Pennsylvania hunters could get a limited path to hunt deer over bait, but this isn’t a statewide green light to dump corn below your treestand.
House Bill 2440, introduced April 27 by Rep. Thomas Mehaffie, would amend Title 34 of Pennsylvania law and allow licensed hunters to use bait for deer on private property in areas designated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The bill would apply only under commission regulations, which means hunters wouldn’t get broad permission to bait deer wherever they choose.
The bill is now in the House Game and Fisheries Committee, which has a voting meeting scheduled for May 6.
What the Bill Would Allow
HB 2440 would create a new exception under Pennsylvania’s unlawful devices and methods law, which currently restricts the use of bait and other methods used to attract game animals.
Under the proposal, licensed hunters could use bait on private land in areas designated by the Game Commission. That baiting would have to serve a “deer removal purpose” approved through commission regulations, rather than simple recreational baiting across the state.
The bill lists wildlife disease transmission and habitat degradation as two reasons the commission could authorize targeted deer removal. It also includes “any other purpose” established by commission regulations, which leaves room for the agency to define future uses if the bill becomes law.
HB 2440 would also allow baiting through a special permit issued under Pennsylvania’s existing special permit rules. In plain English, the Game Commission would still control where, when, and why bait could be used.
Current Pennsylvania Baiting Rules
Pennsylvania generally bans baiting materials used to attract or lure game animals or wildlife, though the state already has a limited exception for deer hunting in the Southeast Special Regulations Area.
In that area, hunters can use bait on private property under specific limits. The bait must be shelled corn or protein-pellet supplements, and a site cannot hold more than 5 gallons of bait at any time. Feeders must be automatic mechanical feeders, and they can distribute bait no more than three times per day during hunting hours.
HB 2440 would add another pathway, but it wouldn’t erase the state’s broader baiting restrictions. Instead, it would give the Game Commission another tool for targeted deer removal on private land.
Why This Is Being Proposed
says statewide deer baiting would be “impractical,” which is the important line for hunters wondering how wide this door might swing. He framed the bill as a targeted management tool for places where normal hunting access or terrain makes deer removal difficult. The memo says the exceptions could help prevent property damage, address habitat degradation, and maintain Pennsylvania’s deer population.
The disease language will likely draw the most attention because baiting sits in an awkward place in wildlife management. HB 2440 would let the commission authorize bait as a removal tool in designated areas, yet the Game Commission also warns that artificial feeding can concentrate wildlife and increase disease transmission.
The agency says feed sites can spread disease through direct contact, saliva, feces, urine, contaminated feed, and contaminated soil. It specifically lists chronic wasting disease as a concern because CWD affects deer and elk, has no cure, and can remain infectious in the environment for years.
That gives the bill a built-in tension. It would allow baiting as a targeted tool in some situations, while the state’s own wildlife guidance warns against feeding wildlife in ways that crowd animals together.
Next Steps
HB 2440 hasn’t passed the House or Senate, and it hasn’t been signed into law. For now, it remains in the House Game and Fisheries Committee, with a May 6 voting meeting scheduled. If the bill eventually becomes law, it would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Until then, Pennsylvania hunters should follow current baiting rules, not headlines that make this sound settled.
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