Another Public/Private Land Dilemma

[GobbleNut]

We continue to talk about all of the factors that seem to be resulting in decreasing hunting quality and opportunity on public lands across the country.  Here's one part of that puzzle that is rarely mentioned in these conversations that, from my personal experience, has been a major player in recent years.

That is, the increasing tendency of private landowners to do things to hold turkeys on their private properties,...things that result in public land birds moving onto those private lands and taking up permanent residence there.  We are seeing this phenomenon more and more out here in the west (and I am sure it is happening all over the country).  Over the last couple of decades, across the region I have hunted, I have witnessed more property owners doing things like putting up year-round feeders or planting crops or food plots intentionally trying to hold birds there and/or attract more birds,...which they do.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I am all for folks trying to improve habitat and do things that help wild turkeys and wildlife, in general.  That is not a bad thing, but it most certainly influences the distribution of wildlife across the landscape,... and that distribution is becoming more and more skewed towards wildlife concentrating on private holdings. 

In addition, one of the offshoots of that is that folks that are not all that keen on hunting are starting to realize that attracting an area's wildlife onto their land, and doing things to hold it there, is a good way to keep that wildlife from being hunted.  We see that reality more and more with each passing year. 

Of course, the answer to this problem is to improve public-land habitat to offset the stuff being done on private holdings.  Unfortunately, that takes money, and lots of it,...and that is not something that is likely to happen anytime soon.   

[Happy]

I have noticed that trend for several years in my area. Its a sticky situation. I am not for more regulations telling people what they can and cannot do with their property. However I am also not for people putting out 10 cornfeeders and drawing all the surrounding wildlife onto their property and holding them. I don't think that it is healthy for the animals either. They are meant to be spread out and not congested in tight groups. I am not sure what the right answer is on that one.

[NCL]

The answer to the problem would seem to be simple get legislation that makes it illegal to feed wild game. I have heard that a number of state have such laws and a friend said his father was cited for baiting turkeys with corn ( actually someone else had done the baiting but he took the citation), The legislation would take care of the feeders but obviously the food plots would be a more complicated issue.

[spaightlabs]

Doesn't matter what species, when it comets hunting there is always tension between the haves and the have nots. 

We have nots tend to get a little cranky when the haves have more than we think they should. 

Remember kids, life ain't fair, and no one ever promised it would be.

if you don't like your circumstances, change them.

I'm not saying that if you are making $40,000 a year and that's comfortable for you that you need to go get a Wall Street job and make 10 Mil a year.  Just reminding all that there is always someone doing more with less.

Hard work and a good attitude go a long way in life. Luck doesn't hurt either...

[Happy]

Doesn't matter what species, when it comets hunting there is always tension between the haves and the have nots. 

We have nots tend to get a little cranky when the haves have more than we think they should. 

Remember kids, life ain't fair, and no one ever promised it would be.

if you don't like your circumstances, change them.

I'm not saying that if you are making $40,000 a year and that's comfortable for you that you need to go get a Wall Street job and make 10 Mil a year.  Just reminding all that there is always someone doing more with less.

Hard work and a good attitude go a long way in life. Luck doesn't hurt either...

I don't believe that I am being jealous when I don't agree with the practice of manipulating something that is supposed to belong to the public into their possession. Now if I was upset about daddy warbucks putting up a high fence and stocking it with game for his amusement then I would tend to agree with you.

[g8rvet]

You guys duck hunters?  I have watched literally several thousand mallards get up just before legal and fly to private feed ponds, only to return to the public an hour after close of hunting.  Seen it many times.

A lease I am on has a nearby landowner that feeds year round and likes to "just look at" the turkeys.  Can be problematic, but we always seem to manage a few that are out and looking for love. 

[nativeks]

It doesn't help that it seems like every inch of public land gets piss pounded by hunters. Birds respond to pressure.