Threecurl
Tracker
Reged: 05/24/07
Posts: 537
Loc: The Republic of Texas
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The official response to the millet question from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service:
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding Federal baiting regulations and waterfowl hunting . Our mission is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Your question is concerning wildlife food plots and whether or not a person may legally hunt waterfowl over first year planted millet. Nothing in the regulations prohibits you from hunting waterfowl in wildlife food plots, including those planted with millet, unless the seed has been freshly distributed, scattered, or exposed. Therefore, food plots with standing millet may be legally hunted, even in the first year of growth. Because wildlife food plots do not meet the definition of a normal agriculture planting, harvest, post-harvest manipulation, or a normal soil stabilization practice, any millet planted in these areas could not be manipulated for purposes of waterfowl hunting at any time. You also asked for clarification of when millet is considered a natural vegetation. Natural vegetation does not include planted millet because of its use as both an agricultural crop and a species of natural vegetation for moist soil management. However, planted millet that grows on its own in subsequent years is considered natural vegetation.
You can find more information about migratory bird hunting and baiting regulations on our web site at: http://www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish
You can find the waterfowl baiting regulations in 50 CFR Part 20 at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov.
Thank you for your cooperation in complying with our regulations that help protect fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Please feel free to respond to this message with any further inquiries that you may have regarding this matter.
The email address to respond to if anyone has further questions is R9LE_WWW@fws.gov.
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If brilliant men are roses then I'm just a field of daisies.
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TexasEd
Tracker
Reged: 09/27/07
Posts: 822
Loc: Cedar Park, Texas
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thanks
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TexasHeat
Veteran Tracker
Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 2006
Loc: D/FW area
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Na na na, told ya so!
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The only thing bad about public hunting is well; the public!
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Gdogg
Tracker
Reged: 02/04/05
Posts: 640
Loc: Austin Texas
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So, is it OK to hunt over planted millet the first year.
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Txduckman
THF Trophy Hunter
Reged: 08/30/04
Posts: 5218
Loc: Big D
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So does my dog knocking a seed in the water to retrieve a bird considered manipulating? 
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Gdogg
Tracker
Reged: 02/04/05
Posts: 640
Loc: Austin Texas
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Quote:
So does my dog knocking a seed in the water to retrieve a bird considered manipulating?
Nope, just well trained.
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Tradition_Outfitters
Woodsman
Reged: 10/22/07
Posts: 100
Loc: TEXAS
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www.traditionoutfitters.com
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Good work!
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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Team Hillbilly
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 08/08/06
Posts: 3810
Loc: Lake Sam Rayburn Texas
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Please read it very careful and note the words, SEEDS and Exposed
"Nothing in the regulations prohibits you from hunting waterfowl in wildlife food plots, including those planted with millet, unless the seed has been freshly distributed, scattered, or exposed. "
This is where it becomes a Judgement Call on the part of the Warden. If you can't see seeds, your most likely safe, but them again it's the Warden or SA call. Good Luck.
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Team Hillbilly
Reel um N Guide Service
www.rayburncountry.com
 
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Txduckman
THF Trophy Hunter
Reged: 08/30/04
Posts: 5218
Loc: Big D
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It is talking about the planted seed that you would not have planted during duck season unless you were baiting. You don't plant food plots in the late fall/winter.
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Team Hillbilly
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 08/08/06
Posts: 3810
Loc: Lake Sam Rayburn Texas
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Txduckman, I'm saying the rule of thumb is seeds, if you can see seeds on the ground and/or in the water, then it's a judgement call for the Warden....... Again it's JMO.
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Team Hillbilly
Reel um N Guide Service
www.rayburncountry.com
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PerkJerker
Bird Dog
Reged: 09/02/04
Posts: 404
Loc: Mckinney Texas
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Beat down millet plants scattered seeds- Good
No millet plant and scattered seeds TICKET
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REM788
Woodsman
Reged: 01/19/07
Posts: 171
Loc: Houston
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We planted ours last year and it didn't help one bit. As a matter of fact I saw less birds last season than the previous five. This summer we shredded, burned, and disked the dried lake bed. Maybe it will grow back and this year will be better. We figure part of the problem was that the millet was so thick that there was not alot of open water for them to land. We recieved the same answer as well from TPWD. We were also informed by our local GW that manipulation on a first year plant was to his discretion.
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