[Y Hunt]

I was up in North Central MO after the gun season bow hunting this year. You guys sure have some great habitat on your public land. The day time deer movement was bad and I only saw four deer in four days of huntiing. I have never hunted an area with so much sign and see so few deer. OH Well better timming next time.

I have a question.
How does the farm land lease work on the conservation areas work? I noticed that the areas with beans seemed to leave a lot of beans on the ground after harvest.

 

[usfwc]

The best habitats can be very hard to hunt because the deer have to move so little to meet their needs. Being public land, they are probably pretty nocturnal as well.

...and if you mean that the beans were on the 'bare' ground after harvest, it was probably due to the pods shattering during harvest. I believe the harvest efficiency gets lower as the beans dry out more because the shells really 'pop open' and expel the seed.

[Edited on 15-12-09 by usfwc]

 

[Woodchuck]

The farmers that lease the farming rights are required to leave a portion of the crops standing in the fields for wildlife. So that is why you seen some standing after harvest.

 

[citybowhunter]

[rquote=1511477&tid=105432&author=Woodchuck]The farmers that lease the farming rights are required to leave a portion of the crops standing in the fields for wildlife. So that is why you seen some standing after harvest.[/rquote]

Ditto.

 

[BrentWin]

The MO residents on the sight know this already, but since you are from AR, I will tell you why we have such good public places to hunt.

We have great habitat on public land because we have what is generally considered to be the best conservation dept. in the country.

We have the best, because back in 1976 the voters of MO approved a 1/8 cent sales tax on sporting goods. That money goes straight to the MDC and the State officials can't rob it.

The MDC even has enough funds to provide Private Land Specialists to advise you and they even have cost share programs to improve habitat on private property.

I am a conservative and certainly not a fan of taxes, but in this case it works very well. The people that pay the taxes (sportsmen) are the ones that reap the benefit of the taxes.

Now over 3 decades later, many other states are trying to get the same thing passed, using the MO model.

Many of us have minor disagreements with the MDC, but just talk to someone from another state and you quickly realize how good we have it here.

 

[Joeyman]

I really like hunting public land. the MDC does a great job on the CA's I've been too. Lots of new work I see every year when I go back. new brush piles all sorts of stuff. Also seen a burn already in one field I hunted this past weekend.