# BEWARE! Baited Area Bust



## jamesmoore (Aug 26, 2014)

Went out yesterday morning (10:00AM) with my 12 year old son to a lease/hunt club just East of Buda. Wardens were there with exits blocked off. They had 36 hunters confined to an area to ensure they do not exit the property while they were conducting their investigation. Wardens asked if we hunted that day and we said no.........getting a late start. Warden said we were safe. Turns out that the property owner had baited the fields.

I heard that 36 tickets were issued to the hunters for hunting over a baited area. I am sure they were unaware that the fields were baited. PLEASE, be careful with whom you are dealing with when it comes to day hunts, leases or hunt clubs. We place a certain degree of trust that a hunt operation is "above board". Just ask questions and hopefully you will get straight answers. I heard that hunting over a baited area is a Federal offense. 

I learned a fantastic lesson yesterday as well as my son.


----------



## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

Good advice for all.

TH


----------



## SpottedAg (Jun 16, 2010)

Who was the hunting club?


----------



## xp22 (Jul 20, 2012)

I was out there on that property but hunting a different part of the property. They stopped us and made us sit there for 2 hours but no ticket for our 1 mourning dove. There were so many people the dove didn't even make it to where we were. I might try one of the different fields later this week.


----------



## jamesmoore (Aug 26, 2014)

*Confiscate*

I really do not want to name names or the property. Though I was there....... I left after 20 minutes or so (warden said I could leave). I heard the wardens confiscated the hunters birds.

Did the property owner finally show up to face the music?


----------



## aTm08 (Dec 30, 2011)

Was this a deal where you were directly working with the property owner, or was it a sublease like a hunting club? The owners may not be the one to blame if there is a middle man involved. At any rate that's a crappy way to start a season off.


----------



## MARK MACALUSO (Sep 29, 2010)

There is not much the hunter can do. The law states that if you hunted over a baited field whether knowing or not , you are still liable. Happened to us a couple years ago and even the guys in the other field that were in the fly way were ticketed also. Be careful..


----------



## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

Bad deal for those that paid to hunt there, assuming they didn't know.

We're running late on some of our dozer work so I called Austin about planting the new areas of our duck ponds. After several conversations between Austin, our local warden, and myself we agreed not to plant until after the dove opener and then have to keep hunters out of those pastures for a week after planting. Not just off the pond but out of the entire pasture. 

I think they were more than reasonable but it could have gotten ugly had I not called to ask first.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


----------



## JustSlabs (Jun 19, 2005)

Buddy of mine was busted for hunting over a baited field. He saw the GW's coming so he hopped on his ranger and drove off before they got to him. Somehow they found out who he was the Federal GW's went to his work and got him. 

Found out last year it is legal to hunt ring necks over a baited field....it was on after that


----------



## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

Most instances like that where the paying hunters had no clue that the area is baited, at least the times I've heard about it....the tickets given to the paying hunters ultimately get dismissed

I did hear of a big south Texas ranch that was corning only the main road to impress guests with the deer and wildlife as they drove in got busted by the Feds and the guests got tickets, which the landowner paid for everyone's ticket....that one seems really trivial to me

Frankly, and this is only my opinion, the baiting laws and esp. Federal enforcement of them are trivial and stupid

I've seen water holes that constitute more of an attractant to doves then a corned road...and they are legal to hunt over


----------



## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

I'm sure they took their guns as well. May or may not be able to get them back after paying the fine.


----------



## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Jamie said:


> Frankly, and this is only my opinion, the baiting laws and esp. Federal enforcement of them are trivial and stupid


It is the duty of federal enforcement because migratory birds are protected under international treaty. For hunters, this applies to dove, duck, geese, snipe, woodcock and sandhill crane.

Enforcement is needed because baiting not only is an unfair advantage for the criminals who are doing it, but it screws over the rest of use who get the smelly end of the stick because we are left with birdless fields and ponds.

In countries where baiting is legal such as Iceland and New Zealand, since everyone baits, no one is taking unfair advantage. The only ones who are hurt are the ones who don't bait.


----------



## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

Is their "duty", once they have intelligence that a field is being baited, to lie in wait while the unsuspecting day hunters meet the outfitter/landowner at 5:30 in the morning

Then they are driven out in the dark to a grain field they've never seen and when the morning doves start flying when it's barely light enough to see a bird much less make some intelligent assessment by carefully examining the ground that the amount of milo on the ground exceeds would a normal harvest would leave

And then the wardens jump out at first light and round up these hunters who have never even seen what a normal milo harvest leaves on then ground

Then, detain these innocent hunters for 2 hours and then give them all tickets?

Why not arrest the one and only "criminal" to use your term, immediately and let all the innocent hunters go?

It's ludicrous to tickets the hunters in the above scenario


----------



## grand poobah (Nov 6, 2007)

*Being fair*

I have heard of two instances where the game wardens let people know in advance that they considered an area baited but in both cases it was not intentional baiting it was accidental baiting.
The first instance is were a trucking company use the hose to clean out a truck containing rice in an area where there was no rice and left it on the road near this guys property in the game wardens found it and warn him and all his hunters nobody can hunt there for 12 days.
A second occurrence happened to us on a field in Eagle Lake that had soy bean on it. The soy bean did not put make because of the drought that year so they farmer collected an insurance check but then was forced to plow under the soybean crop to collect the insurance. The Wharton County game warden and federal game warden called the landowner who called us to tell us it was considered a manipulated crop not natural farming practices and we cannot hunt it for the entire season. Actually we would have to have every bit of soy bean out of this field and then we could hunt 10 days after the last bit of soy bean was out of the field but the risk and hassle were the much to deal with it.


----------



## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Good advice for all. Be carefull....


----------



## tincan (May 2, 2012)

I got ticketed Monday for hunting at my horse barn gw said it was baited wrote ticket while horses were eating


----------



## ROBOWADER (May 22, 2004)

I sure would like to know what outfit this is. I live in Buda and before last season started we went and scouted a few fields this guy had East of Buda. Mainly in the Turnerville Rd. areas.

PM Sent


----------



## JustSlabs (Jun 19, 2005)

tincan said:


> I got ticketed Monday for hunting at my horse barn gw said it was baited wrote ticket while horses were eating


Sooooo, the horses were eating the bait? There has got to be more to this


----------



## reelfast (Aug 25, 2011)

Jamie said:


> Is their "duty", once they have intelligence that a field is being baited, to lie in wait while the unsuspecting day hunters meet the outfitter/landowner at 5:30 in the morning
> 
> Then they are driven out in the dark to a grain field they've never seen and when the morning doves start flying when it's barely light enough to see a bird much less make some intelligent assessment by carefully examining the ground that the amount of milo on the ground exceeds would a normal harvest would leave
> 
> ...


BIG GOVERNMENT AT WORK GENTS! THEY HAVE MONEY TO MAKE!! GET OUTTA THEIR WAY OR GET F'Dn THE A


----------



## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

reelfast said:


> BIG GOVERNMENT AT WORK GENTS! THEY HAVE MONEY TO MAKE!! GET OUTTA THEIR WAY OR GET F'Dn THE A


I was hunting g a pond on some public land where I live, and realized after daylight there was corn in the water. Called the new local warden, and had him meet me up the river. I told him what happened and what I had found, and he asked what I had shot. Told him 4 Greenhead's before I realized what was going on and stopped there to call him and head to the bank and meet him. He then took my birds, my gun, and hunting license, wrote me a ticket, and told me he could also take my boat if I protested anymore.
When it was all said and done, I had my day in court with him, and, had the last laugh. He didn't make it but about a year and a half in our area.


----------



## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

Ok here is my baited fields storyâ€”
Every year we take the boys out of school on the South opener and go was a group â€“ it has grown to the point where we have 7-8 dads and 13-16 kids.
We decided to hunt in Seally last year with a young outfitter who was getting startedâ€”hard working kid.
The day arrives and we have to meet the outfitter at a coffee shop on I-10 at like 430 or 5 â€“ so we get the boys up and start the drive from Friendswood. Long way-
We get there (restaurant) and finally caravan to the fieldâ€”The outfitter put our entire group in one field, so it was nice. He dropped each group offâ€”he would not let us walk inâ€”point of pride thingâ€”he also drove by like 3-4 times asking the kids if they needed water
We were in a 15-20 acre field that had trees/brush on side and a tree farm on the other. Highway or FM road at end and the road we came in on at the other
We got into the field before first light and sat talking with the boys.
Outfitter said, do not shoot into the tree farm and if a bird lands there tell me and I will get it, do not go and get the bird.
Sun comes up and â€¦ Nothing we see maybe 20 dove and they are not flying near our field and couple singles fly over â€“ but itâ€™s not good. It happensâ€”no ones fault.
We are all spread out along a fence and right behind us is the tree farmâ€”I am sitting in a chair and my seat is backed up against a fence post and all up and down this fence line are crape myrtles in 15-20 gallon pots with irrigation into the pots. 
The boys are reaching through the fence and pulling some of the berries off the trees and throwing them at each otherâ€”kids stuff -- 
We have been on the field for a while and I am starting consider telling the boys to open up on dragon flies its so slow.
We can hear a few shots from places around us, but its dead.
Look back towards the trucks, and I can see 2 dodge trucks, Boys inquire and I tell them itâ€™s the man.
We discuss what to do and safety and plugs etc.
These guys are talking to the outfitter â€“ he is a little animated, and they are pointing in our direction, but no one is walking into the field.
Finally one of the Dads who is closer walks over there to see whatâ€™s going on. I then see them putting their guns up.
2 of the wardens come walking down the fence and I get us all unloaded and stand up. Boys prop their guns on the fence and stand next to me. I am shooting a side/side hammer gun, the gun is broken open and on my shoulder.
First thing Rambo(fed game guy) says is â€œUnload your guns.â€ I tell him they are unloadedâ€”he saw us do itâ€”what a tool. I show him my bores and he just nodsâ€”not thanks not how are you doing not ****. Says gimme all your licenses and then he keeps themâ€”hands them to the staqte guyâ€”who at this point I think is a trainee, so I said â€œthatâ€™s why he said thatâ€”he wants to show the trainee the absolute by the book way to do stuffâ€ 
I asked whatâ€™s going on and he says he is investigating a report of a baited field â€“ he is being really nebulous and says itâ€™s in the area. I said well if it is it isnâ€™t working cause you would have heard tons of shooting, and we havenâ€™t shot but like 10 times in the field and I doubt anyone has a bird. They just are not here.
The other nice warden is a state guyâ€”I asked them again â€“ where is the baited fieldâ€”Rambo doesnâ€™t want to say and finally after a meeting of their obviously giant brains the state guy says your standing in it?
Whatâ€”this is a baited field? 
What? Where? Whatâ€™s the baitâ€”I canâ€™t see anything â€“ BTW this field has very very short grass or haygrazer or coastal in it.
Rambo pipes up and says its miloâ€”I said again where is it. Rambo bows up and says Ill show it you to. They walk up and down the fence row and look into the crape myrtle pots till the find 10-15 little black prills. 
I said guys thatâ€™s not miloâ€”its osmicote fertilizer. But Rambo wonâ€™t hear itâ€”no sir itâ€™s milo. We have been watching this field for a couple of weeks and we know it was baited.
I said where was itâ€”they said the middle of this road your standing on. I walked up and down the road and couldnâ€™t see anythingâ€” well if you would have been here 2.5 weeks ago you would have seen it
I told the boys to go back to the truckâ€”and there we all waited because they collected everyoneâ€™s licenseâ€”kids are freaking out and we stand around for 2 hours while Rambo and his partner discuss what they are going to do about the â€œBaited fieldâ€ 
They finally tell us we are lucky as the outfitter decided to take the hit for all of usâ€”and we can have our licenses back and they will issue written warnings to all of us â€“ kids too â€“ Wow just freaking wow. What a positive experience for these kids
I said we are all from Friendswood, How the hell would we know this was baited??????â€”
Ramboâ€™s A: Itâ€™s your responsibility to knowâ€”I said I am here and I still donâ€™t believe you and its lightâ€”We got here this morning in the freakin dark â€“ what was I supposed to come out here daily till the season starts? 
Ramboâ€”Not my problemâ€”be more careful next time.
Outfitter returns our money and he walks off with the wardens â€“
If it was baited it is obvious to me the tree farm did it- cause they didnâ€™t want people hunting next to them
Turns out these guys sat in their trucks from before daylight till almost 9 am to come get the big bad Friendswood cartel of dove poaching fathers and sons. Then, they used their overwhelming powers of deduction to figure out we didnâ€™t know it was there (if it ever was) to guilt the outfitter into taking the hit for the group and let us off with written warnings. I took them almost 2 hours to give us back our licenses, so we could leave. 
Netâ€”ruined hunt, wasted time, and the boys all donâ€™t like the man nowâ€”they all said Game wardens suckâ€”We explained to them thy donâ€™t and since then we have had positive experiences with others. 
Good Job MEN you are truly a credit to your profession â€“ I feel a ton safer â€“ Nice goin you tool boxes!!
Couldnâ€™t just stop us from going to that field in the first place?


----------



## G K Chambers (Aug 12, 2005)

I have nothing but respect for game wardens and have treated them politely for the past 30 years. I know two retired game wardens that I count as friends.One encounter with a game warden late last winter has broken me of this.

.I will continue to treat them honorably and respectfully but the phone is coming out and I'm pushing record. I want to be sure the whole internet can enjoy what a tough guy the game warden is.


----------



## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

What does that even mean? Pushing record on the phone?


----------



## G K Chambers (Aug 12, 2005)

That means our conversation will be recorded.


----------



## G K Chambers (Aug 12, 2005)

Video and audio.


----------



## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

Gotcha


----------



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

The Feds are a different breed.... And if you did anything, it sounds like you pushed their buttons

I can't see how anyone including a judge would side with their case....

I would be thankful you got to keep you guns....

But that really is a bummer how it turned out for your group....especially for the kids


----------



## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

GW's are hated in East Texas and they have brought this on themselves. This hatred goes back generations.
I have only met one that was a stand up guy 
doing his job. I think the others are injected with CS before they 
graduate. To lazy to chase the real criminals night hunting.
They would rather bust a teenager for a 12 inch spread.


----------



## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

I don't hate Game Wardens-- if anything I wish we had more of them-- In every profession you have good ones, great one, (like the guys I met on chocolate) and terrible ones.
The thing is with some of these guys its a power trip, -- 
Oh and by the way-- I didn't push any buttons --I was very quiet throughout the whole deal-- I could tell these guys wanted someone to say something --Ridiculous.


----------



## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

Jack's Pocket said:


> GW's are hated in East Texas and they have brought this on themselves. This hatred goes back generations.
> I have only met one that was a stand up guy
> doing his job. I think the others are injected with CS before they
> graduate. To lazy to chase the real criminals night hunting.
> They would rather bust a teenager for a 12 inch spread.


I'll have to disagree. I and all my friends hunt AND live in deep East Texas. One or two bad experiences didn't cause me to hate wardens. Only know two that acted like *****, and they were feds(as read above). Only one questionable encounter with a state warden, and I chalked that up to circumstances.
Maybe you shouldn't try to play spokesman for an entire region when you obviously don't know what you're talking about.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 12, 2006)

*Wardens*

Sounds like we are paying to many wardens. Change their name and move them to the border where they can catch some real criminals.


----------



## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

spurgersalty said:


> I'll have to disagree. I and all my friends hunt AND live in deep East Texas. One or two bad experiences didn't cause me to hate wardens. Only know two that acted like *****, and they were feds(as read above). Only one questionable encounter with a state warden, and I chalked that up to circumstances.
> Maybe you shouldn't try to play spokesman for an entire region when you obviously don't know what you're talking about.


I agree. We had a great GW in Polk County for years. He was professional but fair - got to know us pretty well and knew that if there was any violation it was minor and accidental (like one of our guys that had his meat in camp but forgot and left the head at the creek where we skinned them). He just asked him to put the two together. We had some trainees that walked up on one of our hunters during a hunt, made him get down out of the stand and questioned him as to whether he had shot anything. We told our GW about it when he came by camp and he was PO'd - went off and ripped them a new one. Great guy - wish all of them were like him (and most are in my opinion).


----------



## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

Not trying to hijack the thread but how far away from a feeder on a deer lease would you have to be to not be ticketed for hunting over a baited field? Unfortunately, most of our stock ponds are close to feeders but can you get away from them in a flyway?


----------



## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

My guess is thtvmakes your place off limits its alot farther away than you would think


----------



## bobbyoshay (Nov 29, 2008)

I empty all feeders atleast a month prior to opening day if they are anywhere near where I'm hunting. I have one active that's in front of my house but a long distance from where I hunt. The deer, turkeys, and squirrels pick that clean quickly.

Had a game warden last year ticket someone that was a guest on another persons land. The warden got in the bed of his truck and searched with his binos for any feeders around. He found one in the back yard of a neighbors place around 400 yards away. The warden went and checked the feeder and it was full with no corn on the ground. Went back to the property being hunted and ticketed the hunter. Two different land owners and the hunter or owner of property being hunted had a clue the feeder was there. This gw has no friends around and is known to not be liked by most.


----------



## gm (Jun 26, 2004)

Bobbyoshay, where was this place, and was it a Federal or State warden?


----------



## bobbyoshay (Nov 29, 2008)

Stateboy


----------



## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

spurgersalty said:


> I'll have to disagree. I and all my friends hunt AND live in deep East Texas. One or two bad experiences didn't cause me to hate wardens. Only know two that acted like *****, and they were feds(as read above). Only one questionable encounter with a state warden, and I chalked that up to circumstances.
> Maybe you shouldn't try to play spokesman for an entire region when you obviously don't know what you're talking about.


You are not old enough to know what you are talking about.
Family been right here since 1836.
You haven't seen the woods being burned down either over hunting regulation.


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Jamie said:


> I've seen water holes that constitute more of an attractant to doves then a corned road...and they are legal to hunt over


This seems true.


----------



## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Jack's Pocket said:


> You are not old enough to know what you are talking about.
> Family been right here since 1836.
> You haven't seen the woods being burned down either over hunting regulation.


I think I can speak on this subject, I too live in E Texas, worked at the RR for 30yrs AND 99% of the 100's of men I worked with hunted, fished and trapped, my family has been in the taxidermist deer processing buss since the 50's. I HAVE seen the woods burnt when new laws were put in place on dog running, Jason might not remember BUT I know his dad remembers the signs, "If our dogs can't go Pine trees won't grow" Seems as if the only ones that have a problem with the GW's are the ones that always are looking over their shoulder. I will say yrs back there were several that were terds BUT times have changed. You sir must be from Caney Head or Evadale....I will agree there still are a few that needs another job but as a whole we are way ahead of where we were YRS back


----------



## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

spurgersalty said:


> I'll have to disagree. I and all my friends hunt AND live in deep East Texas. One or two bad experiences didn't cause me to hate wardens. Only know two that acted like *****, and they were feds(as read above). Only one questionable encounter with a state warden, and I chalked that up to circumstances.
> Maybe you shouldn't try to play spokesman for an entire region when you obviously don't know what you're talking about.


Learn your history.


----------



## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

History as told by an outlaw?:idea:


----------



## FREON (Jun 14, 2005)

spurgersalty said:


> History as told by an outlaw?:idea:


You are not old enough to know what you are talking about.:slimer: teed any penguins off lately? :work:


----------



## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

FREON said:


> You are not old enough to know what you are talking about.:slimer: teed any penguins off lately? :work:


Cute message, huh?


----------



## FREON (Jun 14, 2005)

spurgersalty said:


> Cute message, huh?


LOMA!!!!!!


----------



## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

http://www.chron.com/sports/outdoor...ory lesson begins newcomer to the pineywoods.


----------



## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Ok now children...

Freon, What's LOMA ??


----------



## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

spurgersalty said:


> Cute message, huh?


Sounds like that guy has little fat man syndrome


----------



## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

RR I am decifering that as laughing otta my a......


----------



## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

Next time I go over to Mott's I would be happy to give you a history lesson on
Tyler county. Got quite a bit of outlaw kinfolk's around Spurger.
Lot of them in Fairview as well.


----------



## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

*GW*

Only problem I ever has was from a Fed. He had checked us early that morning, all was good. Mid day, here he comes out into the field we are duck hunting in, againg ask to see my hunting permit. My Federal Duck stamp is GONE. You could see where I signed it, it was there that morning, but it was gone then.

I get a ticket and pay it, dang it.

I have made it a purpose to know the game wardens in the areas we hunt and them to know me on sight. Both David Bird and David Wells were pros, polite and fine men to see. Kyle DeVillier was also a fine Warden.

Wells ended up being the instructor at the Acemedy for a time if I recall correctly. :texasflag


----------



## liedtcr (May 28, 2013)

"Baiting" laws are subject to interpretation. 

I had a warden tell me that he could write a ticket (if he chose to) to every person on any deer lease that had: 1) feeders in place and 2) were hunting dove or ducks on tanks. 

Wardens have never impressed me with any sense of goodwill or fairness or common sense. Most are just looking to make a name for themselves.


----------



## TX CHICKEN (Jun 4, 2004)

I hate hearing these stories and it makes me wonder how stupid the laws are when I know a place I hunt in Hondo that does just enough farming to make it legal but is far worse than any "baiting" could ever do to bring on doves.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jacksrbetter (Jul 6, 2012)

Just wondering, if you have food plots that benefit both gamebirds,(turkey, quail, dove) and deer, millet for ducks, is that baiting?


----------



## jacksrbetter (Jul 6, 2012)

Also, never have figured out how hunting corn, milo, etc fields is any more "incidental" than having feeders directed at deer scattered around a ranch. I know one ranch with about 50 feeders on 5K acres and 8-10 tanks, it is probably illegal to hunt doves or ducks anywhere on that property even though it is done and never been and hopefully never will be ticketed. (for those who would ask, it somewhere between El Paso and Beaumont) What someone said about the typical deer lease being illegal for migratory birds is probably true.


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

jacksrbetter said:


> Just wondering, if you have food plots that benefit both gamebirds,(turkey, quail, dove) and deer, millet for ducks, is that baiting?


I have been following this post off and on and I am going to add something. I make a few dollars leasing some property for dove hunting so I did a little research before I committed. All fields are "baited", if they weren't the birds wouldn't be there. Crops are bait. You can plant "crops" or food plots if you prefer however they can not be manipulated. This means don't come in there a week before dove season or whatever season opens and shred half of it down so the birds can get to it. Now if you plant sunflowers for harvest or sesame or milo or blah blah whatever you can "harvest" these crops in a manner as defined by The Department Of Agriculture. Run a picker or combine over it and whatever is left on the ground is waste or loss. The other option with crops is the option to NOT harvest and leave it standing and DO NOT manipulate it. Got it? In black and white buried in the TPWD rules and regs. 
Chapter II. Native weeds and grasses that have not been planted mechanically but by the hand of nature can be manipulated. Native sunflowers, dove weed, thistles whatever you got shred it down. Just shred grass and see what happens, if I knew how to get videos on here I would show proof. The tractor motor hadn't cooled off and here they came. And the next day they were gone. But they will be back.
Chapter III. Deer feeders. I have two sitting in my field but, no timers, no corn or bird seed in them and the holes are plugged with a rag and duct taped shut. And there isn't not one morsel of corn on the ground. I know if someone wanted to jack with me they could go pour a sack of chicken scratch out around the feeders and drop a dime on me but that wouldn't be wise. I don't have any enemies any way. A short story about deer feeders and doves and this is true, no BS. A friend of mine hunts in Bee County on some family land. The gates are not locked and game wardens come and go as well as some other Federal Agents and they are well aware of this and are very cautious when there. Ok, my friend and his wife were in the front of the place where they usually hunt birds. There are crops there, milo and corn that has been harvested. No birds so they drive to the back pasture, I will estimate a mile away maybe more. He has his dog and a shotgun and of course his wife and they go check the game camera and look at the feeders where the corn is piled up because there ain't no deer to eat it and a game warden shows up a bit later. He did the routine license check and questions and then dropped the bomb. He told them you know you are breaking a couple of laws and I could write you a ticket but here is a warning. If you are going to hunt doves I suggest you get that corn off of the ground and disable that feeder until dove season is over or don't hunt doves, leave your shotgun at home. I know there is a lot of arguments that can be made about whether any laws were being broken but my daddy always said don't ever argue with Dick Tracy. My buddy didn't argue either but at least he didn't get a ticket. I have always wondered if I was in a boat and wasn't fishing and didn't have a pole would I need a fishing license just because everybody else had one? I guess it would depend on what kind of mood Dick Tracy is in that day.


----------



## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

Per Texas Game Warden Facebook page.... 182 doves, 11 violators, near Uvalde... Cases pending. Baited field.


----------



## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

Wado said:


> I have been following this post off and on and I am going to add something. I make a few dollars leasing some property for dove hunting so I did a little research before I committed. All fields are "baited", if they weren't the birds wouldn't be there. Crops are bait. You can plant "crops" or food plots if you prefer however they can not be manipulated. This means don't come in there a week before dove season or whatever season opens and shred half of it down so the birds can get to it. Now if you plant sunflowers for harvest or sesame or milo or blah blah whatever you can "harvest" these crops in a manner as defined by The Department Of Agriculture. Run a picker or combine over it and whatever is left on the ground is waste or loss. The other option with crops is the option to NOT harvest and leave it standing and DO NOT manipulate it. Got it? In black and white buried in the TPWD rules and regs.
> Chapter II. Native weeds and grasses that have not been planted mechanically but by the hand of nature can be manipulated. Native sunflowers, dove weed, thistles whatever you got shred it down. Just shred grass and see what happens, if I knew how to get videos on here I would show proof. The tractor motor hadn't cooled off and here they came. And the next day they were gone. But they will be back.
> Chapter III. Deer feeders. I have two sitting in my field but, no timers, no corn or bird seed in them and the holes are plugged with a rag and duct taped shut. And there isn't not one morsel of corn on the ground. I know if someone wanted to jack with me they could go pour a sack of chicken scratch out around the feeders and drop a dime on me but that wouldn't be wise. I don't have any enemies any way. A short story about deer feeders and doves and this is true, no BS. A friend of mine hunts in Bee County on some family land. The gates are not locked and game wardens come and go as well as some other Federal Agents and they are well aware of this and are very cautious when there. Ok, my friend and his wife were in the front of the place where they usually hunt birds. There are crops there, milo and corn that has been harvested. No birds so they drive to the back pasture, I will estimate a mile away maybe more. He has his dog and a shotgun and of course his wife and they go check the game camera and look at the feeders where the corn is piled up because there ain't no deer to eat it and a game warden shows up a bit later. He did the routine license check and questions and then dropped the bomb. He told them you know you are breaking a couple of laws and I could write you a ticket but here is a warning. If you are going to hunt doves I suggest you get that corn off of the ground and disable that feeder until dove season is over or don't hunt doves, leave your shotgun at home. I know there is a lot of arguments that can be made about whether any laws were being broken but my daddy always said don't ever argue with Dick Tracy. My buddy didn't argue either but at least he didn't get a ticket. I have always wondered if I was in a boat and wasn't fishing and didn't have a pole would I need a fishing license just because everybody else had one? I guess it would depend on what kind of mood Dick Tracy is in that day.


You are absolutely dead right,
Watch the doves fall in every evening to cattle feeders. 
I dang sure am not buying creep feed for doves.
Neighbors pasture is full of goat weed and flocks fall in every evening. He started mowing last week and still isn't finished.


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Beware if the guy you lease from tells you he JUST planted something and the hunting is going to be good.


----------



## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

Baiting laws for doves, even though they are migratory, differ from ducks and geese...we always shredded and disc food plots we planted for doves with no issue from law enforcement

Corn feeder tickets are stupid....I've never seen a deer feeder I could have a good hunt over....matter of fact, on our LaSalle county ranch we didn't use feeders for deer hunting. Like a lot of S Texas ranches we just did a feed route, which we typically started Sept .

We were corning 400 yards around each blind on a 3000 acre ranch, which is 200 lbs of corn a day.....and I can count on two hands how many doves I would see come to that corn...even though we were doing it everyday

So the idea that one single corn feeder (or even running 10 feeders) constitutes "baiting" is ludicrous

The idea of a gw writing tickets for that defies the reality of dove behavior


----------



## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

This is legal


----------



## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

This is not......go figure


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Jamie said:


> This is not......go figure
> 
> View attachment 1659945


I talked to my buddy that got the warning in Bee County yesterday. He said the warden actually dissected a bird and said this is why I could ticket you, corn in the birds craw. He said, "I don't guess you noticed you drove through a couple of hundred acres of corn patch to get back here?" He said that's beside the point but I am giving you a warning and be glad one of the Federal Wardens didn't drive in. They catch you within a thousand feet of a deer feeder and they will pop you, I am more lenient. End of story, no use wasting any more time because every warden has a different way of dealing with all the Elmer Fudd's out there. I bowed up on one on my shrimp boat one evening and all he had to do was shake his handcuffs at me, made me into a new man, a real polite one.


----------



## Chuckybrown (Jan 20, 2012)

We invite the two game wardens in our county out for dinner the night before opening day. Great guys. However, they'd still write every one of us a ticket if we broke the law. But, they'd just be nice while doing it.....


----------



## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

Wado said:


> I talked to my buddy that got the warning in Bee County yesterday. He said the warden actually dissected a bird and said this is why I could ticket you, corn in the birds craw. He said, "I don't guess you noticed you drove through a couple of hundred acres of corn patch to get back here?" He said that's beside the point but I am giving you a warning and be glad one of the Federal Wardens didn't drive in. They catch you within a thousand feet of a deer feeder and they will pop you, I am more lenient. End of story, no use wasting any more time because every warden has a different way of dealing with all the Elmer Fudd's out there. I bowed up on one on my shrimp boat one evening and all he had to do was shake his handcuffs at me, made me into a new man, a real polite one.


 those are exactly the types of reasons that game wardens have earned the chicken #### reputation they have.

_hunter MAY NOT:
hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area
hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed
hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted more than one year prior to hunting_

my thinking is that with a shotguns range of about 50 yards max, a feeder 300 yards away isn't being hunting "over".


----------

