Baiting, what’s the difference?

Truly I don’t know so I thought I would ask.

A post on 03/03 “Hide and Seek” from Jim H showing us the water dish he has out for the birds that happens to attract other animals as well.

Further down a post on 03/02 from Ron Dudley “Photographer Jailed for Baiting Wildlife”

Without even asking I would say that the folks around here always follow the rules and proper etiquette, so this is not questioning Jim’s actions. But truly I don’t know what is right and what is wrong.

I'm not sure I'm ready for another Great Baiting Debate. But I respectfully suggest that there are any number of material differences between Jim H's putting a water dish in his backyard and the behavior in the article to which Ron Dudley linked.

Among them: (1) the photographer in Montana had been warned in writing not to bait, (2) the baiting was in an area dangerous for the animals, and (3) animals had been killed because of the earlier baiting.

I have no trouble seeing the difference.

Threads in question;

Hide and Seek

Photographer Jailed for Baiting Wildlife

There will undoubtedly be many answers/opinions on this subject, both ethical and legal, but one is simply this; placing a pan of water in your yard is not against the law, feeding wildlife on the public land in question (second link) is. The jailed photographer broke the law.

I think it's a very subtle question and I don't know where to draw a line. The world actually encourages feeding birds, creating butterfly gardens, etc. But somehow when it comes to mammals, everything is different and I'm not sure why. I agree with Jim that there's a very clear difference between putting food/water out in your yard versus in a wildlife sanctuary, national forrest, etc.

Thanks for the link Jim,

There is lots of good info in the old thread and should suffice to bring me up to speed.
I can see that this is a multi-faceted hot topic for sure.

Another criterion that can be helpful is: What is the purpose of the baiting/feeding? Is it for the welfare of the animal? Even when the answer is yes, even then there can be a downside to it. If the purpose was for personal gain such as photography then it's a little more clearcut. Baiting for the purpose of hunting is just about illegal everywhere and for most species but even then there are some exceptions. So, a from a legal perspective it is normally clearcut but when one applies the filter of ethics then things get real foggy since we all know ethics vary wildly. Nevertheless, it is an interesting area of contemplation.

Peter

I like the way Peter approaches this subject. If it is for the benefit of the person, then it probably isn't helping the animal.. However, on the flip side, when the person believes it is for the benefit of the animal, there is a problem. Many people honestly think they are helping wild animals by feeding them. Small birds that come to feeders are not going to end up being killed because they become a threat or a nuisance to humans or because they become habituated to them. (I'm assuming that the feeder is kept clean so it doesn't become a danger to the birds.) But the same is not true of alligators, raccoons, herons/egrets, sandhill cranes, etc. Some people actually feed alligators in their yards! Eventually the neighbors call a trapper and the alligator becomes a purse and a pair of shoes. Raccoons are shot (legally, by licensed trappers) for the same reason. The large shorebirds become habituated to humans and end up being hit by cars. Then there's the question of harming the animals by feeding them the wrong type of food. This is true of Scrub Jays. I realize that it's a complicated situation, but I think it is best to err on the side of caution.
~ Michele Williams

I can see how this could be a debated sensitive topic with a lot of gray area. We have lived in this place for about 1/1/2 years (fairly new to the desert environment) and the 60 acres behind is an amazing piece of property because it appears to be a urban animal corridor. I thought I would check with the Tucson office of the Arizona Game and Fish department to see if hanging a bird feeder or leaving out a water tray is against the law so I called them. I was told it is not against the law to hang a bird feeder or place out a water tray. The sad thing that may happen to this property is the potential sale to a home developer that is being discussed.
Regards,
Jim

I'm glad you checked with the authorities Jim, just to be sure, I hope very much that the development of that property behind your home doesn't occur or is at least long delayed - both for you and for the critters that rely on it in its natural, beautiful state. I very much enjoyed your Bobcat image.

Personally, I think that feeding the birds is much more for the benefit of the person than it is for the birds. It's well established in ecology that animal populations are usually limited by a combination of food and nesting sites. Thus, while bird feeding can result in small increases in population it's only at the edges of a species range that feeding plays a key role in survival. To put this in perspective, I spend over $50 a month keeping my bird feeders full and I sure enjoy watching them.

The bird bath in our yard is always full.

With the pace of land development, or habitat depletion, it would be hard to convince me that in the larger picture a bird bath or feeders are harmful.

Jim has a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the desert and I hope he gets much enjoyment from the open space. The sky in his photo is to die for. I’ll be jealous when I see the desert rainbow shot….