I am not a big fan of it, as it's hard to imagine shooting something that is feasting on day old bagels and doughnuts.  However, I can understand why some people need to do it in some places.  Places where the woods are really thick and vast, they need to do something to draw them out.  Spot and stalk hunting would not be very successful.  Knowing what I do about the terrain in Upstate New York, I am not sure how baiting would work.  I too do not think there would be a guarantee to draw them to the bait.  Places where the bear population is high is where it would work best.

I support hunting over bait where it is legal, but with that said, I would, if I had a vote, vote not to allow hunting over bait.  I suppose I could be swayed if it was shown that baiting was absolutely necessary to increase harvest numbers to stem overpopulation.

My only concern about baiting is that it may have unintended consequences, like spreading CWD in deer herds.

Do you if bear can get CWD or one of the other TSE's?  This is really, in my opinion, the only reason to have a discussion on whether baiting should be legal.  If it does, as has been suggested, spread CWD then we should abandon the practice.

Domestic herds will still pose a risk and strict contols should be put on them.  I know some elk herds are tested for CWD, but I think it is a voluntary program.  Maybe it should be mandatory with a good inventory of the stock and space requirements for the elk too.

Ca_vermonster -- Direct contact is not the only way that we know Chronic Wasting Disease is spread. Verticle transmission also takes place. Prions have also been shown to be able to persist in the soil for long periods of time. They are unliving entities and therefore are not limited in nearly as many ways how long they can persist outside of hosts. Under this mode of transmission, all it takes is an individual eating the wrong piece of grass or consuming the wrong bit of soil (for mineral contents) and that individual can be exposed to the prions; without ever having contact with an infected animal.

CVC -- Where are you getting information that it is thought that it is possible for a bear to contract Chronic Wasting Disease or any of the other Transmissable Spongeform Encelphalopathies? I would be very interested to check out that source as our current belief (backed up by a lot of years of research) shows that species outside of the family cervidae can not be infected by CWD.

To speak to the content of the original post, whether bear baiting should be legal or not, my belief is not cut and dry. In many parts of the country (and continent because this is definitely true for much of Canada) it is not feasable to get a robust enough of a harvest to control bear populations without baiting. Here in Colorado though, it is more feasable. Although some would argue for baiting in this state by citing the rise in bear/human conflicts without baiting. I am glad that baiting isn't allowed in Colorado, because this is the state that I hunt the most and I know that spot and stalk hunting can prove succesfull here. I would vote against baiting here in this state. But I do not have any problem with other states allowing baiting for the reasons stated earlier.