NDGNF Reaches 1 Million Acres of PLOTS

[marine_man]

HOEVEN ANNOUNCES STATE REACHES ONE MILLION ACRES

OF PUBLIC HUNTING ACCESS

BISMARCK, N.D. – Governor John Hoeven and State Game and Fish Director Terry Steinwand today announced that North Dakota has reached a goal of more than 1 million acres of public access hunting land through the Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program two years ahead of its target date. Since spring 2003, when Hoeven set the goal of 1 million acres by 2009, the Game and Fish Department has added more than 700,000 acres to the PLOTS program.

“Four years ago we set an ambitious goal to make 1 million acres of public hunting land available to sportsmen and women by the year 2009,” Hoeven said during a dedication event at a PLOTS area north of Sterling. “Reaching our goal two years early is a real credit to the great partnership between our Game and Fish Department, landowners, farmers, sportsmen and all who worked to expand public access to North Dakota’s rich outdoor heritage. I want to thank Game and Fish staff and the thousands of cooperating landowners who helped to make access to this valuable resource possible.”

The PLOTS program, identified in the field by inverted triangular yellow signs, is a Game and Fish initiative to secure public hunting access to private land. It was originally designed to develop more public access on Conservation Reserve Program land in the state’s primary pheasant range, but since the first yellow sign went in the ground in 1998 with 42,000 acres, the program has expanded statewide and provides opportunities not only for pheasants, but deer, waterfowl and other game species.

“At a time when hunters in many parts of the country are quitting because of loss of access, the number of North Dakota hunters has actually increased over the past few years,” Hoeven said. “North Dakota’s PLOTS program is an example of hunter dollars at work, providing not only more access, but better habitat as well.”

“I’ve heard many different perspectives on this program, but the one thing that has always been a constant is how important the PLOTS program is to the future of hunting in this state,” said Shawn McKenna, Executive Director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation. “Without landowners willing to open their property up to sportsmen and women, many hunters simply wouldn’t have anywhere to go.”

While hunters benefit because of more access and ability to locate open areas, landowners also benefit. “It’s wonderful habitat for wildlife and it brings in people from outside the area,” said Richard Aberle, a LaMoure area landowner whose family has 1,200 acres enrolled in the program. “And the landowners benefit because they’re getting a little extra income off their land.”

Game and Fish Director Terry Steinwand emphasized that PLOTS is an important tool in hunting access issues in North Dakota, providing opportunity for people to get out and enjoy what North Dakota private land has to offer. “Hunters should still work hard to establish relationships with private landowners and treat PLOTS and other private land with respect,” he said.

Now that the 1 million-acre benchmark is established, Game and Fish will continue to balance the interests of hunters and landowners by trying to maintain, and even increase, that acreage and by having a diversity of programs and options for landowners to choose from, according to Steinwand.

“We know from Game and Fish surveys that a lot of hunters use these areas,” Steinwand said. “One North Dakotan even remarked that he started hunting again because of the PLOTS program. That’s a measure of success that our state can be proud of.”

[marine_man]

That, in my opinion, is a heck of a deal for residents and non residents alike.

1 million acres in ND available for anyone to hunt (with the exception of the closed weeks for non residents during openers) without regard to getting permission, etc.

Keep up the good work Game & Fish!

marine_man

[Meat-Run]

marine-man,

why is PLOT land closed to non-residents during the opening weekend and into the first two weeks of the waterfowl season?

mr

[harvey lee]

That is a good number of acres. Now, if the non res licenses were a little easier to get it would be even better news.

I know that Montana does the same thing with their pheasant hunting. The first few days or week is for residents only. At least that is the way it was a few years ago when I was last out there.

[iffwalleyes]

It is to give residents first crack at it. Understand that plots lands get hit very hard as everyone hunts them since they are public. It is just something the Game and Fish started a few years back it is a benefit for residents.

[marine_man]

After looking into this a little more... it appears that Non residents are unable to hunt waterfowl the first week of waterfowl season, and PLOTS land is closed to non residents October 13-19 for the reasons iffwalleyes described above.

marine_man

[Scoot]

Yep, this has been a VERY heated topic in many circles. Definitely some pros and cons for res and non-res.

[harvey lee]

I understand that the biggest benefit should go to the residents. I just wish it was somewhat easier to draw a non res rifle tag. Rifle hunting every 3-4 years kinda stinks.

So many states are raising the cost for tags and then its still very hard to get one. Pretty soon one will just have to hunt the state he is a resident of.

[brittman]

Harvey,

NR deer hunting is tough (bucks anyway) because ND limits NR to 1% of quota. Then NR owning land in ND get preference and guides can take 1/2 of the that 1%, thus some years there is almost none left for normal NR lottery entries.

The NR landowner license was targeted for repeal, not sure what happened ....

[LMITOUT]

FYI- There are some PLOTS lands available for hunting the first week of pheasant hunting to non-residents. These are marked differently and from what I can tell by the PLOTS map book there aren't a lot of these spots out there right now. They are marked with a white sign with "Community Match Program" on them. This is new for 2007.