The Georgia Department of Natural Resources wants to expand where hunters can use bait to lure deer, but the plan is getting some pushback.
Hunters in the state can use bait to lure deer only south of a line that runs roughly from Columbus to Macon to Augusta.
State DNR is considering a rule that would allow bait hunting anywhere in the state except the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The agency is taking up the issue at the urging of Gov. Nathan Deal, who issued an executive order in April on the matter.
Mike Worley, president of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, said there are no sound wildlife management principles that support the sport shooting of deer over bait.
“One of the great rewards associated with hunting is getting to know the outdoors, getting to know the animals that you’re hunting as you’re out in the woods. Bait stations simplify that,” he said.
Worley also said baiting can increase the spread of disease among deer and doesn’t necessarily ensure hunters larger takes.
Those are a few of the arguments he made in a letter last week to Georgia DNR. It included the signatures of four retired top officials from the agency.
State DNR argues the rule change is all about creating a consistent experience for Georgia hunters.
“Our recommendation is to expand the definition of the ‘southern zone’ to cover a broader area of the state so that hunters all across the state have equal access to the same hunting privileges,” said Wes Robinson, Director of Public and Government Affairs for the agency.
That broader area would include metro Atlanta and parts of north Georgia.
Georgia DNR will hold two public hearings on the rule in June and could make it’s decision the same month. If approved, the new, larger deer baiting zone would be in place for deer hunting season, which starts in September.
