Access to public vs private land for hunting? Beginning of the end?

[sp6x6]

Im in MT and alot of public land is land locked and no acess,which is a bumber.Nationally its in the million of acres.Also lot of places I use to hunt sold and went No Hunting.I hunted threw a place on east side that blocked tons of FS,then owner changed his ways too. I use to bring gifts,help with round up,what ever to help,hunted there twenty years.Sad the way its going for future.And this side of divide has been wolfed out.

 

[Ndfarmer]

The land locked public land does suck I think that should be changed somehow to walking access. Sorry you lost private hunting land. Someone willing to give helping hand would never loose permission from my family! It's tough when some ag producers need all the $ they can get.

 

[Guy M]

I still hunt both public and private lands. Always have, even 50 years ago as a kid.

My home is in Chelan County, Washington. About 85% public land. Pretty decent hunting, nothing extraordinary, however the county is home to mule deer, elk, black bear, as well as quite a bit of small game & upland bird hunting too. Nearby counties have some very large farms, some of which I've been able to hunt.

About every other year I treat myself to a combo hunt for mule deer & pronghorn antelope in Wyoming. There's 40,000 acres to hunt, and I've never seen more than three hunters at any given time. We have breakfast together, we might hunt together or maybe separately, and then we have dinner together in the old ranch house. Yes, I have to pay for that place, but it's a real nice hunt.

The rancher counts on hunters for part of his income, and is diligent in maintaining some habitat for the animals. It's a good place.

From my experience, there's still a lot of public land hunting available, and some private land can provide excellent hunting opportunities as well.

I volunteer with the Rocky Mtn Elk Foundation, and we've done some decent work on public/private partnerships, helping the deer & elk habitat, helping hunter access. Consider putting in a little volunteer time, or supporting outfits like RMEF or others, with a bit of cash. It all helps.

Regards, Guy

 

[crowsnest2002]

Seems to be the thing here in South Central Pa. Populations are increasing and I can't think of a plot of land that doesn't have posted signs on it.

 

[switchback]

Hmm, Colorado? I was born and raised there. I am now a non-resident. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the over flow of pumpkin suits on CO public land. I believe the state has consistently raised license fees for out of staters and closed their best hunting to non-res. as well (ranching for wildlife ranches). There has very seldom been increase for residents . CO sure doesn't mind selling out of state licenses to fill up the public land. I have personally packed into CO public wilderness area (foot or horse back only) for the last 20+ years. About 2 years ago I was dealt a real S**t sandwich when our licenses were checked by 2 so called conservation officers (game wardens) as the drove up to us on 4 wheelers as we had been plotting on some bedded elk across a canyon draw. Now I could see going into a restricted area for an emergency situation, but to check licenses on 4 wheelers? This year a CO parks and wildlife officer checked one of my best friends while he was horse back in the same area. But he wasn't on an ATV. NO Sir, he just went ahead and drove his pickup into the area. In the years previous I had not seen much sign of a game warden in the area. They would check hunters from a designated parking lot. The hunting was very good and you paid your dues when you made a harvest. I must say that I came from a place and time where a knock on the door and asking permission was common place. I have built and mended many miles of fence for the opportunity to hunt private ground. The way CO opens up a good portion of units to the free for all public ground hunting is money in their bank. Success rates are slim to none. IMO, Ranching for wildlife and limited draw units are the only ticket worth having there. No more pumpkin suits for me. Good luck in the drawings this year boys

 

[Barrelnut]

I still hunt both public and private lands. Always have, even 50 years ago as a kid.

My home is in Chelan County, Washington. About 85% public land. Pretty decent hunting, nothing extraordinary, however the county is home to mule deer, elk, black bear, as well as quite a bit of small game & upland bird hunting too. Nearby counties have some very large farms, some of which I've been able to hunt.

About every other year I treat myself to a combo hunt for mule deer & pronghorn antelope in Wyoming. There's 40,000 acres to hunt, and I've never seen more than three hunters at any given time. We have breakfast together, we might hunt together or maybe separately, and then we have dinner together in the old ranch house. Yes, I have to pay for that place, but it's a real nice hunt.

The rancher counts on hunters for part of his income, and is diligent in maintaining some habitat for the animals. It's a good place.

From my experience, there's still a lot of public land hunting available, and some private land can provide excellent hunting opportunities as well.

I volunteer with the Rocky Mtn Elk Foundation, and we've done some decent work on public/private partnerships, helping the deer & elk habitat, helping hunter access. Consider putting in a little volunteer time, or supporting outfits like RMEF or others, with a bit of cash. It all helps.

Regards, Guy

The Mule Deer Foundation is a great place to put in some effort too.

 

[Riflehunter1776]

the times they are a changin'.
as the great American middle class is broken up by our socialist bureaucracy and we revert to the totalitarian style of government that most of the world sees as normal, we will certainly revert to the ideas of hunting that most of the world has been indoctrinated into - by practical ability or by law, only the ruling class can do it. The rest of the peons are out in the cold.

 

[geo4061]

That shamefully is the truth. I don't know how we could change it.

 

[Rich Coyle]

That shamefully is the truth. I don't know how we could change it.

There is no changing it; except if a person becomes very successful in business or wins a fat lottery. Then they can purchase their own land. The rest of us plod along however we can.

 

[ksfarmer]

Most hunters who ask permission and allowed to hunt on my farm are respectful of property. The people who live in a 200 plus population close town are the offenders and violators of property rights and game laws. Small dying towns are filled with druggies and thieves, these people roam the country side looking for metal to steal. People from large cities are not familiar enough with area to trespass or poach. If they get to hunt they are usually very respectful.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

There is no changing it; except if a person becomes very successful in business or wins a fat lottery. Then they can purchase their own land. The rest of us plod along however we can.

Why give up? That's exactly what the rich land and energy developers want. If anything, they are as much the "socialist bureaucracy" as anyone else. There is a chance to change it. Call your local BLM, USFS or even the local sheriff to get access to landlocked areas. If there is encroachment on public lands, as the trump admin did in Utah, call and give them hell. I've been battling an anti-hunter named Anita Moss here in Boulder county, where she is calling for hunting restrictions in the NF where subdivisions have taken hold. It works, if you use the public safety record of hunting as an example and the original charter of public lands as they were defined.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Being from Texas, I have no experience with public land. Everything is private, and like KyCarl, I don't allow hunting on my land. I used to, but a guy can only take so much. The hunters around here only want something for free, and have no respect for your property. I've experienced fences being destroyed, gates left open for cattle to get out on major public highways or for two separate groups to get mixed and needing sorted, trash galore, ruts left the mud when they had no business driving in in the first place. I could go on ad nauseum.

Bird hunters leave piles of spent shells. You know, that plastic is still around years later for cattle to pick up, chew, and choke on. People ask to hunt hogs and are told no deer hunting, then shoot the buck you've watched grow from a baby into a mature 12 point.

It's just not worth it to me. The careless action of hunters, in the process of entertaining themselves, doubles my workload of trying to make a living. So now when I get a phone call or a knock on my door, the answer is a quick and resounding NO. I hate to be that way, but it's the world we live in.

 

[Silly_Ghillie]

Hmm, Colorado? I was born and raised there. I am now a non-resident. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the over flow of pumpkin suits on CO public land. I believe the state has consistently raised license fees for out of staters and closed their best hunting to non-res. as well (ranching for wildlife ranches). There has very seldom been increase for residents . CO sure doesn't mind selling out of state licenses to fill up the public land.

I live near Craig. I am almost always hunting on private these days because of the massive influx of NR hunters, especially the very start of rifle. I don't mind sharing some of the space to my fellow hunters, but there comes a point where "broken window theory" takes hold and the appreciation for the land isn't a sentiment shared. It seems every year that I find at least one or two campsites on public land that have trash and garbage everywhere. It is a sad state of affairs. I also second you on the game warden issue. They are getting a little uppity with people certainly within the last couple of years.

 

[tmmcampbell]

In Oregon many of the big timber companies are closing off their property or charging a trespass fee.

The state and feds should remove the tax advantages to these companies. No more no more hunters no more timber deferral. Why should they get tax breaks and do nothing for them??