Minnesotans have five more counties to check before laying out bait, minerals, scents, or attractants. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources couple Baker, Clearwater, Grant, McLeod and Meeker fall under its deer feeding and lure restrictions. The agency said it made the change after chronic wasting disease emerged in wild deer in new areas of the state last year.
The ban now covers 37 Minnesota counties. Wildlife officials use the rule to limit concentrations of artificial deer in areas at high risk of disease spread.
“Where people place food or attractants for deer, more deer tend to congregate in one location,” said Paul Burr, acting big game program leader. Said In the DNR announcement. “Bans on feeding and baiting are a tool to reduce unnatural gatherings of deer and reduce the risk of CWD spread.”
What is included in the ban
The full ban now applies in Aitkin, Anoka, Baker, Beltrami, Carver, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Itasca, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Mower, Norman, Olmsted, Polk, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Steele. Traverse, Wabasha, Washington, Wilkin, Winona and Wright Counties.
It goes beyond the corn patch in the backyard. In affected counties, hunters and landowners need to avoid mineral blocks, scented products and any food that is accessible to deer.
Bird feeders and small mammal food are still allowed, but people must place them where deer can’t reach them. The DNR says food must be at least 6 feet above the ground. Food kept through normal farming practices is generally exempt.
Don’t confuse it with seduction
minnesota already Deer hunting banned across the state. Hunters may not take or attempt to take a deer with the aid or use of bait anywhere in the state.
Foraging is related to hunting. If someone throws corn, apples, pumpkins, hay, or other food near a stand and deer prey on it, it is bait. Minnesota also considers an area pasture for 10 days after someone removes the pasture.
The ban on feeding and attracting deer is widespread, and is not limited to hunting season. In the 37 affected counties, people cannot possess food or items that attract deer, even if one does not plan to hunt them. This includes feed piles, mineral blocks, salt, food fragrances and products that contain or are claimed to contain cervical urine, blood, gland oil, feces or other bodily fluids.
For example:
- A hunter sitting in a corn patch somewhere in Minnesota is dealing with statewide bait laws.
- A landowner who planted a mineral block for deer in Baker County in July is dealing with food and lure restrictions.
- People feeding birds in McLeod County can still do so, but food must be kept at least 6 feet off the ground so deer can’t reach it.
A standing corn field, food plot, orchard, or crop residue left over through general farming or land management is not the same as dumping forage in a pile. But the DNR says agricultural crops can become bait if someone reintroduces or concentrates them while they are hunting.
Why does the DNR care?
CWD spreads more easily when there is close contact with deer. Bait piles and attractants can draw more deer to the same location, increasing contact between animals and increasing the risk of disease spread.
DNR Said It uses food and attractant restrictions where they provide the greatest benefits to Minnesota’s white-tailed deer. The agency also discourages people from feeding deer outside of restricted counties.
For those who want to help deer, DNR recommended Improving housing instead. Improved habitat provides deer with long-term food and shelter without having to concentrate around an artificial food source.
