Oppose Allowing Hunting Over Bait in Tennessee (HB 1618)

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Tennessee HB 1618 would legalize hunting over bait on private land, which could facilitate the further spread of CWD and other wildlife diseases.

Sign here. Let the TN Legislature know you oppose HB 1618.

*The National Deer Association collects contact information for the purpose of directing your petition to the proper Washington state legislators.

Tennessee House Bill 1618 would legalize hunting over bait on private land. Currently, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) prohibits the use of bait as an aid for taking wildlife, which is currently not legal. The National Deer Association (NDA) opposes the expansion of baiting where not currently legal, and that is exactly what this misguided legislation intends to do. NDA does not work to repeal baiting where currently legal, except where chronic wasting disease (CWD) or other known diseases are present. CWD was first found in Tennessee in 2018 and has continued to spread, although TWRA has been working hard to slow progress of the disease by implementing it's CWD Response Management Plan.

The science is clear that baited sites are hotbeds for the accumulation of prions and other infectious materials, and these area facilitate the spread of CWD and other diseases. Bait sites also unnaturally congregate deer and other animals, which makes it easier for wildlife to spread diseases directly to each other.

TAKE ACTION

 
Please consider joining NDA in opposing this legislation. There is no need for Tennessee to allow baiting for the taking of wildlife, especially considering the spread of CWD in the state. Furthermore, NDA firmly believes that wildlife management issues in the state are best left to the trained and experienced professionals at TWRA, not politicians.