2024 Game Bird and Small Game Regs - 12

GAME BIRD & SMALL GAME
WATERFOWL HUNTING AND BAITING INFORMATION
U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE
WHAT IS LEGAL?
You can hunt waterfowl on or over or from:
* Standing crops or flooded standing crops, including aquatic plants.
* Standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation.
* Flooded harvested croplands.
* Lands or areas where grains have been scattered solely as the
result of a normal agricultural planting, harvesting or post-harvest
manipulation.
* Lands or areas where top-sown seeds have been scattered solely
as the result of a normal agricultural planting, or a planting for agricultural
soil erosion control or post-mining land reclamation.
* A blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with natural
vegetation.
* A blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with vegetation
from agricultural crops, provided your use of such vegetation does
not expose, deposit, distribute or scatter grain or other feed.
* Standing or flooded standing crops where grain is inadvertently
scattered solely as the result of hunters entering or leaving the area,
placing decoys, or retrieving downed birds. Hunters are cautioned
that while conducting these activities, any intentional scattering of
grain will create a baited area.
WHAT IS ILLEGAL?
Some examples of areas where you cannot hunt waterfowl include:
* Areas where grain or seed has been top-sown and the Cooperative
Extension Service does not recommend the practice of top sowing.
* Crops that have been harvested outside of the recommended harvest
dates established by the Cooperative Extension Service (including
any subsequent post-harvest manipulations).
* Unharvested crops that have been trampled by livestock or subjected
to other types of manipulations that distribute, scatter, or
expose grain.
* Areas where grain is present and stored, such as grain elevators
and grain bins.
* Areas where grain is present for the purpose of feeding livestock.
* Freshly planted wildlife food plots that contain exposed grain.
* Croplands where a crop has been harvested and the removed grain
is redistributed or " added back " onto the area where grown.
These examples do not represent an all-inclusive list of waterfowl
baiting violations.
THE HUNTER'S RESPONSIBILITY
As a waterfowl hunter, you are responsible for determining whether your proposed hunting area is baited. Before hunting, you should:
* Familiarize yourself with Federal and State waterfowl hunting regulations.
* Ask the landowner, your host or guide, and your hunting partners if the area has been baited and inspect the area for the presence of bait.
* Suspect the presence of bait if you see waterfowl feeding in a particular area in unusually large concentrations or displaying a lack of caution.
* Look for grain or other feed in the water, along the shore, and on the field. Pay particular attention to the presence of spilled grain on
harvested fields and seeds planted by means of top sowing.
* Confirm that scattered seeds or grains on agricultural lands are present solely as the result of a normal agricultural planting, normal agricultural
harvesting, normal agricultural post-harvest manipulation, or normal soil stabilization practice by consulting the Cooperative Extension Service.
* Abandon the hunting site if you find grain or feed in an area and are uncertain about why it is there.
EXCERPTS FROM TITLE 50, CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, PART 20.21
No persons shall take migratory game birds:
By the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area, where a person knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited. However,
nothing in this paragraph prohibits:
i. The taking of any migratory game bird, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, on or over the following lands or areas that are not otherwise
baited areas--
i. Standing crops or flooded standing crops (including aquatics); standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation; flooded harvested
croplands; or lands or areas where seeds or grains have been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural planting, harvesting,
post harvest manipulation or normal soil stabilization practice;
ii. From a blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with natural vegetation;
iii. From a blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with vegetation from agricultural crops, as long as such camouflaging does not
result in the exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of grain or other feed; or,
iv. Standing or flooded standing agricultural crops where grain is inadvertently scattered solely as a result of a hunter entering or exiting
a hunting area, placing decoys, or retrieving downed birds.
v. The taking of any migratory game bird, except waterfowl, coots, and cranes, on or over lands or areas that are not otherwise baited areas,
and where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered solely as the result of manipulation of an agricultural crop or other feed
on the land where grown, or solely as the result of a normal agricultural operation.
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WGF D.WYO.GOV

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/

2024 Game Bird and Small Game Regs

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