Governor: Let Landowners Bait Deer
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed a invoice into legislation that may permit baiting for searching deer on personal property.
Senate Invoice 2137 prevents the North Dakota Sport and Fish Division from banning deer searching over bait. This legislative motion successfully overrides the division’s earlier authority to control baiting, which it had exercised in efforts to manage the unfold of persistent losing illness (CWD) amongst deer populations. SB 2137 handed the North Dakota Senate with a 31–15 vote and was subsequently permitted by the Home with out amendments. The invoice was filed with the Secretary of State on April 17, 2025.
The laws sparked appreciable debate. Supporters, together with many hunters and landowners, argued that baiting is a standard and efficient technique for attracting recreation, notably on personal lands. Opponents, together with wildlife conservation teams and the North Dakota Sport and Fish Division, contended that baiting contributes to the unfold of ailments like CWD and undermines science-based wildlife administration practices.
An analogous invoice launched in 2023 didn’t cross, highlighting the contentious nature of baiting laws in North Dakota.
