Wildlife - Waterfowl Hunting and Baiting

Problem Areas

Feeding Waterfowl and Other Wildlife
Many people feed waterfowl for the pleasure of bird watching. It is illegal to hunt waterfowl in an area where such feeding has occurred that could lure or attract migratory game birds to, on, or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them. The 10-day rule applies to such areas, and any salt, grain, or feed must be gone 10 days before hunting. The use of sand and shell grit is not prohibited.

In some areas, it is a legal hunting practice to place grain to attract some State-protected game species (i.e. white-tailed deer). But these areas would be illegal for waterfowl hunting, and the 10-day rule would apply.

Distance
How close to bait can you hunt without breaking the law? There is no set distance. The law prohibits hunting if bait is present that could lure or attract birds to, on, or over areas where hunters are attempting to take them. Distance will vary depending on the circumstances and such facts as topography, weather, and waterfowl flight patterns. Therefore, this question can only be answered on a case-by-case basis.

What Is Legal?
You can hunt waterfowl on or over or from:

• Unharvested crops or flooded unharvested crops, including aquatic plants.

• Standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation.

• Flooded harvested croplands.

• Lands or areas where grains have been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural planting, harvesting, or post-harvest manipulation.

• A blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with natural vegetation.

• A blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with vegetation from agricultural crops, provided your use of such vegetation does not expose, deposit, distribute or scatter grain or other feed.

• Unharvested or flooded unharvested crops where grain is inadvertently scattered solely as the result of hunters entering or leaving the area, placing decoys, or retrieving downed birds. Hunters are cautioned that while conducting these activities, any intentional scattering of grain will create a baited area.

What Is Illegal?
Some examples of areas where you cannot hunt waterfowl include:

• Areas where grain or seed has been top-sown and the Cooperative Extension Service does not recommend the practice of top sowing (see section on Wildlife Food Plots).

• Crops that have been harvested outside of the recommended harvest dates established by the Cooperative Extension Service (including any subsequent post-harvest manipulations).

• Unharvested crops that have been trampled by livestock or subjected to other types of manipulations that distribute, scatter, or expose grain.

• Areas where grain is present and stored, such as grain elevators and grain bins.

• Areas where grain is present for the purpose of feeding livestock.

• Freshly planted wildlife food plots that contain exposed grain.

• Croplands where a crop has been harvested and the removed grain is redistributed or “added back” onto the area where grown.

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