Audit Push: Time To Act!

[mntatonka]

Why did they donate it to the state? Wouldn't it stand to reason if they kept it in their own hands they could put the food plot in without asking permission?

Because most clubs like that aren't allowed to actually own land. Not to mention the insurance costs with owning land and allowing hunting. Nearly every organization that goes in on land gives it back to the state for public use.

[btheturkey]

Why did they donate it to the state? Wouldn't it stand to reason if they kept it in their own hands they could put the food plot in without asking permission?

No clue. Just figured if you gave the state a 40 they may let you plant an acre or 2 for the critters. Mille Lacs refuge mgr green lighted similar deal and nwtf is looking to raise cash to get it done. Rice had the cash lined up and just needed a green light.

They got the stop sign.

[smsmith]

You want to see cover disappear in farm country raise the deer population to unacceptable levels the farmers will doze all the cover to get rid of the deer its already happening don't speed it up

Gotta love seeing farmers as being stewards of the resource

Drive deer numbers to ridiculously low levels and watch hunters leave the sport. Then farmers will have to doze the whole dam state because nobody will want to hunt. When they can't doze enough because the state owns next to them you'll have to pay the state sharpshooters to deal with the deer.

[Farmsfulltime]

Ok

[Farmsfulltime]

In all honesty is easier to work with us than against us . Don't forget who owns the land permission isn't going to get easier lots of state hunters rely on farm hunting for private hunting conditions . if the cover is removed the farmers wont need any hunters as the deer wont be there to hunt . Look at southern Minnesota in places the deer sleep under the one piece of brush along a ditch .

[PurpleFloyd]

Because most clubs like that aren't allowed to actually own land. Not to mention the insurance costs with owning land and allowing hunting. Nearly every organization that goes in on land gives it back to the state for public use.

I get that but I thought the State had walk in access programs that allowed the public to hunt without the liability

[smsmith]

In all honesty is easier to work with us than against us . Don't forget who owns the land permission isn't going to get easier lots of state hunters rely on farm hunting for private hunting conditions . if the cover is removed the farmers wont need any hunters as the deer wont be there to hunt . Look at southern Minnesota in places the deer sleep under the one piece of brush along a ditch .

Exactly. I own my land and because farmers have pressured the DNR into lowering the herd that land has less value for recreation. The taxes I pay on my land are considerably higher than what farmers pay, and that land generates no ROI. That land also gets zero subsidies/cost sharing from the gooberment.

Farmers aren't the only folks who own land

[smsmith]

Heck, even hail doesn't do that much damage.

I've talked with a few farmers near Swanville who would strongly disagree with that statement

[smsmith]

In all honesty is easier to work with us than against us .

If by "work with us" you mean sit down, have reasonable discussions using facts and come up with a compromise that fits all the parties' needs...that sounds great. If by "work with us" you mean take whatever the DNR decides is going to happen after being influenced by Farm Bureau reps...that doesn't sound so great.

[creepworm]

I've talked with a few farmers near Swanville who would strongly disagree with that statement

Thing is, hail damage is somewhat rare, and there is insurance that can be purchased to offset the damage done. Deer damage is a reoccurring event, year after year if a field is near good habitat. Also, there is no financial mitigation when it comes to deer damage, the farmer is just [PoorWordUsage] out of luck.

Just a comment on what mntatonka has posted. The pictures he posted earlier in this thread shows a corn field where a significant areas will have 0 zero yield. It takes one heck of a hail storm to turn corn into 0 yield.

[smsmith]

It takes one heck of a hail storm to turn corn into 0 yield.

...and that's what some guys got in that area.

[creepworm]

...and that's what some guys got in that area.

I am not doubting that. What I am doubting is that the same thing happened last year to those fields, and will happen next year to those same fields. Hail is not a recurring event the way deer damage is.

[smsmith]

I am not doubting that. What I am doubting is that the same thing happened last year to those fields, and will happen next year to those same fields. Hail is not a recurring event the way deer damage is.

I won't argue that point...at least not in areas like mntatonka showed earlier. I've spoken with a number of farmers in this area...none have expressed concerns about deer damage. I'm not saying it doesn't happen...just that I don't think it is a huge issue in most of the state.

It certainly is NOT a big enough issue to start talking carp about destroying habitat so all the deer disappear. Talked with a farmer a bit ago about such a comment. His response was with corn at $2 there sure won't be a rush to put more ground into corn, he sees a resurgence of CRP at that price level.

[creepworm]

I won't argue that point...at least not in areas like mntatonka showed earlier. I've spoken with a number of farmers in this area...none have expressed concerns about deer damage. I'm not saying it doesn't happen...just that I don't think it is a huge issue in most of the state.

It certainly is NOT a big enough issue to start talking carp about destroying habitat so all the deer disappear. Talked with a farmer a bit ago about such a comment. His response was with corn at $2 there sure won't be a rush to put more ground into corn, he sees a resurgence of CRP at that price level.

I agree with this entire statement. But sadly, there will be no resurgence of crp acres. Crp acres are maxed out per the funding level in the new farm bill.

[smsmith]

Can you explain that a little further creepworm? You're saying that no existing acres that are growing corn can be put into CRP?

[SmellEsox]

Hate to break this news to you folks, but Beau will do nothing to help you benefit deer. NOTHING! They are nothing but vermin to Beau. Many people have tried and the answer is always NO. "You don't want more deer on your property".

[smsmith]

Hate to break this news to you folks, but Beau will do nothing to help you benefit deer. NOTHING! They are nothing but vermin to Beau. Many people have tried and the answer is always NO. "You don't want more deer on your property".

I've spoken with quite a few folks in the area, many of them associated with MDHA and/or Rice Sportsmens Club and that is exactly what they ALL say.

One thing an audit should point out is the discrepancy between area managers. It will also find that Beau has been managing for numbers below what the public stakeholder teams established the last time around. If that isn't a betrayal of the public trust...then I don't know what is.

Having some guy with a personal agenda running the show while we continue to pay his salary....total B$. I'm just hopeful that his arrogance will be his undoing. He is a government employee...he cannot be allowed to treat those of us who pay his salary the way he does.

[btheturkey]

Hate to break this news to you folks, but Beau will do nothing to help you benefit deer. NOTHING! They are nothing but vermin to Beau. Many people have tried and the answer is always NO. "You don't want more deer on your property".

Amen brother. We sat in a meeting in St Paul and Leslie said Beau was not managing for numbers lower than the stakeholder teams suggested. We asked her if she was lying, or flat out had no clue what the area manger was doing and produced a sheet of paper Beau had printed off showing plain as day he was managing for goals lower than St Paul and our deer czar were reporting.

Area managers have a huge say in what the zone harvest designation is, and Beau would have left all his zones 5 antler less per guy forever if it was his call.

[LandDr]

Stop expecting the govt or non-profits to do what you want them to do. They are grazing public land (really looks nice doesn't it?), not developing thermal cover, not developing food sources...only developing buffalo and prairie chicken habitat. If I only had public land to hunt...I would be f'n p*ssed off!!

Stop supporting these groups. You buy seed, trees and services from them but in return they are not taking your goals and objectives into consideration. Either start doing it yourself or working with a private company that REALLY has your goals and objectives in mind and that are service and results orientated.

[smsmith]

Stop expecting the govt or non-profits to do what you want them to do. They are grazing public land (really looks nice doesn't it?), not developing thermal cover, not developing food sources...only developing buffalo and prairie chicken habitat. If I only had public land to hunt...I would be f'n p*ssed off!!

Stop supporting these groups. You buy seed, trees and services from them but in return they are not taking your goals and objectives into consideration. Either start doing it yourself or working with a private company that REALLY has your goals and objectives in mind and that are service and results orientated.

I don't "support" the gooberment in any way other than buying licenses. Trees are purchased from North Central Reforestation, seeds are purchased from a variety of private companies, have never had any services from them (hired a private forester for my 2C plan).

Allowing CRP to be grazed ticks me off...not even to mention grazing WMAs.

[LandDr]

smsmith...was not just directed towards you, but every landowner and hunter out there. Just don't support them...I think we can do better on our own.

[smsmith]

smsmith...was not just directed towards you, but every landowner and hunter out there. Just don't support them...I think we can do better on our own.

I realize that LandDr....was just trying to emphasize your point. I agree with you completely.

[LandDr]

10-4

[btheturkey]

Stop expecting the govt or non-profits to do what you want them to do.

Without positive long term change that will be the route. And the writing is on the wall. When the DNR started managing for 12 dpsm in areas that once had 30 or 40, many of us took it upon ourselves to shape our lands to regain that kind of hunting. But it comes at the expense of the 2 day per year hunter. Hot spots glow hotter, and cold spots grow colder. And the trend will continue, at the expense of hunter numbers I fear. Retention and recruitment will suffer. That is the road we are on without longterm changes to our deer management.

[laker1]

They are asking for people to be on the advisory board to talk about different zone area management. Get involved,it would do more than discussing it here. I acquired about it,will see.