Latest Info On CWD Baiting Ban
Posted by MikeAdams on October 10, 2008
Court Rules In Favor Of Baiting Ban, NRC Extends Baiting Bain
Thursday, an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of the current baiting ban. Farmers, hunters and retailers gathered in Lansing to make their case against the current CWD baiting ban imposed by the Michigan DNR. Their point was that it was hurting the economic situation here in Michigan and making it worse by putting farmers in a position where they couldn’t get their crops to market to sell. The retailers in turn had the same position stating they couldn’t sell bait which hurt them also. Hunters point of view was that this was an unfair burden placed on them also making it harder for them to hunt.
Judge Joyce Draganchuk’s decision was based on what she called the DNR’s “sound scientific management principles“. She also stated,
“It did it for the purpose of preserving deer and elk herd so that those who make their living from it may continue to do so in the future,”
I know that we’ve discussed this here before and many people do not agree with this opinion, but for now it is the law! I have heard many people say that we will bait anyway, that attitude isn’t going to fix the problem, it only gives the anti’s more ammunition to come at us with. At the time of this ruling the Natural Resource Commission was having a meeting concerning the fate of the baiting ban also. The NRC voted to make the 6 month baiting ban in Michigan’s lower peninsula “PERMANENT“. Now here is what I would like to know. I have said all along the biggest problem with this is that they are not conveying the information to the hunters. What does “PERMANENT” mean? Is it never going to be lifted? Or does it mean the 6 month ban is permanently in place and will be lifted at the end of the 6 months? I haven’t heard what they meant by that statement. The DNR needs to gain the public support on this and they are not doing a good job at trying to get hunters to understand why they are doing this or why it is important. In this aspect of their recent decisions I feel they have failed. I hope they will start a state wide campaign to further educate the sportsmen of Michigan on just what and why and how they based their decisions and start giving us more information.
I have checked the DNR and NRC web sites and found nothing on this newest decision. WE NEED INFO!