The comments of decreasing access illustrate the importance to make sure the public lands of the west do not get sold. Some day, the public lands may be the last place of free access for hunting. All the more reason to make funding of state wildlife management areas a priority. All the more reason for hunters to continue pressing Congress to fully fund the LWCF program that is used across the country to help get more public land access.
All studies show that largest reason people quit hunting, do not hunt as much as they once did, or do not get into hunting when they come from a hunting family - Lack of a place to hunt. My motto to any politician seeking hunter's votes - "It's the access, stupid."
Sorry to deviate where you might see this thread going, but protecting access to the existing Federal and State lands is paramount to the future of hunting, as is increasing access to more Federal and State lands. The trend mentioned here is most likely to only get worse, increasing the importance of public lands.
All studies show that largest reason people quit hunting, do not hunt as much as they once did, or do not get into hunting when they come from a hunting family - Lack of a place to hunt. My motto to any politician seeking hunter's votes - "It's the access, stupid."
Sorry to deviate where you might see this thread going, but protecting access to the existing Federal and State lands is paramount to the future of hunting, as is increasing access to more Federal and State lands. The trend mentioned here is most likely to only get worse, increasing the importance of public lands.
The particular situation I'm frustrated with, the landowner is getting paid many thousands of dollars a year to improve wildlife habitat but has locked the public out of many thousands of acres of national forest. So, my gross oversimplification implies that we're paying for his private game preserve. Whether that's right wrong or someplace in between it doesn't matter because it's the way it is.
