Notice: Early Goose Hunters

NEWS RELEASE - HUNTERS MUST AVOID BAITED FIELDS, SAYS USFWS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Aug. 30, 2006 

With the early Canada goose hunting season about to open, followed closely by sandhill crane and waterfowl seasons, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking hunters to be sure they are not hunting in fields that could be considered baited.

A field is considered baited if it has been manipulated prior to being harvested. Manipulation of agricultural crops may come in the form of rolling, burning, discing, flattening, mowing, brush-hogging or other similar actions, according to Rich Grosz, special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Bismarck, N.D.

Grosz explains that manipulation of agricultural crops before harvest increases the availability of grain and creates an unfair advantage to the hunter. He says agricultural crops include, but are not limited to wheat, corn, barley, oats, flax, beans, peas and other similar crops.

“Due to the extremely dry conditions in much of the Dakotas, many producers did not harvest a crop in fields they planted this year,” notes Grosz, “but they may have plowed it under, or otherwise manipulated it. If so, those fields would be considered baited, and hunters would not be able to legally use them.” Grosz says wheat and other small grain crops were especially impacted by heat and drought in the southern portions of North Dakota and much of South Dakota.

Grosz admits it may be hard for hunters to tell whether a field has been manipulated before being harvested. He recommends a close physical inspection of the field before hunting it. If that doesn’t definitely rule out pre-harvest manipulation, hunters should go to the source. “If hunters have a question about a field, they should find the landowner and ask what has been done,” he suggests. “If they can’t find the landowner, they should take the safe way out and not hunt the field.” Hunters should also look for grain in areas or in unusual concentrations that would not be due to a normal agricultural harvest.

The Dakotas have a well documented history of agricultural crops being completely or partially destroyed by disease, drought, flood, hail, wind, insects or other natural destructive forces. The Fish and Wildlife Service does not dictate or control what a farmer or rancher may do with their agricultural crops, nor does the agency control or regulate state and/or federally based agricultural programs that compensate farmers and ranchers for lost or destroyed crops. However, the Service does regulate the hunting on or over agricultural fields that have been manipulated prior to being properly harvested even when the field is enrolled in an agricultural program.

Hunters may hunt on or over agricultural crops that are not manipulated and remain standing, provided they have received permission from the respective landowner. Hunters may hunt on or over flooding standing or harvested crops and may hunt on or over natural vegetation whether flooded or not.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on baiting, visit the Service’s home page at www.fws.gov 

Media Contact: For North Dakota, Grosz at 701-255-0593, For South Dakota, Robert Prieksat, resident agent in charge, 605-224-1001