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Up: Hunting Doves Previous: Other Suggestions for Hunters

Baited Fields

It is your responsibility to determine if a field is baited. Dove hunting regulations are a part of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which is a strict liability statute. This means that guilt may be established without having to prove that the hunter had knowledge or intent to violate the law. Unfortunately, you may find yourself shooting on a baited field without knowing it is baited.

To find out if the field is baited, first, ask if the field is legal. If there is an unusually large concentration of doves and the field is freshly plowed, look under the soil for grain that is not a part of normal agricultural plantings and look for grain or other material attractive to doves that was not grown on the field. Remember, in all normal agricultural plantings, the grain is evenly distributed.


Warnell School of Forest Resources