OUTDOORS IN MAINE by V. Paul Reynolds: Deer and the pre-baiting issue continues to confuse

By V. Paul Reynolds

Maine outdoor writer Steve Carpenteri, in a recent article in “Northwoods Sporting Journal,” posed a number of questions related to the baiting of deer by hunters. He then answered those questions in an informative and useful way. While many states allow the hunting of deer over unnatural bait, including neighboring New Hampshire, Maine is not one of them. Here, hunting deer over unnatural bait is illegal.

Carpenteri, who has hunted a lot over bait in other states, points out that even baiting is no sure thing, especially when it comes to mature deer, who are exceedingly wary of bait sites. The outdoor writer explained it is legal in Maine to put out deer bait prior to the opening of any given deer season. This sometimes can have results with younger deer, who develop a routine and may check out a former bait site after the bait has been removed.

What Carpenteri may not have known was that as he was putting the finishing touches on his column, the Maine State Legislature voted to enact a bill called “An Act to Prohibit the Feeding of Deer from Aug. 15 to Dec. 15.” This will take effect 90 days from legislative adjournment without the governor’s signature. So, in effect, the pre-baiting tactic Carpenteri writes about will be illegal for summer and fall 2018.
Yes, Steve, it is almost impossible to keep up with the Augusta legislative machine cranking out laws like cheap lollypops.

Interestingly, the folks at the Maine Department of Fish & Wildlife testified in support of this bill, LD 767, arguing it would help in the areas of disease transmission and deer-car collisions. The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine opposed the bill, along with a bunch of others, all of which it claims were “attempts by the general public to either protect deer or alter DIF&W management policy.”

On balance, it seems neither the opponents or the proponents were very focused in their testimony, although SAM makes a salient observation: There is an indisputable ethical component to this debate, one never broached by Carpenteri, SAM or DIF&W.

If you are a deer hunter, what do you think? Is it ethical to bait deer? Is it any different from putting a tree stand over an apple tree or a corn field? As a Maine bow hunter, I have engaged in pre-baiting, for all the good it has done. Although I am not sure where I come down on this issue from an ethical standpoint, I do believe ethics should figure in the debate, and the legislative machine is too quick to pass laws that never get fully fleshed out and wind up criminalizing sportsmen, who just can’t stay abreast of the legislative flurry.

SAM plans to introduce legislation next winter to retract this new pre-baiting ban.

_The author is editor of the “Northwoods Sporting Journal.” He is also a Maine guide and host of a weekly radio program — “Maine Outdoors” — heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on “The Voice of Maine News -Talk Network.” He has authored three books; online purchase information is available at www.maineoutdoorpublications.com._

deer feeding photo
Photo by JohnWDavisJr