Thousands of deer hunters in two big deer hunting states will be allowed to hunt over corn, apples, carrots, pumpkins and other bait beginning this fall.
Michigan was the most recent state to rescind some of its baiting regulations when it announced earlier this summer that hunter in the Upper Peninsula will be allowed to hunt over bait. The new measure includes parts of Delta, Dickinson and Menominee counties, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
As a result, hunters in this area can resume baiting and feeding practices. The state’s wildlife commission adopted deer regulations that will be in effect for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 hunting seasons.
According to the Iron Mountain Daily News, the Upper Peninsula’s first and only case of known chronic wasting disease was confirmed Oct. 18, 2018, in Dickinson County’s Waucedah Township. Later that year a roughly 10-mile-radius core surveillance area — encompassing 661 square miles — was created. It centered on Waucedah Township as the DNR worked to determine whether CWD existed in areas around where the doe that tested positive was found.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, feeding bans have been lifted in 23 counties. Feeding and attractant bans have been removed from the following counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Chisago, Clearwater, Douglas, Freeborn, Isanti, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pennington, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Roseau, Stearns, Steele, Todd and Wadena counties.
After years of banning the practice, Alabama allowed all deer and wild hog hunters to hunt via the use of bait in 2019. The state allows baiting on private land as long as each hunter buys a “baiting license.” The license costs $16.35 per hunter.