best place to ask would be to shoot your DNR an email asking them, if they say you can then you have something in writing to back you up.

 

Yes

 

Interesting because this was brought up on another forum. The guy that brought it up said that the game warden in Illinois said it was considered baiting for deer.

 

Um didn't the DNR (warden?) guy say its legal....i imagine he knows more then your buddies.

 

The warden is right, in this case, but anything a state official says in Illinois is subject to verification.

 

Sounds like that particular warden didn't have a problem with it, but I've heard of different instances where wardens interpret the law differently from another warden. If you happen to remember his name, i'd email the dnr and say warden so and so told you it was ok and you'd heard others think it's not ok and you wanted a definite answer straight from the office.

I know a guy who is big into dove hunting and he plants a couple sunflower fields and mows them off. He's been told both ways by different wardens if he can or can't hunt over them.

 

This is a pretty wise post and one that mirrors my thoughts. It doesn't matter if one DNR field officer considers it acceptable if the one writing you a ticket does not. I would follow the suggestion to email the DNR and get it in writing. That way if you should run into an issue, you can at least appeal a citation with some tangible proof of your good intent.

 

Food plots used to be considered baiting, but the language used to address food plots in the Hunting/Trapping digest changed a couple years ago. The digest now states, in the section on baiting, that "nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the manipulation, including mowing or cutting, of standing crops as a normal agricultural or soil stabilization practice, food plots or normal agricultural practices." As long as the corn was planted there, you can mow it off and hunt it all you want. Just don't go dumping it out of a bucket. That's still a no-no. See page 15 and 16 of the digest for yourself.

http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/HuntTrapDigest.pdf

 

That's how it's stated in MN also... "Normal agricultural practice" it's not normal practice to just mow standing corn, thus making that baiting in MN

 

I'd suggest that you ask more than one DNR warden

 

Thanks. Good advice. I emailed the dnr. We'll see what they reply if they do at all. If/when they do i will update you all.

 

It's a grey area. Up to the individual game warden unfortunately

 

When it comes to bating don't trust anyone. The Alabama conservation department has a youth dove hunt each year. A couple of years ago the federal conservation agents looked at the field and said that it was baited and the hunt was canceled.

 

You mean if you hunt over a cut korn field they consider that 'baiting'? That's the most redarted thing I've ever heard.

Maybe I don't understand, but I can't possibly see how they could enforce that-they would be writing tickets non stop, all season long.

 

You mean if you hunt over a cut korn field they consider that 'baiting'? That's the most ******** thing I've ever heard.

Maybe I don't understand, but I can't possibly see how they could enforce that-they would be writing tickets non stop, all season long.

No he means just mowing the corn without harvesting it, we used to run it over with an old beater truck, were told it is Illegal!

 

"Normal agricultural practices" is open for interpretation. Which sounds like is what exactly happens with wardens. Wording has always made me scratch my head but it is illinois

 

It is not legal, I asked a game warden last year as one of the farmers that lets me hunt was gonna mow like 5 acres of overgrown beans that were infested with weeds. I was told it's considered baiting to hunt deer over mowed corn or beans

 

I guess thats why im asking. I hear different interpretations. The warden i talked to said its legal. Told the whole class of kids and adults.

 

Mowing standing corn is not a normal agricultural practice. Harvesting corn with a combine or corn picker is. Mowing stalks after the field has been harvested is normal. I surely would not risk losing my hunting privilege by challenging the DNR. Just remember......it's Illinois.

 

Yes it is legal in IL to deer hunt over a bush hogged corn field even if it was not combined. However it is illegal to add any corn to that field after it has been mowed/bush hogged. You can hunt anything you want over that field except waterfowl.

 

It is LEGAL just as John has said. But as with anything associated to the IDNR they love the grey areas. Best to just tell a warden if asked that the combine did a poor job of shelling it. It is also a typical law written by the IDNR. Waterfowl and migratory birds are not the same. Dove are a migratory bird and can be hunted over mowed or chopped fields of grain. Ducks and geese can not. They love grey areas and making laws hard to understand for the average hunter. Another stupid law was a fur bearing animal could not be shot from an elevated position(tree stands). Guess what a coyote is a fur bearing animal. There are lots of laws on the books that simply are without merit or common sense. But we are talking Illinois and a government agency so it should be expected.

 

With all the different responses your getting, I hope the state emails you back soon ! LOL And if they say you can, you better print it off for proof ! But even at that, they could change some wording in the rules at a later date and then make it different. Good luck....keep us posted.

 

That's kind of dumb, but its ok to hunt over a food plot?

 

Here in Missouri if it was used for a food plot you can mow it and deer hunt over it. Waterfowl is the only no go.

 

I got a response this am. The il dnr agent who replied confirmed it is legal to hunt deer and doves over mowed corn.

 

There ya go. Now you know for sure and you can print it off and keep it handy in case you ever need it. Thanks for updating us.

 

Interesting...I've also heard it both ways for Missouri.