Kentuck

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Messages
3,648
Reaction score
47
Just so everyone knows, attractants are also illegal. At least while hunting. Was told that by a Lt. Warden. Even though it is not a "food" I was told it was still illegal.
 

sabershooter

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2013
Messages
331
Reaction score
0
I was told by a warden if they can't lick or feed on it its legal to use....
 

CaliforniaKid

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
214
Reaction score
3
Attractants that offer the 'promise of food' are illegal. Sow in Heat attractants are OK to use.
 

CottonwoodHunting

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Messages
136
Reaction score
2
Mammal Hunting Regulations 2013-2014
Subdivision 2. Game and Furbearers
Chapter 1. General Provisions and Definitions

§251.1. Harassment of Animals.
Except as otherwise authorized in these regulations or in the Fish and Game Code, no person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal. For the purposes of this section, harass is defined as an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering. This section does not apply to a landowner or tenant who drives or herds birds or mammals for the purpose of preventing damage to private or public property, including aquaculture and agriculture crops.

§251.3. Prohibition Against Feeding Big Game Mammals.
No person shall knowingly feed big game mammals, as defined in Section 350 of these regulations.

§257.5. Prohibition Against Taking Resident Game Birds and Mammals by the Aid of Bait.
Except as otherwise provided in these regulations or in the Fish and Game Code, resident game birds and mammals may not be taken within 400 yards of any baited area.
(a) Definition of Baited Area. As used in this regulation, "baited area" shall mean any area where shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grains, salt, or other feed whatsoever capable of luring, attracting, or enticing such birds or mammals is directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered, and such area shall remain a baited area for ten days following complete removal
(b) Exceptions:
(1) The taking of domestically reared and released game birds on licensed pheasant clubs and other licensed game bird clubs;
(2) The taking of resident game birds and mammals on or over standing crops, flooded standing crops (including aquatics), flooded harvested croplands, grain crops properly shocked on the field where grown, or grains found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural planting or harvesting;
(3) The taking of resident game birds and mammals on or over any lands where shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed have been distributed or scattered as the result of bona fide agricultural operations or procedures, or as a result of manipulation of a crop or other feed on the land where grown for wildlife management purposes: provided that manipulation for wildlife management purposes does not include the distributing or scattering of grain or other feed once it has been removed from or stored on the field where grown.

§350. Big Game Defined.
"Big game" means the following: deer (genus Odocoileus), elk (genus Cervus), pronghorn antelope (genus Antilocarpa), wild pig (feral pigs, European wild pigs and their hybrids (genus Sus), black bear (genus Ursus) and Nelson bighorn sheep (subspecies Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in the areas described in subsection 4902(b) of the Fish and Game

Source:
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/mammalregs.aspx#251_3
 

CottonwoodHunting

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Messages
136
Reaction score
2
The problem is that the law is not actually enforced. There is a discrepancy between the written law, and actual enforcement on a practical basis. That discrepancy is what causes confusion. Reading the letter of the law, according to §251.1. it is illegal to "disrupt an animal's normal behavior patterns." That means it is illegal to use scent attractants to attract big game animals to your trail camera. Those animals would not normally walk in front of your camera, therefore, using scent attractants disrupts their normal behavior. But--apparently this law, as it was written, was too strict. On a practical basis, (some?) game wardens have decided not to enforce the law. Apparently people have been told by game wardens that they do not have to follow the letter of the law. Not only that, but people have been told conflicting things by wardens.

Bottom line? I would just use common sense, follow the spirit of the law, act ethically, follow the advice of game wardens, and be discrete.
 

JustGuy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
1,620
Reaction score
3
Now it is more confusing than ever.
To eat is "disrupted normal behavior"? By baiting an area one just enforces and provokes natural behavior (eatin) LOL....
There is nothing about the scent because it is not enforceable. You cannot bring scent to a court as an evidence, hence there is no such law.

BTW, According to your interpritation of §251.1 calling an animal should be considered as "disrupting normal behavior" Isn't it?
 
Last edited:

CottonwoodHunting

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Messages
136
Reaction score
2
Now it is more confusing than ever.
To eat is "disrupted normal behavior"? By baiting an area one just enforces and provokes natural behavior (eatin) LOL....
There is nothing about the scent because it is not enforceable. You cannot bring scent to a court as an evidence, hence there is no such law.

BTW, According to your interpritation of §251.1 calling an animal should be considered as "disrupting normal behavior" Isn't it?


Who knows. All I can do is talk out my arse until someone from the DFG comes on here and sets us all straight.
 

JustGuy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
1,620
Reaction score
3
And it is going to be his/her opinion. My point is, most of the CA huntig laws and regs do not make any scene, they very controversial and i have a feeling their main goal is to confuse and repel people from hunting.
 

brewernick9656

Active member
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
25
Reaction score
0
Just don't get caught you are feeding the raccoons and coyotes if anyone asks and you cannot hunt a feeded area for 10 consecutive days and you cannot hunt within 400 yards of any feeded area
 

dwikkles

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
309
Reaction score
3
Just so everyone knows, attractants are also illegal. At least while hunting. Was told that by a Lt. Warden. Even though it is not a "food" I was told it was still illegal.

I was told the exact opposite by a Warden. I have used scent's in the past (not food scent) and I will again since I was told by a legal authority that it is legal. When the season is right for it.
 

voidecho

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2013
Messages
842
Reaction score
2
Why the two laws? Why is there a law that says you can't hunt within 400 yards of a baited area or within ten days after the bait has been removed if its already illegal to bait animals?
 

zavodizhevsk

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
Messages
207
Reaction score
1
I was at a DFG class where an instructor, with a warden in the room, told us that pear and apple scent was ok to use to get hogs to stop at a particular spot. When someone asked him whether that constituted baiting, his answer was that he'd done it before. Ultimately, it comes down to whoever is enforcing the game laws in your particular situation. I can see a warden citing a hunter for "altering normal animal behavior" and I can also see a warden letting it go.

Unfortunately, I don't think one warden's ok on scent will save you from another, over-eager warden's ticket.


Sent from my straight key using Morse code.
 

Latest Posts

QRCode

QR Code
Top Bottom