Posted on Sep 28, 2023
A Kansas lawmaker threatens the wildlife department over deer baiting, raising ethics concerns
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A Republican lawmaker sparked ethics concerns after he threatened to cut at least a million dollars from the agency if it bans deer baiting. And he said another lawmaker that owns a hunting lodge would help him.
A Republican lawmaker threatened to strip funding from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks if it bans people from baiting deer with piles of food.
Rep. Lewis Bloom, a farmer from Clay Center, went as far as to claim the chair of the committee that oversees the agency’s budget would help him retaliate by defunding the department.
Republican Rep. Ken Corbet, the chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee, owns a lodge in Topeka that offers deer hunting for thousands of dollars per person, raising concerns of lawmaker conflict-of-interest. Hunting lodges regularly use baiting and feeding to help their customers get closer to the deer, or to bolster deer populations or try to grow larger antlers.
“If you consider banning baiting,” Bloom said, “we're going to take a million dollars off the top of your budget immediately. And then we will go through every line item bit by bit and take off everything we can possibly find.”
A Republican lawmaker threatened to strip funding from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks if it bans people from baiting deer with piles of food.
Rep. Lewis Bloom, a farmer from Clay Center, went as far as to claim the chair of the committee that oversees the agency’s budget would help him retaliate by defunding the department.
Republican Rep. Ken Corbet, the chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee, owns a lodge in Topeka that offers deer hunting for thousands of dollars per person, raising concerns of lawmaker conflict-of-interest. Hunting lodges regularly use baiting and feeding to help their customers get closer to the deer, or to bolster deer populations or try to grow larger antlers.
“If you consider banning baiting,” Bloom said, “we're going to take a million dollars off the top of your budget immediately. And then we will go through every line item bit by bit and take off everything we can possibly find.”
A Kansas lawmaker threatens the wildlife department over deer baiting, raising ethics concerns
Posted from kcur.org
Republicans
Ethics
Deer Hunting
Hunting
Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel I don't know how everyone else feels about it but I always thought baiting was wrong. If your hunting you do "fair chase." My opinion for what it's worth.
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Patricia Overmeyer
Cpl Vic Burk - I haven't hunted in years. My dad grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and in 1919 watched as a group of "hunters" killed several bison. They "hunters" cut off the heads and left the rest of the carcasses. One of the ranch hands was a Shoshone/Cheyenne tribal member and he went to the Shoshone tribe so they came to get the carcasses. That left an indelible impression on Dad at the tender age of 6.
Dad hunted until a couple of years before he died in 1970. I used to go with him as a young kid. Dad's number one rule was you don't kill what you won't eat. Second, you don't bait animals to hunt them but hunt them naturally. I haven't hunted in over 40 years and Hubby used to do wildlife photography as a hobby. We toss out melon rinds and other veggie leftovers for the wildlife and we have a few dishes of water since we live in a desert. And the carcasses from the ongoing packrat war and killed rattlesnakes get tossed over the wall. I just enjoy watching thee critters as they pass by the house.
Dad hunted until a couple of years before he died in 1970. I used to go with him as a young kid. Dad's number one rule was you don't kill what you won't eat. Second, you don't bait animals to hunt them but hunt them naturally. I haven't hunted in over 40 years and Hubby used to do wildlife photography as a hobby. We toss out melon rinds and other veggie leftovers for the wildlife and we have a few dishes of water since we live in a desert. And the carcasses from the ongoing packrat war and killed rattlesnakes get tossed over the wall. I just enjoy watching thee critters as they pass by the house.
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Cpl Vic Burk
Patricia Overmeyer - When I did hunt, I didn't kill what I didn't eat either. Killing a critter or taking a fish simply to have a trophy is asinine in my opinion. I have a taxidermy club at my high school and we have discussed this sport of trophy killing. None of my students (at least to my face) agree with this practice. Some of my students think that is gross picking up a critter that was hit by a car but I view it as respect to give it new life in still life form for someone to enjoy. I've only ever had one student who was offended by me having taxidermy critters in my classroom. When I bring in my lifesize bear standing up on its back legs I can't tell you how many pictures and selfies are taken with this bear. Hundred in any given school year!
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Patricia Overmeyer
Cpl Vic Burk - I can imagine the bear gets lots of attraction! Damn those things are huge. One of my colleagues is a hunter and he has several trophies in his office. He only kills what he will eat and he oftentimes gives me bison meat. I asked to pet the bobcat trophy in his office because I was so curious if it felt like a domestic cat's hair. It does! He doesn't recommend it for eating though. LOL!!
As for road kill, as long as the scent sacs haven't been hit, no reason not to pick it up and eat it. Otherwise, mount it and use it for educational purposes.
As for road kill, as long as the scent sacs haven't been hit, no reason not to pick it up and eat it. Otherwise, mount it and use it for educational purposes.
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Cpl Vic Burk
Patricia Overmeyer - I do have some spotted skunks I take in also. That really freaks the kids out. They are afraid to smell it even though there is no scent!
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I've never baited, but I think that in some states where there are a lot of invasive species baiting isn't a bad thing.
Baiting to hunt is pretty chickenshit. Food plots are one thing, but bait towers are another.
Baiting to hunt is pretty chickenshit. Food plots are one thing, but bait towers are another.
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