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Baiting, feeding restrictions

Rules in place in Waupaca, other counties

An area conservation warden is urging Waupaca County residents and visitors to review baiting and feeding restrictions for the county.

Jonathan Kaiser said the state Department of Natural Resources is continuing to focus on education to help the public understand the county’s baiting and feeding ban.

The topic is a daily conversation and common question asked during his routine patrol activities.

“There is a significant misunderstanding about where and how legal feeding can occur and these wrong interpretations of the law has led to cases of people inadvertently violating the law,” Kaiser said.
Waupaca County is among the more than 40 counties with a ban on these activities. Kaiser is advising hunters and wildlife observers involved in outdoor activities in Waupaca County to review the regulations.

“Our goal is compliance and education is a big part of compliance,” he said. “The regulations do allow for legal feeding of animals as long as the feeding situation is not accessible by deer.”

The regulations are in place slow the spread of chronic wasting disease, the fatal deer brain disease.

“Baiting and feeding encourages deer to gather to eat,” Kaiser said. “It is this gathering in close quarters that increases the chances of the disease spreading.”

Mandatory bans on baiting and feeding are established within a geographic range of any confirmed CWD case.

“A question I often get is, ‘Can I still use a feeder to watch wildlife?’” Kaiser said. “Yes, you can. However, the feeder for birds and other small mammals must be within 50 yards of the home and at a height that a deer cannot access it.”
Deer baiting and feeding regulations are in place other CWD-affected counties, according to Kaiser.

“The bottom line is not only to follow these bans in Waupaca County, but also to know the regulations of other counties you may visit,” he said.

Deer baiting and feeding regulations for all counties and more information about CWD is available on the DNR website – dnr.wi.gov – and entering search words “bait” and “CWD.”

Kaiser can also be contacted at 715-281-9465 or [email protected]. Violations can also be reported to the DNR’s tipline, 800-TIP-WDNR.

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