Bans on feeding and baiting draws mixed reviews
On Dec. 14, the DNR announced a ban on feeding or baiting deer for two years in Clark and Jackson counties, and extended a ban in Eau Claire County for three years effective Dec. 13, 2021.
The bans come after a farm-raised deer on a deer farm in Eau Claire County tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
State law requires the DNR to ban feeding and baiting of deer in counties or parts of counties within a 10-mile radius of a positive case of CWD or tuberculosis. The deer farm is within 10 miles of Clark and Jackson counties.
Banning of baiting and feeding, and the practice of both, create a lot of emotion with Wisconsin hunters and residents. And while Wisconsin hunters and citizens generally desire to control the spread of CWD, not all see the logic of this action.
And it appears many are not happy with the policies they feel are not addressing the root cause of the spread of CWD.
“I think it’s dumb,” an avid Wisconsin bowhunter told me. “I guess I’d get it if it was a wild deer but it was literally behind a fence. How is that a threat to deer 60 miles away? I don’t even hunt over bait, you don’t kill big bucks over bait, but I would sure like to have that option for my kids and my dad is not so steady on his feet. He just wants some venison and hunting from a warm blind over bait is perfect.”
“I literally can’t remember the last time a wild deer was found in a new area with CWD before a deer farm deer was found first,” said another Wisconsin hunter who does like to hunt over bait. “They aren’t doing anything about the deer farms. It isn’t fair.”
“They are still feeding deer inside those fences,” said a Wisconsin resident that watches deer in the evening at his feeder. “That ended this past September for me. But they still feed those deer inside the fences.”
Others view this all differently. “I wish they would just end baiting, be done with it,” an area hunter told me. “The deer move around more when they don’t have corn piles to eat from.”
“I don’t like baiting, to me it’s cheating,” said a good friend. “I think we should be better hunters and work harder for our deer,” he continued. “But I haven’t shot a deer in over three years.” “I quit hunting over two things: CWD and the stupid laws we got in Wisconsin that says we can’t shoot our deer and take it home because my hunting land was in a county outside of where I live,” a former Wisconsin hunter told me. “I sold that land, I don’t hunt Wisconsin anymore. I’ll retire in two years we’re moving west. Huntin’s better and I can cut up my own deer.” He went on to say “I never baited deer, didn’t need to, so I don’t care if they ban it.” “I’ve never baited deer, but I never had to,” a different non-Wisconsin bowhunter. “I gun hunt my dad’s land with my daughter during the gun season. The fields attract deer but I get why my buddies have used bait because they don’t have fields to hunt so it means traveling farther to find huntable deer or they don’t see deer because they are in someone else’s field.”
“What he said,” his friend said. “I’m a have not. He shoots monster bucks in Iowa, I hunt Wisconsin for meat.”
It’s clear that everyone I’ve talked to is concerned about the resource, but wonder if this policy is correct.
“I see deer licking each other’s mouths, licking and sniffing urine spots, and sticks. To me that spreads CWD not a bait pile,” said another hunter. “And if deer concentrate by bait piles, what about deer farms? Deer concentrate under apple trees just like bait piles. Will we need to start cutting down our apple trees before they focus on deer farms?”
However we slice it we remain passionate about deer. CWD issues stir strong emotions. The issues around CWD, baiting, deer farms, and deer populations remain complex.
Our opinions remain diverse and we can only totally agree on disagreeing. Fifteen years ago I found those for and against baiting to be equally split. Now the majority believe the problem that needs addressing is deer farms.
Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and Holiday Season!
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CHUCK K OLAR LOCAL OUTDOORSMAN
