Land access question?

[powderburn]

Our Government in Alberta is trying to impose some pilot projects based on these programs in the US. I'm coming to the horses mouth for answers.
Have hunters and sportsman gained more oppertunities to access land or has it come at a cost? Any pros or cons on these would be appreciated.



Examples of Innovative Incentive Programs
consistent with the two principles

Montana Block Management Program
Landowner incentives: License based fees, Liability coverage, Voluntary but formal agreements
Compensation for Wildlife and Hunter Damage, Livestock Loss Reimbursement
Public benefits: Hunting access to private land
Wyoming (Wyoming Game and Fish)
Landowner Incentive Program: By partnering with the department, private landowners receive
technical and financial assistance to implement management practices that benefit both fish and
wildlife habitat and the agricultural productivity of their land.
Hunter Management Areas: WGF facilitates management of hunters. Monetary reward and
hunter management for landowners
Colorado (Colorado Division of Wildlife) Ranching for Wildlife
Landowner incentives: Habitat enhancement is a requirement for participating ranches. Licensed
based fees for landowners.
Public benefits: Access to land for hunting.

Examples of Innovative Incentive Programs
consistent with the two principles
Utah Block Cooperative Wildlife Management Units
Landowner incentives: License based fees, Liability coverage, Voluntary but formal agreements
Compensation for Wildlife and Hunter Damage, Livestock Loss Reimbursement
Public benefits: Hunting access to private land
Idaho Access Yes!
Landowner incentives: Voluntary program, landowners receive compensation for providing
sportsmen access to or through their land. Landowners specify conditions of access that best
meet their needs. In addition, the program 1) provides access to wildlife that may cause
depredation problems, 2) improves relationships between landowners and sportsmen, and 3)
improves hunter ethics.
Public benefits: Hunting access to private land

Sand County Foundation Programs (Wisconsin)
Programs are based on the conviction that conservation undertaken by private citizens connected
to the land by ownership will provide more ecological benefits, at lower cost, with more lasting
results, than conservation by regulation or government directive.
Landholder Leaders Program
Provides recognition, assistance, and support to individual landowners who are voluntarily
enhancing the conservation value of their land.
Quality Hunting Ecology
A partnership of landowners and hunters empowered to develop and employ hunting strategies
that enhance: (1) the quality of the land resources; and (2) the understanding of the ecology of
man-deer-land.

 

[TheTone]

I've hunted a few different Idaho Access Yes! pieces. Overall the program definitely has good intents. The ones I have hunted have been wildlife poor (big game wise), but probably offered fairly decent bird hunting. One thing I've noticed is there can sometimes be some crowding on certain pieces, more so than near by public lands. Idaho has struggled with funding for the program and I believe it has been popular with landowners in certain areas, we have more wanting to sign up than we have funding for. I also like the stipulations the landowners can place, one I hunted allowed no coyotes to be shot, and it was crawling with them. Other stipulations I've seen have been no camp fires, no overnight camping, etc.

 

[IDHunters]

My only experience is with Idaho's access yes program. I am a life-long resident of a rural county and had access to most of the area properties now enrolled in the the program. In some ways, we (sportsman) are just paying for something that used to be free for the asking. I suppose that if you didn't already know about the properties or didn't like to ask permission, the program would help. It helps when you are hunting a new area-gives you a place to start. It is better than the alternative, which may have been no access from these landowners. I would like to see more incentives to provide habitat as a condition of the program because there are some properties enrolled that support little if any huntable populations.

 

[1_pointer]

Examples of Innovative Incentive Programs
consistent with the two principles
Utah Block Cooperative Wildlife Management Units
Landowner incentives: License based fees, Liability coverage, Voluntary but formal agreements
Compensation for Wildlife and Hunter Damage, Livestock Loss Reimbursement
Public benefits: Hunting access to private land
Idaho Access Yes!
Landowner incentives: Voluntary program, landowners receive compensation for providing
sportsmen access to or through their land. Landowners specify conditions of access that best
meet their needs. In addition, the program 1) provides access to wildlife that may cause
depredation problems, 2) improves relationships between landowners and sportsmen, and 3)
improves hunter ethics.
Public benefits: Hunting access to private land

This one will just allow landowners to make $$$ off the wildlife with very few public hunters. 90% of the tags go to the landowner to sell for whatever price they want and 10% goes to the public draw system. I'm not a big fan at all.

I have been quite pleased with my expereinces with MTs BMP and WYs program. IMO this are better for the sportsman. I'm also a big fan of these programs for keeping lands open. With the huge increases in leasing, asking permission is starting to become a thing of the past.