# For those who have bears coming to their feeders here is the law as per DNR



## j_seph (Aug 25, 2011)

In another thread this was discussed that once a bear starts coming to your feeder you are to empty it or remove it. The law states

§ 27-3-27.  Unlawful use of bear bait


   (a) It is unlawful to use any type of bait to concentrate the bear population in any area or to lure them to any location which gives or might give a hunter an unnatural advantage when hunting bear.

(b) Any person violating the provisions of this Code section is guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and, upon conviction, may be punished by a fine of not less than $500.00 and not to exceed $5,000.00 or by confinement for a term not to exceed 12 months, or both.[/quote]

Just talked with the DNR about this and was told

   (a) *It is unlawful to use any type of bait to concentrate the bear  population in any area *or to lure them to any location which gives or  might give a hunter an unnatural advantage when hunting bear.
This is basically 3 laws in one sentence, the key word here is *OR*


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## GA DAWG (Aug 25, 2011)

We aint hunting them though!!!


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## Capt Quirk (Aug 25, 2011)

Yeah, what if you ain't hunting bear? Is the DNR going to put Yogi in time out or something?


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## Rich Kaminski (Aug 25, 2011)

But, I can eat sardine sandwiches all day long while I am hunting - RIGHT .


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## Etter2 (Aug 25, 2011)

That only refers to when you are hunting.  Those with a season in south ga better think of this when hunting over bait.


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## j_seph (Aug 25, 2011)

In the first part
"It is unlawful to use any type of bait to concentrate the bear population in any area "
this is a law in itself, just telling ya what DNR in Gainesville quoted to me today. Wheather you are hunting or sitting on your back porch taking pictures.


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## Capt Quirk (Aug 25, 2011)

Again, what if your goal is not to "Concentrate the bear population"? I mean, it could be a bird feeder that the bears are raiding. If bear are not the intended critter, are you breaking the law, or the bear? Where is Ranger Smith when you need him?


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## Forest Grump (Aug 25, 2011)

I tell my people to empty one when the bears find it so the bear will leave! We are feeding deer, not bear. Bears are on their own as far as I'm concerned. Only place I have them is in Dooly, so no season anyway, but I sure have no desire to concentrate 'em. They do enough damage as singles.


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## GA DAWG (Aug 26, 2011)

I guess the wrd better get busy and start writing some tickets! Enough pics on here of them to make a killing.


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## j_seph (Aug 26, 2011)

GA DAWG said:


> I guess the wrd better get busy and start writing some tickets! Enough pics on here of them to make a killing.


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## bowbuck (Aug 28, 2011)

I don't think someone having a bear eating corn put out for wildlife and getting a ticket would ever fly in court.  It's a hunting regulation, we don't have regulations on private land as to what you feed.  You can piece any group of words together to get the meaning you desire.  I put more emphasis on the word "which" in that sentence than I do on "or."   From someone in law enforcement, the folks in an office don't always know as much as they think they do, nor do the folks wearing a badge on the street sometimes.


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## outdooradventures44 (Aug 28, 2011)

I have a place near Blue Ridge where I bow hunt a good bit, and have seen a number of bears and plennty of bear sign. Many of the folks with Cabins near us put out corn for the wiildlife. This along with the rental cabins having trash outside al,ost every Sunday night tends to make for more sightings on Mondays. I called the DNR and simply asked that if I killed a bear that was in route to a trash can or corn pile put out by someone else was I in violation. He said yes. I think its a stretch for that to be a crime but I have choosen to hunt a differnt area anyway. It does alter their normal patterns. Well, actually, it has become thier normal pattern. Thoughts?


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## GA DAWG (Aug 28, 2011)

How would you know much less the game warden know where the bear was headed when you killed it??? I don't make it a habit to look off my property. So if I kill one headed to a neighbors corn. Id never know! I guess you can't hunt on cornfields either. They congregate bears.


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## outdooradventures44 (Aug 29, 2011)

Your absolutly right GA DAWG


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## Hunter454 (Aug 29, 2011)

outdooradventures44 said:


> I have a place near Blue Ridge where I bow hunt a good bit, and have seen a number of bears and plennty of bear sign. Many of the folks with Cabins near us put out corn for the wiildlife. This along with the rental cabins having trash outside al,ost every Sunday night tends to make for more sightings on Mondays. I called the DNR and simply asked that if I killed a bear that was in route to a trash can or corn pile put out by someone else was I in violation. He said yes. I think its a stretch for that to be a crime but I have choosen to hunt a differnt area anyway. It does alter their normal patterns. Well, actually, it has become thier normal pattern. Thoughts?



The law (in the northern zone) for deer says something to the effect of someone cannot put out bait so that it makes it unlawful for someone on an adjacent property to take a deer, for example bird feeders in Atlanta's rural areas where you're no more than one hundred yards from someones home... the deer aren't headed to a huge hardwood bottom...


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## birddog52 (Sep 13, 2011)

just make the call


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## j_seph (Sep 13, 2011)

bowbuck said:


> I don't think someone having a bear eating corn put out for wildlife and getting a ticket would ever fly in court.  It's a hunting regulation, we don't have regulations on private land as to what you feed.  You can piece any group of words together to get the meaning you desire.  I put more emphasis on the word "which" in that sentence than I do on "or."   From someone in law enforcement, the folks in an office don't always know as much as they think they do, nor do the folks wearing a badge on the street sometimes.


Again for what it's worth I am not piecing words together. This is what the LE at DNR stated as the law during our conversation. If ya worried give me a call if not do as you want, just putting it out there. Good Hunting


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## xjd33x (Sep 13, 2011)

*Bears*

I own a farm in Ellijay and my neighbor farms corn commercially. The state record archery  bear was harvested here and this year ther are Several bears ruining his cornfields. I wonder if I shoot one of these bears on one of thier many trails running through my property would I be ticketed. I also have food plots that the bears use. Can anyone answer this?


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## GA DAWG (Sep 13, 2011)

xjd33x said:


> I own a farm in Ellijay and my neighbor farms corn commercially. The state record archery  bear was harvested here and this year ther are Several bears ruining his cornfields. I wonder if I shoot one of these bears on one of thier many trails running through my property would I be ticketed. I also have food plots that the bears use. Can anyone answer this?


Id have to see it. Can I bring a gun with me?


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## j_seph (Sep 13, 2011)

GA DAWG said:


> Id have to see it. Can I bring a gun with me?


 y'all might need back up I'll come too
It's planted corn part of agriculture so it would be like a foodplot!!


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## JohnK (Sep 15, 2011)

I've been seeing some corn feeder's out. Maybe for hogs, maybe for camera pics of deer but the cameras have a surround board frame with about 100 nails sticking out. I don't know if the bears come to the corn but they seem to like the cameras. Just saying, if you corn you may get anything coming in. (Never seen a game warden though)


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## Mopey (Sep 16, 2011)

xjd33x said:


> I own a farm in Ellijay and my neighbor farms corn commercially. The state record archery  bear was harvested here and this year ther are Several bears ruining his cornfields. I wonder if I shoot one of these bears on one of thier many trails running through my property would I be ticketed. I also have food plots that the bears use. Can anyone answer this?




No, you would not be ticketed, no different than hunting a food plot planted in sorghum on a wma. If it's growing there then it's legal.


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## bfriendly (Sep 17, 2011)

Mopey said:


> No, you would not be ticketed, no different than hunting a food plot planted in sorghum on a wma. If it's growing there then it's legal.



Mopey, how big is that bear in your Avatar?  That looks like the bear I saw the other day, cept its snout was very Bright tan.......


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## Mopey (Sep 17, 2011)

It weighed right around 185lbs.


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## bfriendly (Sep 22, 2011)

Mopey said:


> It weighed right around 185lbs.



Sweet...........Guess the bear I finally saw may have been a shooter afterall


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