Public Access

[deacon]

Will MN ever start a public access program like ND (PLOTS)& SD (Walk In Areas)?

These programs have been very positive. Give hunters that do not reside in the area or can afford a guide the opportunity to have immediate easy access to lots of land.

[CodyDawg]

Both of those programs are flawed. the main flaw is that there is no incentive to the landowner to provide quality habitat. In fact, I have seen many, many PLOTS lands mowed. Completely worthless for hunting. A better program is Montana's where land owners get paid by the number of hunters who actually hunt it. Now there is some incentive and the money goes to where the hunters go.

One of the big obstacles in MN is deer hunting. So much of MN is tied up for deer hunting. How are you going to convince people to give up there deer hunting areas? They may be willing to let people duck or pheasant hunt, but deer hunting is too important and they will not enter the program. i dont have a good solution for that other than take November out of the program?

[Powerstroke]

I don't think you need to take november out, just restrict firearm use to no single projectile weapons...only those with pellets.

[daredevil_tipped_w/leech]

Minnesota already has 100's of thousands and maybe even millions of State, Federal, and paper company owned lands which are available to hunt. What species were you specifically referring to harvesting?

[Sartell Angler]

Quote:

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Both of those programs are flawed. the main flaw is that there is no incentive to the landowner to provide quality habitat. In fact, I have seen many, many PLOTS lands mowed. Completely worthless for hunting. A better program is Montana's where land owners get paid by the number of hunters who actually hunt it. Now there is some incentive and the money goes to where the hunters go.

One of the big obstacles in MN is deer hunting. So much of MN is tied up for deer hunting. How are you going to convince people to give up there deer hunting areas? They may be willing to let people duck or pheasant hunt, but deer hunting is too important and they will not enter the program. i dont have a good solution for that other than take November out of the program?

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Two very good points.

[CodyDawg]

No single projectiles is certainly a good start, but people will not want pheasant and duck hunters hunting their land on deer hunting days. This is a tough problem that I dont have a good solution for.

[yakfisher]

Allow the land owners to post it closed during firearms dear season, or for the five days prior to the weekend and the 2 days it is open. Personally I don't like to be out hunting birds on those weekend anyway. I just seems to be really dangerous to me, after all of the stories I've heard about guys blasting away at a deer on the run I really would prefer to be in town.

[Jackpine Rob]

South Dakota's program allows the landowner to allow only certain types of hunting. If the landowner doesn't allow big game hunters, that will be specified in the Atlas. If they don't allow upland or waterfowl or furbearers or whatever, that will be noted in the Atlas. If they don't want spring snow goose hunters, that will be noted in the Atlas.

Its pretty simple.

As for marginal or worthless lands, it shouldn't be too difficult for the CO or whomever is doing the enrolling to quickly determine if the land in question is worth paying taxpayer dollars for. Again, pretty simple.

Especially in areas of heavy agricultural use, a program such as this makes a lot of sense.

[deacon]

ND program is great for upland and waterfowl. Have hunted ND PLOTS many times and been successful. Some of the ND PLOTS are farmed fields in which the ND Game & Fish pays a reduced price. ND has over 900,000 acres in PLOTS.

The Fed's let the farmers hay the land during drought periods, as these lands are usually in the CRP program. The ND & SD programs may not be perfect but these programs are better than no program like MN. There just are not that many opportunities in MN for the free lance hunter. "That's a fact Jack" - Carl Spangler