Present law generally prohibits the use of bait for hunting wildlife. This bill creates two exceptions to the general prohibition against hunting with bait. First, this bill authorizes a person to hunt, chase, trap, kill, or take wildlife using properly shocked corn or standing crops of corn, wheat, or other grain or feed and grains scattered solely as a result of normal agricultural harvesting; and Second, this bill exempts from the general prohibition a person hunting whitetail deer or wild-appearing swine with the aid of bait on privately owned or leased lands if the person has purchased and is in possession of a valid bait privilege license issued by the TWRA. This bill authorizes TWRA to suspend the use of a baiting privilege and adopt rules to manage the feeding of wildlife populations on a county, regional, or statewide basis to prevent the spread of diseases among wildlife by announcing the suspension in a news release.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 70-4-113