Land Access Cited as Top Problem

[Bowtechian]

 I took my sons to my cousins farm to see their animals, and of course the topic of hunting came up. He told me some of his neighboring farmers would rather deal with crop damage than liability issues in our sue happy world.

[WayneL]

I sign a release form on one of the mountains I hunt. You can always offer that.

[JOEL]

solved by signing a liability/permission waiver.I cant speak for all states but as a non land owner in NY i can go property and ask permission ,sign a card,carry that card and hunt.I slip and break my neck ,tough luck,my problem

[OUTDOOR JUNKY]

This is making it harder for everyone.  More and more land owners are closing their gates.  Sometimes it's do to new owners,but other times its because of lazy hunters.
 
One rancher in Montana use to let everyone hunt on his place neer Livingston, but lazy hunters would not close gates.  This lead the owner cutting off access to everyone.
 
We need to be there for each other and work together.  This is expecially true on public ground.  We have to give each other an opertunity to enjoy our different hunting ways and learn from our fellow hunters.
 
As time goes forward, I fear that our numbers will continue to drop because we have too many people who are only concerned about themselves and don't think about others.  They tie up thousands of private ground just for themselves.
 
The biggest culprit is hunting TV shows.  They are tieing up thousands of achres in those state that are deemed "Big Buck Havens."  They only harvest a few deer and keep you and I on the couch watching and wishing.
 
These shows have money to burn on food plots most of us will never be able to hunt over.  They focus on selling us the latest do dad that their sponcer has on the market, while never really teaching us anything that will help us bag that big one.
 
Their marketing has also lead to higher land prices cutting most of us working men and women out of the picture when it comes to buying hunting ground.  Departments of Wildlife need to help sell hunters as assets to animal population control and a positive thing for land owners.  Hunters do a lot of good for wildlife. DOW need to open more doors for hunters and future hunters.
 
Just remember your actions might effect future hunters.  Do your best to be sturates of the land and leave only foot prints.
 
 

[DennisWalrod]

Let's face it, one of the gravest threats to the freedom of the American deer hunter to hunt wherever he wants to, is the trend toward deer management for the sake of larger antlers. I speak from personal experience. I live in the country on seventy acres and have been able to walk from my backdoor (just as an example) to freely hunt over two square miles of mostly prime deer habitat. Then a couple years ago one land-owner got all horny about QDM and has encouraged adjacent land-owners to post their land. They've agreed just to shut him up (he volunteered to do all the posting). So . . . OK, I still have a square mile left to hunt and maybe I shouldn't complain, but as a still-hunter, not a tree-ambusher, I want all the range I can get.

[hunter480]

I`m with you on the qdm, mostly. Except, JPH, here on D&DH, does offer a different perspective to it. I agree most of the qdm stuff I`ve heard is simply propaganda, and is, in reality, trophy anter management, but this guy is the real deal. He`s sincere in his approach to truly managing the doe harvest to help balance the herd and protect the habitats carrying capicity.

[saoirseglen]

My honest view is because of the fight over land access against hikers, mountain bikers, birdwatchers and campers, antihunting nuts and development we are facing a hard fight. We are also facing difficulties because it only takes a few poorly mannered people to ruin it all for the rest of us who do have good manners.

I have family land to hunt on and I am working on improving it to make my hunting better for the long run.

I do see the future of hunting being about who can afford to pay the most to the landowner, unless you are the landowner, just to hunt. Public land will become even more crowded and the antihunting crowd will make our lives all the more difficult.

It is also the truth that many landowners are afraid of being sue and even hold harmless forms may not be enough given how thirsty lawyers are for money. I cannot blame such landowners for just wanting to minimize their exposure to lawsuits as trespassers can already sue them without the landowner even knowing that anyone was even on their property to begin with.

[Xplorer]

I hunt in SE Penna. I used to have rights to a farmers property by helping with hay. He passed away & I no longer have the rights to hunt there. The 1st Saturday of gun season I went to a local State Gameland. Got in stand early & waited. At 8:00 am a hunter passed in front of me less than 50 yds walked up over a rise & 15 mins later "BOOM". A hour later a few hunters put on a drive & went right passed me like I wasn't there. A few mins later it sounded like a war with all the shots. I haven't hunted since & it's been a week & half & I'm still steaming over it. Hopefully I can get off my lazy butt & find a private property to hunt next year. I'd sign anything for the rights ( well, almost anything LOL)

[Patriot]

I wish I had the money to buy some land.  With one income and 3 kids, it's not going to happen any time soon.

[Goose]

Around me in WI its going for $3,000 + per acre depending on the land