The Alabama House of Representatives’ Agriculture and Forestry Committee met on Wednesday, February 3, to debate legislation to end Alabama’s law against shooting deer and hogs while they eat bait.
It’s currently illegal to shoot wildlife while they feed at a feeder in Alabama. To shoot deer or hogs, you must either not use bait or have bait placed in a neighboring field.
State Representative Alan Boothe (R-Troy) introduced legislation that would change that for deer and wild hogs. According to Boothe, House Bill 43 has already passed the Senate committee.
The bill will bring Alabama into agreement with surrounding states and will help control the population of feral hogs – which can be devastating to agriculture – and make doing so easier. It would also provide a boost to the economy by making things easier for hunting clubs, according to State Representative Jack W. Williams (R-Wilmer).
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Representative Artis J. “A.J.” McCampbell (D-Livingston) spoke of his concerns with the bills effect on deer. A self-labeled old drive hunter, he believes in giving the deer a fair chance and has issue if this applies to deer season.
Rep. Bob Fincher (R-Woodland) said this only applies to private land.
Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Scottsboro) spoke of corn molding and how piles of it has been shown to kill turkeys and other wildlife. Hanes spoke of how this way of hunting doesn’t teach the appropriate hunting and woodsman skills to the next generation. “You are teaching them to be killers instead of learning hunting skills.”
Rep. Williams said that every hunting club feeds and that it can be harder to shoot fed deer since they don’t come out as often.
Despite reservations from Representatives McCampbell and Hanes, HB 43 now goes to the full Alabama House of Representatives after a favorable report.
