Reading an article in Successful Hunter "Puddle Bucks" author talks about hauling water to create artificial watering spots. Would or would not this be considered baiting.

While I don't have the answer, it will vary in regards to what constitutes baiting from one state to another.

I believe your best bet would be to contact your local fish & game officer for the right answer to that one.

In Oklahoma, the last I knew a local game warden informed a group he was speaking to "If you pile up a pile of corn, that's baiting. On the other hand, if you scatter it across the ground and it isn't piled up, it's not considered baiting. Folks, I don't make the laws, I just enforce them".

Murphy

I would check with the warden in that area. These people enforce the law based on their discretion. Some enforce the letter of the law, some enforce the intent of the law. In my area if you scatter corn for deer it is not against the law, if you scatter corn for dove, it is against the law. But water...……I would have no clue.

Not considered food as I remember. You can still plant food plots and not be in violation.

I would imagine it somewhat depends on how scarce water is where you hunt. Where I hunt there is abundant water all around naturally, so it is not much of an attractant. On the other hand, I have been in areas where water was scarce enough that the deer hung around oil wells to drink the water that collected in the well head after a rain.

I was asking just to get opinions on artificial water holes in predominately dry environments. My opinion is that if you provide water year round for all animals, it is habitat management. If you just use it 4 weeks out of the year it is an artificially created attractant. A fine line for sure.