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S. 478Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Hunter and Farmer Protection Act of 2017

Sponsored by Tom CottonSen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Introduced March 1, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 1:10 PM UTC

The Hunter and Farmer Protection Act of 2017 changes the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to make it illegal to bait migratory game birds on land that is not being used for normal farming activities. It aims to stop hunters from using salt, grain, or other feed to attract birds, while still allowing standard agricultural practices. The rule would affect hunters, farmers, and anyone managing land where migratory birds might be hunted.

Key Provisions

  • Defines a “baited area” as any place where salt, grain, or other feed is placed in a way that could attract migratory game birds, unless the area is part of normal agricultural practices.
  • Prohibits anyone from taking a migratory game bird by baiting or from hunting on a baited area if they know—or should know—it is baited.
  • Bars the placement or direction of bait on or near land for the purpose of encouraging the taking of migratory game birds.
  • Allows exceptions for activities that are considered normal agricultural practices, such as standard planting, harvesting, or crop destruction approved for crop insurance.
  • Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations to enforce the new rules.
  • Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit an annual report on changes to normal agricultural practices across U.S. crop regions.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

March 1, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 1, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

March 1, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 1, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 478

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 1, 2017

Mr. Cotton (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Donnelly) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to prohibit baiting exemptions on certain land.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Hunter and Farmer Protection Act of 2017.

2.

Baiting of migratory game birds

Section 3 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 704) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

(b)

Prohibition of baiting

(1)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Baited area

(i)

In general

The term baited area means—

(I)

any area on which salt, grain, or other feed has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered, if the salt, grain, or feed could lure or attract migratory game birds; and

(II)

in the case of waterfowl, cranes (family Gruidae), and coots (family Rallidae), a standing, unharvested crop that has been manipulated through activities such as mowing, discing, or rolling, unless the activities are normal agricultural practices.

(ii)

Exclusions

An area shall not be considered to be a baited area if the area—

(I)

has been treated with a normal agricultural practice;

(II)

has standing crops that have not been manipulated; or

(III)

has standing crops that have been or are flooded.

(B)

Baiting

The term baiting means the direct or indirect placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of salt, grain, or other feed that could lure or attract migratory game birds to, on, or over any areas on which a hunter is attempting to take migratory game birds.

(C)

Migratory game bird

The term migratory game bird means migratory bird species—

(i)

that are within the taxonomic families of Anatidae, Columbidae, Gruidae, Rallidae, and Scolopacidae; and

(ii)

for which open seasons are prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.

(D)

Normal agricultural practice

(i)

In general

The term normal agricultural practice means any practice in 1 annual growing season that—

(I)

is carried out in order to produce a marketable crop, including planting, harvest, post-harvest, or soil conservation practices; and

(II)

is recommended for the successful harvest of a given crop by the applicable State office of the Cooperative Extension System of the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with, and if requested, the concurrence of, the head of the applicable State department of fish and wildlife.

(ii)

Inclusions

(I)

In general

Subject to subclause (II), the term normal agricultural practice includes the destruction of a crop in accordance with practices required by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for agricultural producers to obtain crop insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) on land on which a crop during the current or immediately preceding crop year was not harvestable due to a natural disaster (including any hurricane, storm, tornado, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, drought, fire, snowstorm, or other catastrophe that is declared a major disaster by the President in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170)).

(II)

Limitations

The term normal agricultural practice only includes a crop described in subclause (I) that has been destroyed or manipulated through activities that include (but are not limited to) mowing, discing, or rolling if the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation certifies that flooding was not an acceptable method of destruction to obtain crop insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).

(E)

Waterfowl

The term waterfowl means native species of the family Anatidae.

(2)

Prohibition

It shall be unlawful for any person—

(A)

to take any migratory game bird by baiting or on or over any baited area, if the person knows or reasonably should know that the area is a baited area; or

(B)

to place or direct the placement of bait on or adjacent to an area for the purpose of causing, inducing, or allowing any person to take or attempt to take any migratory game bird by baiting or on or over the baited area.

(3)

Regulations

The Secretary of the Interior may promulgate regulations to implement this subsection.

(4)

Reports

Annually, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Secretary of the Interior a report that describes any changes to normal agricultural practices across the range of crops grown by agricultural producers in each region of the United States in which the recommendations are provided to agricultural producers.

.