Is anyone else losing a bunch of their hunting locations?

[HOOfan_1]

State land with limited hunting priviledges is becoming no hunting state parks. Other state facilities "allow" hunting, but block access to the land, therefore preventing hunting anyway. Family owned farms being sold off to build subdivisions. Friends of the family who have allowed hunting on their property for 30+ years deciding they really don't want anyone else hunting their land.

My entire life it just seems as though locations to hunt become fewer and fewer. Is anyone else finding this happening?

 

[blackDdefense]

I think for me it is more of the young ones coming into the hunting scene is why I am losing the ground. I think its great that young people are taking up the sport and guess everything changes with time. We used to hunt everything around us that is private ground but now younger relatives of the owners are now hunting it. The more people we have taking up the sport instead of protesting is great in my book. I recently just purchased a piece of ground to ensure my son and daughter have a place to go if they so choose.

 

[whalerman]

Oh yeah. This is happening all over. Hunting is becoming something you plan more carefully for and drive long distances for. The days where you could walk awhile after work on the way home are long gone.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Oh yeah. This is happening all over. Hunting is becoming something you plan more carefully for and drive long distances for. The days where you could walk awhile after work on the way home are long gone.

It seems to me that it is almost to the point where hunting is not as acceptable of an outdoor activity as: bird watching, mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding.

Some of the state land that is closing for hunters to become a state park was pushed through by people in the rural area around the land who own horses, and wanted more land than the measly 40 or 50 acres they own on which to ride them.

I was looking as some of the information for the Department of Conservation and Recreation which was talking about this park, and talking about acquiring other state farm facilities to turn into more parks. It also urged the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to build more wildlife hiking trails. So it isn't enough that there are plenty of state parks which do not allow hunting or are severly limited to allow for other outdoor activities, now the DCR wants those lands set aside specifically for hunting to be altered for hiking etc.

I can see it now DGIF uses all kinds of state funds to build nature trails, and then the hikers, bikers and horse riders complain about the dangers of using those trails during hunting season...and hunting on Wildlife Management Areas which were set aside specifically for hunting becomes limited.

 

[OH_Spartan]

I am blessed....I hunt on my own land. I am so glad I do not have to deal with state land. I used to hunt on a private farm. The farmer started letting everybody hunt there and it wasn't fun anymore.

 

[Asherdan]

Every year the forest service finds some new gates to lock up during hunting season. Of course, hunting season and the peak fire season coincide so you can guess what the cover is on that one.

 

[wishooter]

Is there any etiquette for marking spots that you would like to hunt? I know technically on public land anyone can hunt anywhere, but It would be smoother if we worked together. In my area, I live next to thousands of acres of public land. And I scout and plan, and run trail cams from august to November, and then get my spots marked out... only to find on opening day, there is going to be someone else 15yds from me, who lives 6 hours away and hasn't been up here since las year. I know he has the same rights as me, but it is still frustrating when I put the time in. Just wondering if there any acceptable methods for making your intentions known so I am not stepping on any ones toes out there. Obviously it would be better for everyone.

 

[Frozen North]

The state of MN has been buying up land for decades and opening it up for public hunting. This is a great place to be a sportsman.

The farmers I know that have closed their land to "outsiders" all have the same complaints.... Jerks that leave a mess, drive all over the fields, leave gut shot deer to wander and die, SHOOT HOLES IN EVERYTHING, never say thanks or offer anything in return.

A good friend of mine closed his 600 acres when he found his combine tire flat. A stray bullet pierced his machine shed and the rim of the machine. The on farm tire guy found the bullet in the bottom of the tire. This fiasco cost him $600 in repairs.

Hunters are often their own worst enemy.

 

[Sav .250]

Seems like a lot more "Posted" signs are going up.

 

[oneounceload]

State land with limited hunting priviledges is becoming no hunting state parks. Other state facilities "allow" hunting, but block access to the land, therefore preventing hunting anyway. Family owned farms being sold off to build subdivisions. Friends of the family who have allowed hunting on their property for 30+ years deciding they really don't want anyone else hunting their land.

State land to parks - that is political and you can do something about it

Blocking access? To hunters or to everyone? If you have to hike a bit, then do so; otherwise have the handicap hunters file a suit under ADA access to public land (amazing how fast those gates open)

Farms being sold off? - Can you make the farmer a better financial deal? Buy the land with folks, form your own hunt club - then you can block access to everyone else since YOU paid for it

Friends deciding no one else hunts the land? That;s THEIR land and THEIR business - but you might try talking to them, going out there when it isn't hunting season and offer to help rebuild a fence or similar

Otherwise, take your money and go out West where there is BLM land - LOTS of open space to hunt and do what you want (area 51 and Nellis notwithstanding)

 

[HOOfan_1]

Edit: I had a whole post here explaining the situations, but I deleted it because I didn't mean for this to be a woe is ME, help ME with MY problems. Those situations are all water under the bridge. Thank you for any advice anyone has given though.


I merely meant my own experience to be examples of what is happening in many parts of the country.

I think state governments and the Federal government are doing a lot to preserve wilderness areas for the enjoyment of outdoor activities. However, those activities often do not include hunting, and private hunting land is not growing, it is shrinking.

Sure hunting rights on government land is a political situation. Unfortunately it is a situations the hunters are losing in many places. Not all battles can be won, and there is an increasing trend in government, both in elected officials and appointed officials, and government agencies to move toward conservation efforts that do not include hunting. I've belonged to and still belong to some organizations that fight for hunting and shooting rights. Politics don't always go your way though, however much you fight for your way.

 

[HarcyPervin]

FrozenNorth - where are you at? I've been looking around the west metro for some decent hunting spots, found about 30-35 pages of locations just in hennipen counties and those that are within a hour or so to the west and north/south west....its amazing how much they've opened up lately

ETA -
Interestingly enough, its the misbehaving hunters that have helped me GAIN hunting land! I've been after a family friend for a couple years to let me hunt the fields and pothole behind his home. He always said he didn't want me to because the wife was uncomfortable with it and neither of them liked being woken up by the sound of shotguns going off. Well I wasn't the only one who had noticed that he had an absolute honey hole for ducks and geese and some idiots had taken to standing on the edge of his property and pass shooting the birds as they came and left, often peppering his house with shot. The neighboring land is open farmland, but the owner doesn't let anyone in either. There is a dirt road which is bisecting their properties and these guys have been coming in and shooting and leaving a mess. Now I enter, I have been helping with random projects around his property and feeding his animals when he needs to leave town for business so we've made an agreement. I can hunt when he's out of town, and he gets essentially private security to make sure that these guys are reminded that they're trespassing and are not allowed to be back there. Win-win.

 

[irondavy]

+1 To HarcyPervin I have unlimited access to some private land here in Texas for hog hunting because I am willing to spend some time running a chainsaw, shredder, whatever. All it costs me is probably 20 hours a year worth of work. what the landowner gains is knowledge that someone who cares about his place is walking it constantly keeping an eye out.

get to know some of the landowners out in the country and you will be surprised how much hunting land opens up.

ID

 

[Davek1977]

In this respect, I'm lucky. My parents operate a beef cattle ranch, and we operate a good chunk of land filled with grouse, deer(both whitetails and mule deer),coyotes, and to a lesser extent pheasants. My sister and her husband are in lione to take over ranch operations in the future, and both nephews have expressed an interest in staying on the ranch, meaning it should be in the family as long as I'm around....

 

[BigN]

It's just a sign of the times. More folks putting posted signs up due to frivolous liability lawsuits, anti-hunting/gun nuts making inroads with the help of liberal state/federal government laws, more buildings going up. Here in NY though, at least way up north, we have more state land you can hunt on than you could walk in a lifetime. At least for now, we have plenty here. Seems to me though, that the hunters themselves are disappearing. We have thousands of square acres here to hunt but I rarely see anyone else when I'm walking on state land. I'd say people (in general, not us specifically) don't take advantage of the outdoors like they used to.

 

[castingdonkey]

The forest service in Colorado just continues to close down more and more 4x4 trails and stacking rocks in front of hunters campsites. I found this sign the other day and if the steam hadn't been coming out of my ears I may have lost my head.