Taylor Rau/The Daily Mississippian Under the new regulations, migratory birds can be hunted over natural vegetation that has been manipulated.

New baiting laws announced Laws governing the baiting of migratory game birds have always been a hot topic among hunters in the South. More grey areas than clear regulations often turned conscientious sportsmen into federal criminals.

Hunters May: Hunt ALL migratory game birds, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, over natural vegetation that has been mowed or manipulated in other ways. There is no restriction on when manupulation may occur. Hunt ALL migratory game birds, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, where seeds or grains have been scattered solely as the result of "normal agricultural planting, harvesting, post-harvest manipulation, or normal soil stabilization practice." Agricultural practices for hunting are limited to those undertaken to produce and gather a crop and manage the field afterwards. Hunt ALL migratory game birds, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, over surface-mined lands being reclaimed where seeds or grains are scattered solely as a result of normal soil stabilization practice. Hunt migratory game birds EXCEPT WATERPOWL, COOTS, AND CRANES where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered solely as the result of the manipulation of an agricultural crop or as the result of a "normal agricultural operation." The latter term applies to planting, harvesting, and post-harvest manipulation but also encompasses farming practices related to livestock management. Use natural vegetation to conceal a blind. Use vegetation from agricultural crops to conceal a blind provided they do not expose, deposit, distribute, or scatter grain or other feed in the process. Continue hunting over standing or flooded standing agricultural crops if they inadvertently scatter grain solely as a result of entering or leaving the field, placing decoys, or retrieving downed birds. As in the past, hunt ALL migratory game birds over standing crops, standing flooded crops, and flooded harvested croplands. Be charged with hunting over bait if they "know or reasonably should know" that the area is baited. Be fined up to $15,000 and spend 6 months in jail if convicted of hunting over bait.

Hunters May not: Place, expose, deposit, distribute, or scatter salt, grain, or other feed that could lure or attract birds to, on, or over an area where hunters are attempting to take them. Hunt migratory game birds with the aid of bait, or on or ova any baited area. Hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all salt, grain, or other feed has been completely removed. Hunt waterfowl, coots, and cranes over manipulated planted millet. Planted millet is NOT considered natural vegetation unless it becomes naturalized and grows on its own in subsequent years. Hunt waterfowl, coots, or cranes over seed or grain from manipulated agricultural crops or normal agricultural operations except where seed or grain is present solely as a result of normal planting, harvesting, or post-harvest manipulation or normal soil stabilization practice. Hunt migratory game birds if the use of vegetation from agricultural crops to conceal a blind exposes, deposits, distributes, or scatters grain or other feed.

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