Japanese Millet for Waterfowl

[Stolle]

I sent this email to TPWD.....

I planted the banks of a pond that I intend to duck hunt with Japanese Millet on July 4th. The law states that a standing flooded crop can be hunted over. It also says Japanese Millet can not be manipulated and hunted over unless it returns on the second year which then it is considered natural vegetation. So the way I interpret it is, it is legal to hunt over planted Millet the first year as long as it is not manipulated. I have been told by several people it is legal, and several said it is illegal. Could you please clear this up for me? Is it legal or illegal to hunt flooded Japanese Millet the same year you plant it? Thanks for your time.


I got the exact reply that Texmax posted.

You can hunt over it the first year, however, you may not walk through, drive through, shred it down, disk it or make any of the seed heads to drop their seed by anything or any activity you do to cause such. Read the Waterfowl baiting federal laws very closely since we follow suit with those. http://www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/waterfowl_baiting.htm

I am going to keep a copy of the email in my blind bag just in case.

What if the cows or dogs walk through it? I think it would be the game wardens discretion when he shows up. I would love to plant some at our place, but my luck I would get a ticket.

[RaginCagin]

Man, i think you killed your millet for no reason

[zappmaster]

How does he know you didn't plant it last year?

[Sleepy]

Wildlife Food Plots
You cannot legally hunt waterfowl over freshly planted wildlife food plots where grain or seed has been distributed, scattered, or exposed because these plots are not normal agricultural plantings or normal soil stabilization practices. Wildlife food plots may be considered a normal agricultural practice, but they do not meet the definition of a normal agricultural planting, harvest, post-harvest manipulation, or a normal soil stabilization practice.

http://www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/waterfowl_baiting.htm

[Outback77]

Freshly planted... The way my GW explained that was you can't throw wheat seed out all over then hunt over it calling it a agricultural crop

[Lungbustr]

It says freshly planted. What they mean by that is its illegal for us to go and broadcast 2000 lbs of "seed" for our "foodplot" then go hunt it a week later when the birds are out there eating our "seed". Essentially we just baited them but claimed we were trying to plant a food plot.

[Lungbustr]

Everybody plants waterfowl food plots, I can assure you they would not if it were a violation of federal laws.

[TexMax]

It says freshly planted. What they mean by that is its illegal for us to go and broadcast 2000 lbs of "seed" for our "foodplot" then go hunt it a week later when the birds are out there eating our "seed". Essentially we just baited them but claimed we were trying to plant a food plot.

Yep

The 'freshly' was in bold for a reason. Nothing about wildlife food plots is inherently illegal.