Curious as to why no "Walk In Areas" in MN

[brittman]

I grew up in ND and hunted SE ND much. I have hunted in ND for 30 years straight. I now hunt pheasants across many regions of S Minnesota. 60% private - 40% public.

Kansas runs an effective program. I have shot turkeys on their walk-in land. Eastern KS is heavily populated and farmed intensively also.

I must disagree, if the PLOTS concept works there it would work in S MN pheasant country.

The MN DNR is simply one of the most bureaucratic organizations out there. They lack innovation. Good people (biologists, etc) fear reprisals for speaking out.

[Ufatz]

Dotch: I think the term you are looking for is payment in leiu of taxes. When a government entity takes land from another entity, say a local community, it will often pay an amount close to what the local tax would be.

Speaking of regionalization, what would happen if MN had a Department that had set regional offices and fixed regions. And in each Region there was a Regional Advisory Board, consisting of local resident sportsmen etc. The Regional Boards provided comment to a State Board of Fish and Game. That way you get DIRECT advise and comment from LOCAL sportsmen. The State Board would advise the Deparment's management, submit regulatory proposals based on local knoweledge and conditions, and approve regulatory measures.Anybody care to comment on this?

[Dotch]

Thanks Ufatz, that's what I was looking for (I think) lol! Regionalizing as you've described it makes a lot of sense. More local control and less top-down, ivory tower management is a strategy I've always agreed with, having experienced the latter too many times.

Not trying to argue brittman but growing up in SE and now living in SC MN, the agriculture and people from So. MN and Eastern Kansas are about as different as night and day. On the surface they appear similar but that's where the similarities end. Crops and cropping systems are different and they can afford to be a lot more laid back being farther south and such. No-till works well there where here, it is has yet to be accepted by most on a large scale. Land values there and here is like comparing apples and oranges until you get closer to the metro areas. Even from SE to SC MN, there is a lot of difference in people and their attitudes. People here think I am laid back and I think they're nuts when it comes to planting and harvest season. When living in ND, they thought I was too intense, needed to chill out more. It'll be there tomorrow they'd always say. Just depends on one's perspective I guess. Being one of those guys whose life depends on agriculture, knowing a lot of farmers from coast to coast and being a farmer and landowner myself, that's mine. I would like to see a walk-in program of some kind, just not one that's based off of someone else's lock, stock and barrel.

[Ufatz]

You'd love the MT program. You agree to let X-number of guys on each day to hunt. YOU tell them which areas etc and how many guys a day. State pays you $12 a head. You do the math. Its STILL your land, you don't have to grant easments erc. A hundred guys a season is $1200 in egg money in your pocket. I know some corners of our place where we don't GET $1200 for the whole thing in the fall. HA!! If you join the program, but include a bunch of crappy land-no cover, no water etc.-the guys won't come to hunt it and your income drops. Its self regulating. You police it, fill out your book, mail it in at the end of the season and wait for your check. At all times you KNOW who's on your land etc. Nice program. All it took was enlightend property owners, interested sportsmen and heads-up politicians. Rounn 'em up in MN and away you go. Maybe.

[CaptainMusky]

Quote:

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You'd love the MT program. You agree to let X-number of guys on each day to hunt. YOU tell them which areas etc and how many guys a day. State pays you $12 a head. You do the math. Its STILL your land, you don't have to grant easments erc. A hundred guys a season is $1200 in egg money in your pocket. I know some corners of our place where we don't GET $1200 for the whole thing in the fall. HA!! If you join the program, but include a bunch of crappy land-no cover, no water etc.-the guys won't come to hunt it and your income drops. Its self regulating. You police it, fill out your book, mail it in at the end of the season and wait for your check. At all times you KNOW who's on your land etc. Nice program. All it took was enlightend property owners, interested sportsmen and heads-up politicians. Rounn 'em up in MN and away you go. Maybe.

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The MT program is the one that seems to have the most possitives about it. My uncles have hunted deer out there for 20 years, they have nothing but good things to say about their programs for hunting. I know some guys that head out to MT yearly and they speak very highly about it for upland game as well.