what to do...

my 14 y/o son and myself we to a nice patch of woods we like to archery hunt close to home..the deer sign again this year was great and some real big rubs were noticed right away...with the rain i decided to set up about 200 yrd from the norm and see what happens..we even seen a fresh scrape..i was feelin good and then this...got 25 yrds from where i wanted to pots up with him and seen 3 big fresh piles of feed corn...I WAS PI$@ED had i not seen this and a game warden walk through to him it was our...not only me but how would this taste to a 14 y/o to be blamed and fined for hunting over a food plot that we had no idea was there...i know of 4 people that hunt near here and instantly expressed my anger tword tham and just dont know what to do now...we love this spot but feel we shouldnt be there...who knows where or what else will be around...

Now that you know it is there ya can't hunt close by or risk getting caught up in someone else's mess. 
 
Call the regional office of the PGC and a WCO should call you back.  They will probably ask to see the spot and may set up on it. 

gonna call now...question tho...how far do i need to be from it to hunt legal?

ORIGINAL: S-10

You should ask the WCO that has your area that question. They all seem to have a different slant on that issue and he and his DWCO's are the ones who could cause you trouble. Go by what he says and you should have no problem.

Couldn't agree more with S-10. I would with out a doubt let the game commission know about this. Any questions they would be the ones to ask.

Serious question. What law has been broken? Name one and have your facts straight please...

Who is hunting over it? Do you have any proof or do you think people should be convicted based on what you feel their INTENTIONS are? Perhaps all you are doing is screwing up an area that a legal rifle hunter was planning on using. Perhaps someone wanted photos of deer so that they knew what was in the general area. Didn't see you b!thc!n on the picture thread and a lot of those were over corn & minerals.

ORIGINAL: griffon

Who is hunting over it? Do you have any proof or do you think people should be convicted based on what you feel their INTENTIONS are? Perhaps all you are doing is screwing up an area that a legal rifle hunter was planning on using. Perhaps someone wanted photos of deer so that they knew what was in the general area. Didn't see you b!thc!n on the picture thread and a lot of those were over corn & minerals.

It's a bait pile. Nobody should be hunting over it. If someone is only taking pictures over it, that's fine. But if someone is luring deer to shoot, then they should be busted.

Call it in, let them watch it....Let us know what happens, as well as thier response to how far away you need to be hunting........

the article linked below states that the zone of influence of a bait site for deer is 800 acres.


http://www.pr-inside.com/pa-game-commission-opposes-house-bill-r134316.htm

I am fairly sure that if he wanted an english lesson, he would have posted on an education forum. Thanks for your input. Nice attempt at a hijack....

Now back to the subject, I have read informally that a WCO can post a bait site up to 400 yards. I have been searching the PA Code and PA Game & Wildlife Code and am having trouble locating the information.

Does anyone know what documents outline individual situational proceedures such as this for WCO's and where they can be found?

MM...

not sure you are going to find that info in a balck and white explaination .....

I have asked time and again about the distance and get different answers.. basically.. it is up to the particular WCO if he feels or can prove hunting over bait...


There are many horror stories about that too....


one WCO told me that EMPTY corn cobs left on the ground from a winter feeding spot non-active long before any hunting season was not (to him) baiting or residue... yet another said it is and should be cleaned up before hunting there..

I have heard a story from a WCO about a case where the deer had LOTS of corn in the belly and the only corn in the entire area was a corn pile (baited area) 1/4 mile away ... and the PGC won that case... they were watching the area though and knew who put the corn pile there ...so it's tricky .. I know what the local WCOs in my areas feel and that is how I react when hunting in their areas.....

Some of the areas I hunt are so residential and tight that the arguement could be made that I am using bait to enhance my hunt.  Just about every house has well stocked bird feeders, salt blocks, corn, apples laying around for the deer and turkeys.  The deer hit them regularly as they move from the small woodlots. 
 
Hopefully, in these urban settings, more leeway is given by the WCO's.  As long as the hunter is not set up right over a obvious pile. 

Talking about corn and deer hunting how's this from this afternoon....

No the grammar is still not improving.  Oh only has one "h" and Suck it should be a sentence alone.  Also, all questions should end with a question mark.  As stated before that you said "your a real scholar" it should have stated you are or you're. 

Lesson one is over for today.  Keep posting and I will correct them for you as you go. 

i guess yard can only comment on things he knows about.  that is why he never has anything to add to a hunting forum.

ORIGINAL: RIZ

i guess yard can only comment on things he knows about.  that is why he never has anything to add to a hunting forum.

HAHAHA...how true, he should set the "how to be perfect" book down and see what mother nature has to offer!