Baiting for Photos

September 4, 2008

Question: I have a question for you regarding attracting wildlife for photographic purposes. A retired mammalogist I know enjoys taking candid photos of wildlife using camera traps. He often baits them with various lures or meat (chicken, fish, etc.) Is this a legal activity? The animals are not harmed, but may be attracted to areas they would not otherwise be foraging, although part of the sport is knowing the life history of the target animal. If not, are there permits that can be obtained to responsibly photograph wildlife remotely? I can see this hobby becoming more popular as the technology continues to advance. (Lorna D.)

Answer: It is illegal to “knowingly feed big game” so you can’t bait deer, elk, antelope, etc., even for photography purposes. And if you put out some bait for, let’s say, squirrels, and a bear started visiting it you would need to remove it.

It is also illegal to hunt mammals within 400 yards of a baited area, and even after bait is removed, the area is still considered to be baited for ten days following removal, as a result of the bait being there in the first place (Title 14 Section 257.5, page 8 of the 2008-09 Mammal Hunting Regulations.)

According to Lorna Bernard, who manages the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) “Keep Me Wild” campaign, beyond that there is no law that specifically bans feeding of wildlife. But people should use good common sense to ensure that they aren’t creating problems for themselves and their neighbors. Wild animals are unpredictable and don’t make any distinction between the food you intend to leave for them and other items that are edible–the family pet, for example.

Also keep in mind that some diseases like rabies and distemper can be transmitted from wildlife to pets so it’s not generally a good idea to encourage wild animals to come closer to your home than they normally would. Plus, there’s the potential to attract the wrong animals, like rats and mice.