Illegal to feed big game animals??

[groundhog]

I think we should make it illegal to feed big game animals in the state of Washington except in state approved feeding areas. The state could also approve some private feeding in bad winters in designated areas. I thought it would be interesting to get everyones input on this. In most western states it is already illegal to feed big game.
Some of my concerns are;

1) Feeding deer and elk interupts their natural migration. It has an effect of over impacting areas around the feeding and under impacting traditional wintering ground.

2) It creates sanctuaries where animals move to small pieces of private property (where no hunting is allowed) as soon as hunting season starts. This makes it hard for the state to manage or harvest "problem" elk that are doing a lot of damage to private property.

3) It encourages these animals to live in and around housing developments where they are much more likely to get poached or hit by a car.

4) Folks feeding these animals have good intentions but often times they are not feeding enough to sustain the animals and because the animals stopped short of their natural wintering ground there is not enough available forage. The end result is that they are feeding enough to hold the animals but not enough to get them through winter in good shape.

5) I have also noticed that folks will feed the animals to get their sheds and then stop feeding once they have dropped. Now the animal is stuck in a snowed in area that it would not have chosen to winter if it wasn't for the supplemental feed.

 Some folks will argue that without feeding we would have a higher winter kill. This could be the case. I guess I feel that they should be able to fend for themselves and that they would do better if they were on their natural wintering ground instead of in someones back yard eating out of a bucket.

The reason I posted this is that I am considering writing to the state to recommend making it illegal to feed big game and I want to hear from both sides of this issue before I move forward.

[Bofire]

  I dont know what I think about it. BUT

Try to find an elk around the oak creek feed station in other than late winter... they are few and FAR between.

Many friends feed turkeys thru the winter in Stevens county, the Turkeys scatter come spring.??

Carl

[dbllunger]

The animals don't stand in the exact spot, but many deffinately do change their home range based on feeding.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Don't forget the danger of spreading disease through close contact feeding.

[billythekidrock]

  If you ban all feeding you will never get bear baiting back. If it is legal then leave it.

[GoldTip]

I'm with BTKR on this one.

[outdoorguy]

Groundhog,  or should I say Gamehog. How many deer do you think you need to blame your lack of getting them on baiters? This is an old subject. There is a poll running on baiting deer for a month now. Maybe we as hunters should all vote to ban guns because of all the school shootings ! You should focus your time on trying to keep the Indians from killing them all instead of trying to close a legal method of hunting that has been around before you ever hunted, but if you think you have enough power to change a 100 year old law, GO FOR IT!!!

[Coasthunterjay]

Groundhog,  or should I say Gamehog. How many deer do you think you need to blame your lack of getting them on baiters? This is an old subject. There is a poll running on baiting deer for a month now. Maybe we as hunters should all vote to ban guns because of all the school shootings ! You should focus your time on trying to keep the Indians from killing them all instead of trying to close a legal method of hunting that has been around before you ever hunted, but if you think you have enough power to change a 100 year old law, GO FOR IT!!!

Like what outdoorguy  posted there are other things that are ten times more important then this....Check out baiting on the search and it should come up....great info and youll also beable to see where i stand on it....LOL....oh and everyone else.....(I say that because i have a very strong opinion where baiting is concerned)

IM ALL FOR BAITING(everything). Dont do it during the season but it shouldnt be illegal.

[KillBilly]

If you ban all feeding you will never get bear baiting back. If it is legal then leave it.

I also agree with BTKR...if it aint broke leave it alone. Let's work on getting back the baiting we lost. However let us try to do it better and more responsible than before. Every bait site gets a permit and has GPS coordinates for it. Maybe even a class on bio baiting and protection of trees and tree stand use.

[Red Dawg]

I believe everything should be left natural. No feeding. Our elk herds are trained.

[robodad]

Been there, Done that, so I say.....

[bobcat]

hey guys, groundhog never mentioned the word "baiting."  He's talking about feeding animals in the winter.

[shanevg]

hey guys, groundhog never mentioned the word "baiting."  He's talking about feeding animals in the winter.

The problem with trying to eliminate feeding animals in the winter, is it would then make it essentially impossible to get bear baiting back.  We the hunters should not work on limiting ourselves even more, the "Seattle hippies" are doing enough of that already.

[bobcat]

You guys really believe baiting bears will become legal again?     I don't have that much faith in the voters of this state I guess. 

Seems my chances are much greater of being struck by lightning.

[Coasthunterjay]

You guys really believe baiting bears will become legal again?     I don't have that much faith in the voters of this state I guess. 

Seems my chances are much greater of being struck by lightning.

No i think it will probably take a few more people getting malled by bears to realize that we might have a problem.....Which will be the same thing for the wolves in a few years when they start hyper-multiplying.....Well see, it could happen.