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Poachers Pay To (Kill Animals Over) Bait
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SB612 authored by Sen John Bulloch sets the lowest hunting ethic standard yet. In fact, if SB612 passes, it sets a precedent for other law breakers to follow by asking their legislators to set minimum fines in order to "pay to break the law."
SB 612 sets the fine for killing animals over bait at $25 statewide. This would allow anyone to kill bear, deer, turkeys, squirrels or any other game animal at a food trough. The “DE FACTO” legalization of allowing someone to hunt (kill) over bait. Not only is this promoting poaching, it will conflict with state and federal game laws, thereby costing taxpayers more in law enforcement and court costs. The biggest problem is that by trying to set a state fee/fine for someone to buy their way around the law, someone will eventually end up in Federal Court for baiting migratory birds, dove and ducks. Something the ethical hunting community cannot tolerate. SB 612 sends the wrong message that not only is it acceptable to buy your way around the law; it circumvents state and local judges’ ability to render their decisions. Forget checks and balances in government, SB 612 indicates the General Assembly’s willingness for the legislative branch to do the business of the judicial branch of government.
Not only is a paltry $25 fine less than the cost of a hunting license, it has been promoted by South Georgia land barons as “a cost of doing business.” In the words of one extremely wealthy individual looking for a way around the law, “I invite the game warden to come by the lodge for a cup of coffee, write ten tickets for shooting over bait and I will write a check for each offense. Just don’t bother my boys (paying customers) on their deer stands.” What he is saying is that the $25 fine is just the cost of doing business, to evade the law, in order to guarantee a kill for his clients who lack the time, skill or patience to hunt. Therefore, his admitting his willingness to pay his way to break the law is literally PAYING TO POACH!!!
The current law requires a supplemental feeder be 200 yards and out of the direct line of sight of a hunter. The existing law is a compromise that has been consistently weakened over the past five years. At some point, ethical hunters must draw a line in the sand, and they have. To date, they have effectively stopped baiting legislation in the Georgia House of Representatives. But wealthy, well heeled, politically connected landowners in South Georgia still want their way and are willing to bypass the judicial system, the advice of professional wildlife managers and the will of Georgians in order to evade and escape the law, all in the name of the almighty dollar. Since the “PRO BAITING POACHERS” cannot get their legislation passed in the House, Senate Bill 612 is the BACKDOOR approach for a poacher to buy his way into bad public policy. It is the equivalent of a LEGISLATIVE SHELL GAME in order to provide an alternative legislative vehicle on which they want to attach baiting language. This shell game is the poachers’ effort to buy their way around Georgia’s state game laws with little risks, effectively bypassing the courts by rendering the fine less than the costs to the courts or enforcing the law by DNR Law Enforcement officers.
We, as a society, have laws on the books to help us make the right choices every day. SB 612 will set an unethical precedent for others wanting to purchase their way around other Georgia laws. It is conceivable that trucking companies might now want to pay minimum speeding and overweight fines, up front, as a cost of doing business, thereby allowing their trucks to be overloaded, bypass regulatory scales, speed and put the public at risk all in the name of doing business, “paying to break the law.” It may sound twisted, but SB 612 sets the precedent for someone to recommend there be an upfront fine to circumvent Georgia law prohibiting prostitution. To make things equal, PIMPS PAY TO PLAY and POACHERS PAY TO BAIT.
SB 612 will be heard in the Georgia State Senate on Monday, March 13, the legislative crossover day for Senate bills going to the House of Representatives. This is the pro-baiting, poachers, last ditch effort to legalize killing over bait in Georgia.
Contact your State Senator today for their commitment in OPPOSSITION TO SENATE BILL 612!!!!
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Your State Senator
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SB612 sends bad public policy message, defeat SB612
Dear Senator,
I am a voter in your district.
As an ethical Georgia sportsman, I oppose any legislative attempt to weaken game laws in Georgia. Recent statewide media has focused on the negative consequences of and lack of support for allowing the shooting of deer over bait. SB 612 would promote bad public policy by allowing someone to pay their way in order to break the law. This would literally allow POACHERS TO PAY IN ORDER TO KILL ANIMALS OVER BAIT.
In setting a minimum fine of $25 dollars for breaking game laws, the General Assembly will be sending the wrong message to ethical hunters and the non-hunting public who overwhelmingly oppose a hunters’ ability to unfairly lure an animal in for a kill. Additionally, it is widely known that a few wealthy, politically connected, South Georgia landowners want a minimum fee as their “costs of doing business.” A small fee, up front, that allows them to break the law.
Furthermore, as the legislative attempt to allow killing deer over bait has failed to pass the Georgia House of Representatives, this is an obvious, last minute and desperate legislative “shell game” in an attempt to provide a legislative vehicle for additional baiting language. I ask for your adamant opposition to SB 612 and your commitment to voting NO to SB 612.
Sincerely, Your name and address here
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