Ohio proposing new bag limit

[WTNUT]

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/animals/2020/05/26/ODNR-wildlife-chief-cleared-of-charge/stories/20200526099

Back on the baiting.   This was the biggest political pile of crap ever.   How can you police the public when you can't police your own?   If this had been the average Joe Blow,  he or she would have received a citation, been convicted,  paid a fine and maybe lost the right to hunt for a period of time.  I can tell you from personal knowledge this had a significant and negative impact on the Department's rank and file.   

I apologize for the typos in my message above.  I was rushing when I should have just saved the message, proofed and then sent.

To correct a few now,  Ohio is not going to ban baiting because farmers sell to much corn to deer hunters.   

There is no reason why parts of Ohio could not be a two to three bird state with no fall season.   Why have a fall season?   Think about the number of properties that bait for deer in the fall.   I grow at least 75 acres of food plots each year and I can't keep deer on the property without picking or shelling corn and putting out bait piles.   All of my neighbors do,  so I have to as well.  It is crazy.   How far you have to be from bait is a grey area when hunting turkey,  so my rule is no fall turkey hunting for anyone at my place.   In the spring,  standing corn left for deer is gone by the end of February.   Nevertheless,  every property around me baits for turkeys during season.   Yes,  probably 75% have been caught over the years,  but it puts a huge toll on our local officer and those from adjoining counties.  Trying to police spring baiting for turkeys with fewer and fewer tools each year is like trying to keep water in a strainer. 

[eggshell]

WTNUT, LoL I just  re-read my post and I had an error too.  I stated a farm I hunt had feeders. That is not true, it is the neighbors across the valley that have feeders and that is why birds leave the farm I hunt and only come back in the afternoon. I actually had a conversation with the wildlife officer in that county and he gave me the thumbs up as long as I stayed on my side of the valley I wasn't hunting bait. I may be a retired Division man, but they'd still give me a ticket and even more so because of who I am. I'm no chief that's getting a pass. I fall hunt  and enjoy it, but I have to be careful where I hunt. MY family has around 1200 acres as well and there are no bait sites or feeders allowed. I think they only create problems.

You are right, people are shooting spring birds over bait. I know a guy that feeds all winter and stops 30 days before season, so he can claim it's not active bait. However, the birds still go to  that field because they have been programmed there is food there. technically he's legal, but I still say it's baited.