One Reason It Is Harder To Hunt Public Ground

[GobbleNut]

I'm still smarter than some West Virginia and Alablama boys I know around here...   

Anybody I know?

I figured you would be able to "guess who" I might be referring to....    

[NCL]

It seems I have read somewhere that surveys indicate the biggest reason for decline in hunting license sales is due loss of access and/or no access.

[greencop01]

With Google Earth and knowledge of home ground, be it public or private, where there is a will there's a way. There are pockets of huntable ground. Or different ways of getting there. Good old American know how and perseverance will show you huntable areas. When the going gets tough the tough gets going. Hang in there! You can see the ground with satellite photos from your home! See the terrain, paths, trails. Check it out.

[compton30]

One thing I've failed to see mentioned in this thread is how the bulk of wildlife conservation is funded: through excise taxes on hunting/fishing equipment, guns and ammo, and the sale of hunting/fishing licenses. Less hunters, less spending, less money towards wildlife conservation. So those of you who are having second thoughts on hunter recruitment, be careful what you wish for.

I personally have nothing against recruiting new hunters.  If a kid or adult decides they want to go hunting, that's great. ...But that has to be balanced with the fact that too much of a good thing is detrimental to both our wildlife resources and the hunting community, in general.  The human hunting pressure that can be placed on our wildlife is finite.  There is a tipping point.

To me, having a smaller number of dedicated hunters/conservationists that understand wildlife management and the role of hunting in our world is better than having ten times that many with 90% of them looking at hunting as nothing more than a real-life video game. 

Your statement regarding the issue of who pays for wildlife conservation is right on target.  We most certainly have outgrown the concept of hunters and fishermen paying for everything.  It is high time that other funding mechanisms be investigated and implemented that include everybody, hunters and non-hunters alike.  (Some states have implemented a general-fund, tax earmark for this,...and it seems to be working out just fine as far as I know)

The "double-edged sword" in that concept, however, is that by getting everybody involved in paying for wildlife conservation, you bring the anti-hunters and anti-leaning non-hunters to the management table.  That has its own inherent risks, but for me personally, that is better than flooding the woods with the real-life, video game players who, other than pulling the trigger, don't do one positive thing for wildlife conservation,...or hunter's image.

I've met many very kind dog walkers, hikers, bikers, and "recreators" out on our public lands. That still doesn't mean I don't look at them with a jaundiced eye when it comes to them not paying towards the resources that we hunters do, while still getting to use it as freely as they please. As far as the inherent risks you mentioned, I am on the same page as you are. I think there's a natural balance that can be struck between the seasonality of when "we" prefer using those public lands respectively.

[LaLongbeard]

I only hunt public land in my home state and when traveling. Some states are a lot less crowded and the Turkey population a lot better. But in my home state of Louisiana even with a small turkey population and thousands of mouth breathers squawking on box call from daylight till dark I'm still able to find and kill Gobblers every year. This topic has came up several times before. The older hunters that started out in the late 1970's or 1980's when there were few turkey hunters and a lot of the turkey populations were booming lament the good ol days. Turkeys have adapted the hunting pressure has increased dramatically and the old tactics don't work as well as 1985. I came into it a little later so don't have the "good ol days" to compare to but I have also adapted my hunting through the years as pressure increased and populations declined. I doubt anyone will ever see again the super high densitys of turkeys we had when the populations were expanding. If you cannot adapt you will not be successful.
And I doubt seriously elligal immigration has anything to do with you killing or not killing a gobbler.

[Sir-diealot]

Not sure how many will be able to see this, it is on Facebook and touches on some of the points made here very well. https://www.facebook.com/nprskunkbear/videos/342994549439018/?hc_ref=ARSZ8UCncQFsCvTRoaWHWmWNkQpZrSsLh2DZOVCJ7qqcryDlrobT-rWHjxfDJlNWBk8

Edit: I should have looked first, here it is on Youtube where anyone can watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvCpxjr0h0

[RutnNStrutn]

Public turkey hunting land has more pressure, from more hunters, who call too much and too often, drive up and down roads calling, and slam their truck doors. This undoubtedly affects the birds negatively. There are also guys who have no respect for other hunters, especially if you are the first one in an area.
As greencop01 pointed out, people that used to not have what it takes to put in the extra effort to scout for good areas, can now cyberscout and good areas that you used to have to work for are now loaded with weekend warriors.
I have been very successful over the years on public land in FLA. But with turkey hunting gaining popularity, and FWC screwing up the permit process and making it harder to get drawn for a decent hunt, it's not the same. There are still plenty of good birds killed on public land every year, but you have to work a lot harder for them. If it was up to me, I wouldn't hunt much public land as I get really frustrated by the idiot hunters, aka. Walking Wally's. I hate scouting and doing my homework, only to be covered up by Wally's on opening morning. Unfortunately, living in FLA (for now), I can't afford a good lease due to everyone having to come to FLA to get their slams, and the landowners and outfitters driving the prices through the roof. So, public land it is for me, at least when I hunt turkeys in FLA.

[quavers59]

Public Land here in New York and New Jersey seems to get tougher by the year. More  hunters yes-- but also plenty more hikers. I am a hiker also. Alot of hikers are getting out super early in Spring, Summer, and the Fall as well. Hikers know if they get out very early- they will see more wildlife.  Something new, I am seeing is hikers bring their dogs and let them off the leash on a trail. Not good for Turkey hunters Spring or Fall.

[Sir-diealot]

Public Land here in New York and New Jersey seems to get tougher by the year. More  hunters yes-- but also plenty more hikers. I am a hiker also. Alot of hikers are getting out super early in Spring, Summer, and the Fall as well. Hikers know if they get out very early- they will see more wildlife.  Something new, I am seeing is hikers bring their dogs and let them off the leash on a trail. Not good for Turkey hunters Spring or Fall.

I have had my dog attacked more than once by these idiots that don't leash their dogs, I am carrying a fixed blade knife with me now to protect mine. She is always leashed.

[Tomfoolery]

More population also means more concrete. This effects all hunting. More concrete = less habitat. Ive seen this first hand with the waterfowl population down south. What used to be flooded fields are now subdivisions. What used to be woods are now golf courses and more subdivisions, strip malls, etc.

[Bolandstrutters]

Side X Sides have all but ruined the Black Hills in SD.  I guess the state saw the dollar signs and decided hunting wasn't as profitable.  They've put trails on every acre of that national forest it seems. 

[RutnNStrutn]

Side X Sides have all but ruined the Black Hills in SD.  I guess the state saw the dollar signs and decided hunting wasn't as profitable.  They've put trails on every acre of that national forest it seems. 

Florida did the same thing several years back. Problem is the jerks didn't appreciate the value of having thousands of acres to recreate on, and tore the hell out of the land with their ATVs, didn't stay on the trails, and left trash all over. Numerous times I was in a treestand and had groups of ATV's coming roaring by right under my tree in areas off limits to them.
Florida has since started closing down those same lands to ATVs. There are much fewer areas to ride now because of people who don't respect the privelege.

[greencop01]

Hey me again with another comment. Just check out the Pinhoti Project and let Dave show you how with I- Phone and map apps on public land. That's about all he hunted this season and its all on video. Check it out. Cant miss turkey hunting on PUBLIC LAND.   

[dejake]

I love public land in Delaware, IF I get drawn.  Public land is on a lottery basis for a permit.  If you get drawn, it's just like private land.