Baiting bill limiting North Dakota Game and Fish policy passes Senate
A bill preventing policies that would limit the use of baiting for big game animals on private property passed the Senate floor Wednesday on a 31-15 vote.
Senate Bill 2137 would prohibit the North Dakota Department of Game and Fish from creating rules and policies on using bait for wildlife. The bill, similar to a proposal that failed in 2023, attracted a packed crowd to a Jan. 17 committee hearing and submitted testimony from nearly 200 people.
Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian for Game and Fish, stated the department wanted the ability to restrict baiting as a means to control chronic wasting disease in deer and other diseases that could affect wildlife and livestock, according to written testimony.
North Dakota hunters debate deer baiting rules
Sen. Randy Lemm, R-Hillsboro, told fellow senators that he disagrees with the Game and Fish Department's theory that CWD can be spread through deer congregating around a bait station. He also said the disease can live for long periods of time in the soil with an incubation period between 17 months to four years. The average lifespan of a whitetail deer is up to four years, he said.
'More animals will be killed by hunting, predators or cars before they will ever get to the point of lameness caused by CWD,' Lemm said.
Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, said regulations on CWD don't line up with the science on the disease and voted in favor of the bill.
'If a property owner wants to feed an animal on their property, they have that right. It is their property,' Boehm said.
Sen. Michael Dwyer, R-Bismarck, was among those who voted against the bill.
'The Game and Fish Department is trying to balance the concern over the disease with the attempt to provide as many hunting opportunities as possible,' Dwyer said. 'I think we should let the Game and Fish Department do their job.'
The bill was amended to include a July 31, 2029, expiration date for the law. It will be transferred to the House for its consideration.
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