Is this baiting?

[stumprat]

So using scent is considered baiting?  That does not sound right to me.  Doesn't bait need to be consumable?

Not in our state

[follow maggie]

Not necessarily.  I wouldn't try it this year when the cops are looking to make money so they don't get laid off.

[Pat/Rick]

Maybe the smell of Hoppes #9 is to strong on the revolver and he's trying to tone it down?  You know, kinda like a dog rolling in a heap to cover his scent.

[Rob]

I looked in the regs and could not find a definition of Bait.  Just direction not to use it for some species (wow, THAT is helpful...).

Does anyone know what the WDFW uses as a definition for bait?

Scent is a tough one.  If I use a decenter to remove human smell, is that baiting?  If I cover my scent with a pine wafer, am I baiting?  How about burning Licorice incense?  What if I smelt a jar of honey over Sterno?

Now if I toss a goat carcass out...  that's pretty clear.  But what if I shoot and skin a coyote out and leave the carcass behind and come back and jump a bear feeding on it the next day?  Is that baiting (probably)?

I would love to find an official definition.

[Kain]

What if you are watching a mountain lion kill waiting for it to show back up and a bear happens to come check it out?   Is a cover scent on your person considered the same as an attractant?  I can have a decoy fawn but if I spray deer urine on it is it now bait?  I mean what if i spill my breakfast on my camo, will the warden consider me baiting?    I wont even mention the joys of the bacon g-string.     I wish a lot of things in the regs were more clear.  Of course if you ask 5 different people you get 6 different answers.  The guys here seem pretty sure that scent attractants are illegal so I assume that someone has asked for an official definition of baiting.

[nwhunter]

My understanding of the bear baiting issue is that its okay to put your food/bait out in the field until bear season opens and then it becomes illegal to hunt over bait. I was under the impression that putting bait or scent out now with a camera to see what is in the area is okay but it is the baiting while hunting that can get you in trouble, am I wrong?nwhunter

[TeacherMan]

You just need to make a bacon fat candle and light it on you way into the woods in the morning for a light and then hover above it to keep yourself warm while watching over your favorite clearcut. 

[billythekidrock]

thats nasty...i don't care who you are. i have seen lots of nasty bear poo pics on this site with pistols laying to the side for size comparison....but why on God's green earth would you put your handsome pistol directly into the pile of *censored*. maybe it would be better if you were holding some butt nuggetts in one hand and the pistol in the other...i dunno.
that is also the biggest pile of bear poo i think i've ever seen on here.

If you look close you will notice that there are at least 4 piles of crap in that pic. Three of which make up the "big" pile.

[ICEMAN]

thats nasty...i don't care who you are. i have seen lots of nasty bear poo pics on this site with pistols laying to the side for size comparison....but why on God's green earth would you put your handsome pistol directly into the pile of *censored*. maybe it would be better if you were holding some butt nuggetts in one hand and the pistol in the other...i dunno.
that is also the biggest pile of bear poo i think i've ever seen on here.

Jackelope, that is my pistol. That poo pile is cleaner than the inside of my holster.  Besides, the pile had cooled.

[Bob33]

RCW 77.15.245
(d) As used in this subsection, "bait" means a substance placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or otherwise used for the purpose of attracting black bears to an area where one or more persons hunt or intend to hunt them.

[billythekidrock]

I looked in the regs and could not find a definition of Bait.  Just direction not to use it for some species (wow, THAT is helpful...).

Does anyone know what the WDFW uses as a definition for bait?

Scent is a tough one.  If I use a decenter to remove human smell, is that baiting?  If I cover my scent with a pine wafer, am I baiting?  How about burning Licorice incense?  What if I smelt a jar of honey over Sterno?

Now if I toss a goat carcass out...  that's pretty clear.  But what if I shoot and skin a coyote out and leave the carcass behind and come back and jump a bear feeding on it the next day?  Is that baiting (probably)?

I would love to find an official definition.

Pine wafer cover scent...I don't see how they could.
Elk wafer cover scent...quite possible depending on the game agent.

If you place a skinned coyote in the woods it would be considered baiting.

If you killed that coyote, skinned it on the spot and left the carcass then that would not be baiting. Same with sitting over a gutpile. As long as it is not moved to a more advantageous spot.

(d) As used in this subsection, "bait" means a substance placed,
1 exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or otherwise used for the
2 purpose of attracting black bears to an area where one or more persons
3 hunt or intend to hunt them.

[TeacherMan]

I looked in the regs and could not find a definition of Bait.  Just direction not to use it for some species (wow, THAT is helpful...).

Does anyone know what the WDFW uses as a definition for bait?

Scent is a tough one.  If I use a decenter to remove human smell, is that baiting?  If I cover my scent with a pine wafer, am I baiting?  How about burning Licorice incense?  What if I smelt a jar of honey over Sterno?

Now if I toss a goat carcass out...  that's pretty clear.  But what if I shoot and skin a coyote out and leave the carcass behind and come back and jump a bear feeding on it the next day?  Is that baiting (probably)?

I would love to find an official definition.

Pine wafer cover scent...I don't see how they could.
Elk wafer cover scent...quite possible depending on the game agent.

If you place a skinned coyote in the woods it would be considered baiting.

If you killed that coyote, skinned it on the spot and left the carcass then that would not be baiting. Same with sitting over a gutpile. As long as it is not moved to a more advantageous spot.

(d) As used in this subsection, "bait" means a substance placed,
1 exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or otherwise used for the
2 purpose of attracting black bears to an area where one or more persons
3 hunt or intend to hunt them.

So the next deer you shoot you need to drag it to or take it to a good bear location and gut it there 

[KillBilly]

Everything you need to know is right here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.15.245

RCW 77.15.245
  (d) As used in this subsection, "bait" means a substance placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or otherwise used for the purpose of attracting black bears to an area where one or more persons hunt or intend to hunt them.
 

[pjb3]

Good point NWHunter, I would like to know too about that

[Kain]

I think the phrase "or intend to hunt them" makes pre season baiting areas off limits.    I dont know how they would enforce this or how much time you would need to let pass between the last baiting and hunting an area or how far away from the baited area you would have to be.