Tennessee Republican House Member Bryan Richey, who represents part of Blount County, has filed a bill which would allow hunting over “bait” on privately owned land, but not on public lands. His legislation, House Bill 1618, provides:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-113(a), is amended by deleting subsection (a) and substituting:
(a) Except as provided in this section, it is unlawful for a person to make use of a
pitfall, deadfall, cage, snare, trap, net, baited hook, poison, chemical, explosive, set gun,
spotlight, electric lights or torch, bait, which includes a grain, or mixture of ingredients
used as or for food purposes, or other device for the purpose of killing, injuring, or
capturing a bird or animal protected by the wildlife laws of this state.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-113, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(d) It is not a violation of subsection (a) for a person to hunt on or over privately
owned land where bait is present. A person shall comply with § 70-4-120 when seeking
to hunt or hunting on or over land owned by another person.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2024, the public welfare requiring it.
Although Section 1 slightly rewords the existing language in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 70-4-113(a), the amendment does not appear to be a change in the substantive law other than to accommodate the creation of new subpart (d).
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