The Alabama baiting bill finally became law after 4 long years. Hunters can now hunt white-tailed deer and feral pigs with the help of bait on privately owned or leased lands. There is a required license, which hunters can purchase from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The license is $15 for residents and $51 for non-residents.

Senator Jack Williams is one of the Alabama legislatures that stayed behind the baiting bill and helped it become law. “People misunderstood the bill. They thought it was only for whitetail deer, but it is also for feral hogs. The original bill required the bait to be 100 feet away from the tree stand. This was not a big deal for deer hunting, but feral hogs are really destructive, and they would destroy feeders and food plots. Once the bill changed, people started supporting it.” 

The baiting bill passed through both chambers after Williams became a Senator. He said, “Becoming a Senator really helped because I still had friends in the House, and I had a good Agriculture Committee.” The support received from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources helped pass the bill. Williams said that they began backing the bill “after realizing how much revenue the optional licenses would bring in. Tickets written for illegal baiting collected around $150,000, but the licenses would bring in 3 million dollars.”

“I am proud that the bill is passed. I got 25,000 emails the first day, and it felt really great,” Williams said.

For more information on licenses and regulations, you can visit the ADCNR’s website. The revenue collected from the license sales will be federally matched nearly three to one to support conservation efforts in Alabama.