[Flatliner]

At a recent hunter ed. class the instructor, a MDC offical, made a good point. He said in his opinion we don't have a deer numbers problem so much as we have a hunter access problem. I tend to agree. Spots to hunt are becoming harder to find and much harder to afford. I know public ground takes a beating when it comes to the prospect of producing good deer and the chance of other hunter encounters turns most people off. But if there was a lot more public land, would more of us use it? I'm curious. I've also thought about how MDC or the state could aquire more land. Around Labor Day every gas station in Mid-MO sells those green, 4 leafs clovers for $1 to support the MDA. Whey not ask hunters who are buying permits if they would like to donate $1 to the hunter access fund? A fund supported entirely by hunters for the purchase of new land or expanding the size of existing Cons. areas.

 

[Meller]

MDC just needs to raise Non-Resident tags. That way fewer out of state people will come and hunt the public ground that we pay taxes for.

 

[mohunter32]

Yeah, the public land does take a beating. Opening day, it usually looks like a pumpkin patch out there. I doubt most folks would pay the extra buck since most Missourians hunt private land.

Is there really that many out of staters hunting MO? I've hunted lots of public land and always try to talk to folks in the parking lots. I have not talked to anyone yet that was from out of state.

 

[swampghost]

They already raised the prices recently. I just spent about $900 up there last week. I would be more than happy to diagnose the problem for you; but you wouldn't like it. But I do find it interesting to add that I never saw a single hunter further than 150 yards from the truck......on conservation land, no less.

 

[Brian_J_BT_MO]

[rquote=1484618&tid=103766&author=MellerAM]MDC just needs to raise Non-Resident tags. That way fewer out of state people will come and hunt the public ground that we pay taxes for.[/rquote]

:stirpot:eepwall::scared::stirpot:eepwall::scared:

 

[jaytee]

[rquote=1484660&tid=103766&author=swampghost]I would be more than happy to diagnose the problem for you; but you wouldn't like it..[/rquote]

I'd like to hear your opinion.:2thumbsup:

 

[ALMOST NORMAL]

I hunt public ground in the Ozark region and didn't see any other hunters. Although it is a very big area. If we are talking about public access up north I would imagine it gets hammered pretty good and any new area would be no different. I would hunt it during bow season but rifle season would be a little scary.

 

[Redonthehead]

Gosh, I didn't know we had a "problem".