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Is baiting big game legal?

I've been attending hunters safety with my son this week and the topic of baiting came up. They said it was illegal and unethical to bait in Oregon. I think I remember reading about it on this forum being legal. I looked for it in the regs and couldn't find where it said it was legal or illegal. The ethical side is argued all the time but mostly curious if it is legal or not and where the legality is described?

it's legal to do it for elk and deer.

It was in was in last years regs should be in the new one somewhere and yes for deer and elk it's legal. However for bears its not. I had this conversation a few years ago with my brother and I call Odfw and the rep I talked to said that it use to be illegal, but some of the landowners were feeding them and when they got fined for it the judges were dismissing the fines so they said they can't be biased to the hunters for doing it.

Yes, for deer and elk, but with salt or mineral blocks only from the feed store.......You cannot use Alfalfa,grain,corn ,etc....And you cannot grow Food Plots for the sol purpose of attracting game for hunting....As far as Baiting Bears that's illegal also....

We had the question come up at the OBH Convention just a couple of weeks ago when OSP representatives were making a presentation to our members. As others have stated, it is legal to bait for deer and elk in Oregon. However, if a bear comes in to a bait station established for deer or elk, it is still illegal to shoot the bear. It doesn't matter that the bait station wasn't established to attract the bear.

I see nothing in the regs about using only salt or mineral blocks, nor any reference of food plots. Curious where this info came from.

you can use anything you want to for deer and elk, it is all leagal. I know of several people who use trace mineral blocks and salt blocks for deer and elk. I have been to hunter ed. 4 times now, taking my kids each time as they got old enough and every time it has been brought up about baiting and not once has a instructor siad it was illeagal to bait deer or elk, only illeagal to bait cougar and bears. And yes, it is considered baiting to sit on a gut pile or dead animal remains.

Well, i got it from the fish&Game office in Bend.....That's what they told me,in fact I'll make it a point to go there, one of these days, have them look it up in there books and have them make a copy of it......The Food plot thing, they either told me that, or I read it in the Regs, sometime back, can't remember....

I think odfw even recommends sitting on a found cougar kill for a hunting tactic....so wouldnt think that was illegal.

Turkyhunter ,I would make them show you in a book because it doesn't say that anywhere in the Reg's.....

Thanks for all of the input. I would have thought the regs would have detailed info on this.

"I think odfw even recommends sitting on a found cougar kill for a hunting tactic....so wouldnt think that was illegal. "

it is 100% legal to bait cougar...the only animal in oregon you can not bait is bear

I noticed that this is an old discussion, but just wondering what you guys think about this... How is sitting on gut pile any different than sitting on a watering hole?

I noticed that this is an old discussion, but just wondering what you guys think about this... How is sitting on gut pile any different than sitting on a watering hole?

JC, I Mean no offense here at all. I do not know if you are wanting to bait bears or have an issue with sitting at a water hole. The big difference is one is legal and the other isn't. If you think sitting at a water hole is an unfair advantage, you could check one out and see. There are thousands of them in every GMU, which one will produce? When? Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Bows with cams, High powered rifles with scope sights, etc. etc. etc. Where should the line be drawn? I believe some folks think the way they hunt should be the only legal way. I got a spike bull with my bow this year on a ridge several hundred yards from the nearest surface water. So what? Does that make me better than my hunting friend that choses to hunt with a scope sighted 30-06? To me there is no comparison between sitting over a gut pile waiting for a bear and sitting over water. Water is in very many locations in the form of springs, ponds, streams and lakes. Gut piles are much fewer and much farther in between. Gut piles are generally man made. They are cleaned up in a hurry, so bears will show up soon after a kill. You can sit at a water hole all season and never get a shot at a deer or elk if you don't wait at the right one. Water is no panacea for elk or deer hunting. There has been some thought about restricting stands near man made guzzlers.

I have set in treestands over water holes where I used to hunt. Unless you have a lot of days to hunt they can be frustrating. One year I was at one an evening and morning, nothing. Left and then that evening I could hear bulls bugling there. This is just one time and this is the way it's gone for me. I've had cows come in and passed on them. When there's water every mile or two miles it's futile at times.

I have friends that say it's not ethical to bait or hunt water sources. There was some fruit trees nearby and was telling me it wasn't ethical to hunt in them but was on a trail near there. I asked where's the ethical line? 50 yds 60, 70 or 100? Can't eat ethics.

I agree with DL completely. Where is the ethical line. I killed a bull this year on a ridge in a saddle. Several trails came together there. The nearest water was far beyond bow range. Are saddles where trails come together ok? Maybe we should outlaw orchards. lol

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I have a property I hunt that has 50 year old apple trees. I hunt around those for deer. I did not plant them. I dont feel is baiting or an unfair advantage. They are not maintained and I feel are a natural food source. Maybe just me but I don't feel is any different than hunting a sheltered bench with a food source growing. I also look for bears when walking mountain roads with blackberries along the edge. Do I put out salt or apples? No. Never found it to work well. Just me. There is so much to the topic and many different opinions. I feel if is legal and you feel is ethical. Go for it.

I'm reviving this post rather than starting a new one. I have a few of my questions answered through this post but I still would like to know, those of you who salt and mineral... is there a better time of the year to start salting? Is there a certain location you see out that proves better than others ? ( near water, feeding or bedding areas)

Deer and elk love salt in the early summer. I have not found it to be very helpful during the general archery season. I have seen elk lick salt then, but they don't seem to come around more frequently to get to it, and they don't stay there long. Maybe a coincidence, but all I have seen on salt in late August-September are a few cows.

A salt lick has always been good to see if Elk Or Deer are moving around an area pre season, but during season it is a hit or miss. The animals don't seem to come in as often or stick around as much during season. Water seemed to be better, but if there is a lot of hunting pressure they seem to avoid water during hunting hours. That has just been my experience.

I`m not sure it's legal.

The regulations are pretty clear on what you can't do (illegal) regarding bait; ie it's illegal to use bait for Bears. It is not illegal to use bait for other big game animals in OR.

The gutpile being illegal could be pretty tough on a guy. IF you happen to spot a bear across a ridge or valley from you with the wind in your face.. you're gonna try to put a stalk on 'em right? I know I would. Let's say my stalk goes as planned, and I'm with-in range. The bear is head down over a log very interested in??? I shoot and make a fatal hit. As I'm listening for any further sounds from the bears general area, I see the bear was into a gutpile from someone else's kill. Now what?

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