North Dakota Senate defeats bill to forbid big game baiting bans

BISMARCK — The North Dakota Senate has by a narrow margin stopped a bill that would have prevented wildlife officials from banning big game baiting.

House Bill 1151 by Rep. Paul Thomas, R-Velva, came to the Senate after the state House of Representatives passed it in a 76-18 vote in February. It failed 21-26 Tuesday, April 4, in the Senate.

Supporters of the bill said baiting deer is a way to keep youth interested in hunting and to allow the opportunity for those with physical limitations.

They further argued that the science behind the use of bait bans to control chronic wasting disease is flawed.

Opponents said the bill undermines the authority of state Game and Fish Department officials, and that preventative CWD measures are better alternatives than trying to curb an outbreak.

A bait ban in McKenzie County pushed Sen. Mike Dwyer, R-Bismarck, and his sons to change their hunting tactics, he told the Senate. The result was “a truer hunt,” he said, and he gave an example of his sons watching a deer for a full day before harvesting it.

Dwyer said he rejected the notion that the bill is necessary to keep the next generation of hunters enthused in the sport.

“I think you can do that without this bill,” he said.

Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, asked about how bait bans are enforced and how placing bait congregates animals any differently than when a producer dumps grain screenings in a pasture.

“We’re not baiting, we’re just dumping,” she said.

The bill would not micromanage Game and Fish but give “freedom of rights to landowners," she said.

Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, disagreed, saying the bill shows a lack of trust and respect for Game and Fish staff.

“We pay to hire the best staff with the best knowledge,” Bekkedahl said.

CWD isn’t the only disease concern, said Sen. Robert Erbele, R-Lehr. Deer can carry diseases transmittable to cattle, such as tuberculosis. The state has been TB-free “for many, many years” while some neighboring states have lost that designation because the wildlife wasn’t managed, according to the lawmaker.

“We don’t want that here in North Dakota,” Erbele said.