Fatal deer-car crashes have more than doubled in the last 15 years.

Wisconsin and Minnesota rank among the highest for these deadly collisions...but the states have a very different approach to controlling the rapidly growing deer populations.

As our special investigation into deer baiting continues Barbara Reyelts looks at the practice... from the perspective of population control.

Its deer hunting season and the animals are everywhere! Unfortunately not just in the woods but in our yards, our streets, our highways and freeways.

Just driving and next thing I know I heard this huge thud and I just freaked out.

"I was riding home from work and a deer took out my motorcycle and I slid on the road.

These people were among the lucky ones.

They survived their close encounter with a deer.

The abundance of these animals has gone from being a nuisance, to being a menace.

Wisconsin's answer is to allow hunters to take more deer using a variety of techniques including the controversial practice of deer baiting.

It is a very effective tool. Allows people to harvest a lot of deer and there's no question about that. Yes it definitely does work.

The Minnesota DNR takes a different approach, banning the baiting of deer.

Baiting and feeding can also increase the deer population.

Bait sites congregate deer. If you have a lot of deer attracted to one place and only a few people have access to them, harvest is limited.

Baiting is the practice of putting out food that deer like several days before hunting the area to get the animals used to coming to a certain spot to eat.

They'll bring out a bucket of corn or a bucket of apples and place that bait material near his hunting stand.

The Minnesota Legislature bans baiting deer ten days before hunting season.

The idea is that when deer feed naturally they spread out in the woods giving equal opportunity to hunters across the state and protecting the environment.

Deer, of course, have a tremendous browsing impact on the forest and as the deer populations get too high some plants in the forest are so heavily browsed that they begin to disappear

One of the big reasons Minnesota opposes baiting and feeding deer is that it raises the potential for spreading dangerous diseases.

It's felt that baiting deer provides a place for them to congregate and that can spread diseases such as chronic wasting disease or bovine tuberculosis, which we're dealing with in Minnesota at this time.

Wisconsin is also dealing with those diseases and many wildlife biologists in both Minnesota and Wisconsin fear the practice of deer baiting.

Live diseased deer infect other deer.

This was demonstrated again and again using epidemiological models.

Despite growing opposition from scientists and others the Wisconsin legislature still allows deer baiting in parts of the state where these diseases haven't yet been found.

We work for the legislature and if that's what the legislature decides we have to honor their decision whether we agree with it or not.

The controversial practice was a hot topic at a recent DNR conference in Madison.

I see baiting as one of those technologies where the evidence is building against it and at some point I think deer hunters need to wrestle with the problem about whether or not being a conservationist means taking a stand on one side or the other on this issue.

We've asked the legislature, we've made our position known to them. But it's up to them to decide if they want to change it or not.

Barbara Reyelts, the Northland's News Center.

The DNR asked that we encourage people who know of deer baiting or see illegal bait piles to call the TIP, or Turn in Poachers line.

MORE INFORMATION:

Deer Baiting – What is Allowed For Deer Hunting Purposes

Amount: No person may place, use or hunt over more than 2 gallons of bait or feed at any feeding site.

Placement: No person may place, use or hunt over:

• More than 2 gallons of bait on each contiguous area of land under the same ownership that is less than 40 acres in size, or for each full 40 acres that make up a

contiguous area of land under the same ownership. (Note: Parcels of land that do not touch but are separated only by a town, county or state highway are considered

contiguous.) Note: Feed at feeding sites may be spread out or divided into more than one pile as long as the total amount of feed material is not more than 2

gallons per forty acres.

• Any feeding site that is located within 100 yards of any other feeding site located on the same contiguous area of land under the same ownership.

• Any feeding site if the person doing the hunting is within 100 yards of more than 2 gallons of bait or feed located on the same parcel of land.

• Any feeding site that is located within 50 yards of any trail, road, or campsite used by the public, or within 100 yards from a roadway, having a posted speed

limit of 45 miles per hour or more.

Timing: No person may:

• Place, use or hunt over bait or feed during the closed season for hunting deer, but may start to place bait for deer hunting 24 hours prior to the deer archery and

the deer gun seasons. (Note: The 24-hour period is the period from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm on the day immediately before the season.)

• Hunt over bait or a feeding site that is in violation of these regulations, unless the area is completely free of bait or feed material for at least 10 consecutive days

prior to hunting, pursuing animals or dog training.

Content: No person may place use or hunt over any bait or feed material that:

• Contains any animal part or animal by-product.

• Is contained in or deposited by a feeder that is designed to deposit or replenish feed automatically, mechanically, or by gravity.

• Contains or is contained within, metal, paper, plastic, glass, wood or other similar processed materials. This does not apply to bait or feed placed in hollow logs

or stumps (see Wisconsin Bear Hunting Regulations) or to scent materials.

License: No person may use or hunt over bait or feed material placed for deer without possessing an appropriate valid archery or gun deer license and unused carcass