The Ultimate Varmint Shoot
Depredation Hunting: Stephen D. Carpenteri
Sounds crazy, but it’s legal in every state and any licensed hunter can participate. It was an odd feeling to be sitting in a tree stand on a
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Sunday evening in July, armed with a crossbow and waiting for a fat whitetail to come to the bait. I knew that deer were showing up about an hour after sunset, so I came prepared with a Laser Genetics Sub-Zero green spotlight attached to my scope, giving me an extra advantage should the deer show up after dark. Sure enough, the first doe came into range well past twi-
light, stepping into the deadly green circle at about 25 yards, a chip shot for my Wicked Ridge Raider CLS crossbow. My mission was accomplished before she ever made it to the bait. I climbed down from my stand, found my bloody arrow,
recovered the deer, and then called the game warden. A nice, smooth hunt – even if it was the middle of summer! I’m sure by now you are wondering, “What is going on? Is this a story about poaching?” Hardly, even though just about everything that hap-
pened that night was illegal in my state from a sport hunting standpoint. In fact, in many locales hunters may not use cross- bows, hunt on Sunday, use bait or pursue game at night, and yet there I was, and all with the warden’s blessing. The only difference is that I was hunting under a depre-
dation (or crop damage) permit applied for by the farmer and approved by the game warden, who explained that I could use any means possible to remove deer and other wildlife from the farmer’s crops. “This is not a hunt, it’s depredation,” Maine warden
Eric Blanchard told me. “You can only take animals or birds that are in the act of depredating. When they are inside the fence eating commercial crops such as corn, lettuce, beans, etc., you can shoot them at any time of day or night with any firearm or bow.” Sound incredible? For sport hunters it may seem out-
rageous, but few “legal” hunters realize that crop damage permits are issued in nearly every state. The depredation “season” goes on year-round as long as there are commercial crops in the ground or on trees, vines or bushes. Depredation shooting is nothing new. Most states
have had organized crop damage programs for decades and farmer-wildlife conflicts have existed since this country was colonized. In the 1600s, farmers simply shot any birds or animals that bothered their crops, as needed. These days the process is a bit more complicated, though not as complex (or expensive) as most traditional hunting trips! The game begins when a farmer reports crop damage
to a game warden, who will assess the situation and issue the necessary permits. Some farmers may receive 10, 20 or more
www.varminthunter.org Page 169
A flock of 50 crows can ruin an acre of corn per day, usually striking when the crop is just ripening. In many states crows, blackbirds, starlings and other pests are considered to be universally en route to depredation.
permits to eliminate deer, wild hogs, raccoons, opossums, porcupines, groundhogs and other pests by any means nec- essary. Some states require farmers to first make an effort to repel wildlife by installing electric fences, fish-line barriers or other deterrents, but if the damage continues permits will be issued that allow the farmer to take more drastic measures. Enter the hunter, who in most cases is a local sportsman
Crossbows, quiet and effective, are allowed for depredation control even in states where they may be illegal for sport hunting purposes.
magine being able to hunt your favorite species night or day using any gear with no bag limits or season dates.
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