Post by rwh on Aug 26, 2005 9:50:33 GMT -5
Over the years comercial bear baiters have instigated plenty of conflicts...threatening to shoot dogs, and in some cases threatening harm to individuals for happening to be hunting in the national forest where they have established baits-for-pay. Never seemed right they could charge a fee to hunt on public land and then try to keep other hunters out of the area. Be advised, as of August 12, 2004 anyone charging a fee for services in U.S. national forests is required to have a special use permit before any money changes hands. The permit requires the individual to carry liability insurance naming the USFS as co-insured, a detailed description of the operation (number of baits & location)
cost of the permit will be based on a percentage of proposed income of the operation. The permit holder is not allowed to have a negative impact on other user groups. Special use permits have been around for many years, although until Aug. 12, 2004 the regional Forest Service Supervisor had some flexibility and could overlook commercial baiting. Since then the ruling has become uniform, covering all national forests. Hounddoggers, if you get hasseled by a commercial baiter operating on forest service land...you don't have to take it. If they have a special use permit they are not allowed to try discouraging you from using the area. They can lose their permit for keeps. If they do not have a permit they are in violation. You will need to verify the individual has received a fee for charges to stick. If you have a problem and want some advice on how to pursue this with the forest service send me a message on this site and I'll try to help you. I watched the enjoyment of hound hunting slowly get taken away over the last 32 years...mostly due to commercial bear baiting on public land. You could say I am on a crusade.
cost of the permit will be based on a percentage of proposed income of the operation. The permit holder is not allowed to have a negative impact on other user groups. Special use permits have been around for many years, although until Aug. 12, 2004 the regional Forest Service Supervisor had some flexibility and could overlook commercial baiting. Since then the ruling has become uniform, covering all national forests. Hounddoggers, if you get hasseled by a commercial baiter operating on forest service land...you don't have to take it. If they have a special use permit they are not allowed to try discouraging you from using the area. They can lose their permit for keeps. If they do not have a permit they are in violation. You will need to verify the individual has received a fee for charges to stick. If you have a problem and want some advice on how to pursue this with the forest service send me a message on this site and I'll try to help you. I watched the enjoyment of hound hunting slowly get taken away over the last 32 years...mostly due to commercial bear baiting on public land. You could say I am on a crusade.