adjoining properties down as well. In our case ... the bait(broadcasted cracked corn) was'nt 20 yds from our property line. The CO's worked with us & thankfully did'nt shut our farm down but we agreed not to hunt approximately a 50 acre strip that bordered the baited property.

I was never sure if the Co's caught the low-lifes that had baited the property. However they did discuss this with the landowner and they lost their hunting lease because of it. On that note... the landowner is not letting anyone hunt or lease because of this. Thats pretty sad ..hunting property was lost because someone could'nt play by the rules.

In KyHunter14's case.... I'd discuss it with a CO and just explain it as you suspect it could be baited but did'nt actually see any bait. Let them check it out and make dang sure its not. As I stated earlier... you dont have to be hunting directly over the bait. The law states ...under the influence of bait. You , your dad.... anyone hunting the property can be cited... even if you did'nt have a thing to do with putting out the bait.

Co's.. are just like us. They know the value we put into enjoying our hunts and being legal. It would be better for them to give you the blessing that the area is legal to hunt than show up on opening day issuing citations.

Point well made!

[slickhead slayer]

It dont matter the guy next to us got popped for baiting he was fined 250.an still gets to hunt on the farm an the c/o wont call anyone back to answer the bait ? regs.so im thinken he got paid off.

You think he got paid off, yet the guy had to pay a fine? Sure doesn't sound like he got paid off to me. Most people don't realize, all a CO can do is ticket you for the offense. What the penalty is, or what a judge does is completely out of his hands. CO's complain about lack of punishment as much as anybody sometimes.

[matewsq2]

You think he got paid off, yet the guy had to pay a fine? Sure doesn't sound like he got paid off to me. Most people don't realize, all a CO can do is ticket you for the offense. What the penalty is, or what a judge does is completely out of his hands. CO's complain about lack of punishment as much as anybody sometimes.
Their hunting a baited farm.an yes it is baited 1000 or so lbs shell corn on the ground i know for sure my buddy seen them dumping it an got pics an the c/o said they had drove around the edge of the fields pouring out an wrote them for baiting.an i think they should have been hit for there hunting rites an a cuople grtand fine 250. ant crap to this guy he needed to be hit hard an the way i understand the rules if the place is baited you cant hunt the whole place.hes hunting all of it an theres like 600ac.An the c/o wont return no1s calls to tell us what the regs are.

[JDMiller]

Their hunting a baited farm.an yes it is baited 1000 or so lbs shell corn on the ground i know for sure my buddy seen them dumping it an got pics an the c/o said they had drove around the edge of the fields pouring out an wrote them for baiting.an i think they should have been hit for there hunting rites an a cuople grtand fine 250. ant crap to this guy he needed to be hit hard an the way i understand the rules if the place is baited you cant hunt the whole place.hes hunting all of it an theres like 600ac.An the c/o wont return no1s calls to tell us what the regs are.

matewsq2.... I have a feeling what your hearing and the actual truth may be two different things. Its hard to say he's allowed to hunt the entire place when hunting season is not even in yet to witness it first hand. He may be just running at the mouth and what he's spewing out will be very different than what he actually does.

Just thinking out loud but ... all he could have gotten fined for was just baiting. Its probably all the CO's only caught him doing illegally to issue a fine for in the first place. If they had been caught in the act of hunting ...weapons present ..possibly a harvested bird.. then there would definitely be stiffer penalties.

I'd also say .... theres no doubt with the CO its baited property. He's not going to post signs as such stating "baited farm / no hunting" and with an existing fine on the books for baiting ... not much way for anyone to wiggle out of it. Even if the CO did'nt specifically tell the guy you cant hunt it during spring season (which I'm betting he did)... its up to the hunter to know the regs. Already with a fine issued... you would have to be of limited mental capacity to not know your breaking the law to hunt it.

If I were the CO.. I would'nt comment much on it right now either and just show up at the place on opening weekend.

[matewsq2]

matewsq2.... I have a feeling what your hearing and the actual truth may be two different things. Its hard to say he's allowed to hunt the entire place when hunting season is not even in yet to witness it first hand. He may be just running at the mouth and what he's spewing out will be very different than what he actually does.

Just thinking out loud but ... all he could have gotten fined for was just baiting. Its probably all the CO's only caught him doing illegally to issue a fine for in the first place. If they had been caught in the act of hunting ...weapons present ..possibly a harvested bird.. then there would definitely be stiffer penalties.

I'd also say .... theres no doubt with the CO its baited property. He's not going to post signs as such stating "baited farm / no hunting" and with an existing fine on the books for baiting ... not much way for anyone to wiggle out of it. Even if the CO did'nt specifically tell the guy you cant hunt it during spring season (which I'm betting he did)... its up to the hunter to know the regs. Already with a fine issued... you would have to be of limited mental capacity to not know your breaking the law to hunt it.

If I were the CO.. I would'nt comment much on it right now either and just show up at the place on opening weekend.
the youth hunt they hunted an killed a bird out from under my niece cause tey come up rite on the line that sat.we tlked to them an asked bout the baiting issue an they said that they could hunt the fields that wasnt baited but that is none of them that i know of.an feeders still out after the day there post to be taken out that wasnt 30 days b4 season came in it was mid marchan youth season was april 4th an the co said they could hunt it knowing we where trying to get a hold of him cause they were hunting baited ground.if it was me id burn their arses i was talken to a guy bout it tonite a kids soccer game an hes like me thinks c/o has turned his head the other way.

[Quickdraw Kitchen]

I went out to my usual turkey hunting spot yesterday. I have hunted this place for about 10 years now. It is a hunting club. My dad and I have put a blind in the same spot on the land for 5 or 6 years. We went out yesterday with the idea of putting out our blind for this year. We get to our spot and not 50 yards away is a blind already set up. About the time I noticed the blind, my dad saw a flock of turkeys running away from us in the same area where the new blind was.

Man, dad was PO'ed. What can you do though? I am assuming that whoever put the blind there has probably gotten permission from a member to be on the place and I am also assuming that they didnt know that this was "our" spot. I am also assuming that they have just as much right to be there as we do.

Keep in mind that I have hunted this spot every spring for a long time. I have seen occasional scratches in the leaves for nuts. Well as we were leaving yesterday, I noticed hundreds of spots where turkeys had scratched. Completely out of the ordinary. I knew what was up immediately. I didnt see any corn left on the ground, but there is an old barn that is near the blind and when I looked in there I found sack with leftover corn in it. I know the guy is baiting turkeys and my have taken a turkey during the youth season (i looked in the blind and there was a coffee cup and snuff tin inside, so someone had been hunting in it).

What should I do? I have no problem at all with reporting this behavior. It is unethical and should be reported, but I am afraid it will be viewed as sour grapes becuase this guy took our spot. Also, I have no idea who the blind belongs to and even though I am 100% sure the guy is baiting the turkeys, how can something like that be proven? What do you guys think?

FYI, the hunting club is located in Greenup County, so if any of you all know the CO in that area let me know.


If I were you I would call the gamewarden and tell them whats going and where. Then go try another spot for the opening day. Because the gamewarden is more than likely going to be sitting there waiting for the guy to come and if he sees you there. Your going to be theone accused of baiting the turkeys if uor hunting any where near that spot. On second thought might want to ask the owner to see if anyone else has permission first then call the gamewarden.