honey smoke for bear, legal?

[hithard]

) Bait. No feed, bait or other materials capable of attracting a bear to a feeding area shall be placed or used for the purpose of taking or pursuing a bear. No bear shall be taken over such bait. No person may take a bear within a 400 yard radius of a garbage dump or bait.


So does this mean you couldn't use a scent, as your not attracting the bear to a "feeding area"?

[725]

I read it as burning honey would be "material capable of attracting a bear". Best option is to contact the fish police in the area in question and get a straight answer from them. By the way,...........burning honey does work.

[Wayne Smith]

...so, if I put a little in my lube ...

[44man]

Makes no sense at all, many areas you will not see a bear in a life time. But you can hunt a corn field or apple tree.
We can not bait bear or turkeys in WV but we can bait deer although I never needed to.
We could not bait deer in PA but I cheated. Some years the tree I hunted would have no apples so I went to another and gathered up a bunch to dump under my apple tree. The PA forest is funny, like more bear areas, no food, no deer.
Goose and duck hunting was always stupid, dare not spill some corn but you could put blinds in a corn field. Stick out $500 of decoys. Call them but no electronic calls.
They draw the line to make money.
You can plant a food plot and hunt it but a pile of corn will cost you.

[dragon813gt]

I wouldn't risk it. Best bet is to call your game commission and ask. The game commission here will take your firearm, vehicle and ruin you financially if caught doing something that's illegal.

[44man]

I wouldn't risk it. Best bet is to call your game commission and ask. The game commission here will take your firearm, vehicle and ruin you financially if caught doing something that's illegal.
Definition of illegal is how much to make off of you.
I was duck hunting long ago and the starting time was sunrise. The sun was two times above the horizon and I shot a duck. Cost me $20. Sun position did not matter, it was time of sunrise posted. You just don't know how they tweak things to cost you money. Some states you can't pee on that rock, only this one. You need a lawyer to come with you. Western states are worse.
Not about those that break the laws, just a normal hunter that tries his best.

[hoosierlogger]

Baiting is illegal in Indiana, but some times I accidentally drop apples and vanilla wafers out of my tree stand when I am having a snack. Those things are hard to hold onto with gloves on.

[knifemaker]

Hithard, I also recommend that you contact CA. Fish & Wildlife for an answer. Normally I would say it is illegal, except for the part, "capable of attracting a bear to a feeding area". If they would have left out the part about a feeding area, it would be illegal, but having that part about being a feeding area may have left a loophole as you are not bringing them in to a feeding area. I would not be surprised if this anti hunting state tries to tell you that the "burning honey" is in itself a bait and food for a bear. Let us know what reply you get.

[44man]

Get on stand and fry bacon and eggs and use honey on toast. Have to eat breakfast. Most laws are to benefit the state today. Not like market days to save a species, they found a honey hole.
One season I shot a deer in my woods and got it on my little machine to bring up the hill. We must put a paper on them before moving but I do not need a license. I do tag them at the store. I could not do it, nature called big time and I just made it to the house. A game warden seen it and banged on my door because I did not have a paper on it. I explained and he said make one. Makes me appreciate where I live. I would not live in CA.
I knew many game wardens in Ohio and PA. They are really doing what they are told. The warden in Ohio would issue a ticket to a family that steered a car to look at deer because of the no spot lighting rule. He gave his cousin a ticket when his fox hunting light hit deer eyes coming over a hill.
But the warden in PA as tough as they are, never asked for my license because he seen us cleaning the game lands lot of trash. Seen my Ohio plates and could not believe we cleaned it up.
Some are good people but politicians are in control in most states for money.
I hate hunting shows. States say you must harvest all the meat from a kill but they shoot a big buck near dark and say we will come tomorrow to find it. It is hot and the meat spoils but all they want is the head. Big, high five, stupid ******** that should be fined. I agree with some laws but try to read your game laws without a lawyer.

[runfiverun]

with what was written in the o.p. a candy bar in your pocket makes you out of bounds.
the word capable is what gets you in trouble.

[44man]

Means if you are eating a sandwich and a bear wants it, you can't shoot him. I have been around many bears in PA, and some well over 400# but a gun was not allowed when archery hunting and you could not shoot a bear. Had one at least 450# climb the tree I was in and I talked him down, but "WHAT IF". Call 911! No cell phones then and I still don't have one. Until you are less then 3' from a huge bear and have to stick your legs out. you will never know. You can be bait so don't break the law.

[dragon813gt]

PA has finally changed the law regarding firearms during archery season. It relates to CCW so you can't carry a rifle w/ you. But there is no more gray area when it comes to carrying while hunting. Having say a 44mag on your hip brings a lot of peace of mind when hunting bears. I've had one climb the tree next to me and come up to eye level. I don't know how I didn't soil my pants. It happened in a split second and there was no way I could be prepared for it to happen.

[condor257]

I live in Ca too, and asked the Game Warden here about that he said if it attracts them its not allowed and considered baiting. So I asked him what about food in your bag for lunch he said as long as its not set out to feed the bear its ok. So soak your bag in Honey and you should be good.

[dragon813gt]

So I guess burning honey so you can dip your lunch in it would be acceptable then ;)