Baiting regs.

[JohnSmiles]

So, I am to understand that there is NOT set distance involved in baiting?
And that it is up to the CO to decide yes or no?
What in the world is the excuse for this?
I can legally place food plots all over, feed deer anything I care to all year, and add minerals to the area to ensure the deer are as healthy as possible.
This is all fine and dandy.
But come 10 days prior to deer season, all TRACES must be removed(which is virtually impossible for minerals) 'around' a hunting area.
But no definition of 'around'?
50, 100, 150 or more yards may or may NOT be legal, and its up to the CO?
But at the same time, hunting in an apple orchard or white oak stand is legal?
Does this not sound like an issue needing some serious attention?
I have no distrust of CO's any more than I do anyone else, but I have no more trust either.
People are still people, no matter what shirt they have on.
And there is no need for this type of discretion to be allowed.

Also, if I am still hunting on Public land, and someone else has left mineral or bait out in certain area's, I am guessing that if I unknowingly get too close to one of these baited area's I am now illegal?
I still hunt as much as I hunt from a stand, and while I hunt private land, nothing is preventing neighbors from placing bait or minerals out close to property lines.
I could easily still hunt to within a few yards of such an area and never even see it.
What kind of checks and balances are in place to keep an innocent hunter from being railroaded here?

[MIG]

Goats.

[buster]

We have the discretion for many reasons. FIRST OF ALL, WE will be the ones checking you in the field or responding to a complaint about a violation, not a robot or chimpanzee. We will use OUR DISCRETION to aid in making a decision AFTER reviewing the TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES involved. Yes, you can be arrested for bait near your tree stand, placed there by another person, even though you were not aware of its presence. I would most likely speak to you about the situation and make a decision based on the facts at hand and by your responses.

Food plots are diffferent than placing bait on the ground for animals to consume, as a food plot is part of a normal agricultural practice AND allowed by law.