Minnesota’s Pheasant-Oriented Walk-in Hunting Program Expands
Minnesota’s Walk-in Hunting program, entering its second year and aimed primarily at pheasant hunting access in the southwest part of the state, will have more than 14,000 acres enrolled for the 2012 pheasant hunting season, up about 5,000 acres from last year.
Last autumn, Minnesota had 9,000 acres enrolled for the program’s debut. Minnesota landowners in 21 southwestern Minnesota counties are paid a per-acre fee to open their private acres to public hunters.
The program was initially made possible because of the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program Grants provision into the most recent federal Farm Bill, “Open Fields” for short. Pheasants Forever advocated heavily for the inclusion of “Open Fields” because of its habitat improvement stipulations and because access is the key to upland hunting.
Hunter use and support will be crucial to the Minnesota Walk-in Hunting program’s long-term livelihood, however, as federal financial support for the pilot program was cut short. When they purchase their hunting licenses for the upcoming season, Minnesota hunters will be asked to voluntarily contribute $1, $3 or $5 to the Walk-in access program.
More information and a map of the 21 counties involved in the program can be found at www.mndnr.gov/walkin. Locations of parcels enrolled for 2012 will be on the website in August.
Field Notes are compiled by Anthony Hauck Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.org and follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauckPF.
Tags: Minnesota pheasant hunting, Minnesota Walk In Access Program, Minnesota walk in hunting, Open Fields, pheasant hunting, Pheasants, pheasants forever
2 Responses to “Minnesota’s Pheasant-Oriented Walk-in Hunting Program Expands”
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I hope the ‘voluntary’ contribution for the Walk-in program is a very temporary funding mechanism. Even though Minnesota is late to the game, the Walk-in areas can contribute to making hunting more do-able. But I have some real problems with this funding. First, this sounds like ‘fee to hunt light’. I may never willingly pay a fee to hunt but I am confronted with what might be considered a shake down when I get my license. No it is not the same as a habitat stamp. The variable scale of contributions only serves to reinforce that notion. How much did you contribute?
Then, I think it sets the table where the hunting public has assigned seating. It becomes a division in the ranks of hunters and that only can contribute to the continuing loss of members of this community. I can imagine some who would take exception to arriving at a piece of ground to find it occupied by hunters that would engender some expression of indignation. Did you contribute?
I might expect some say in an arrangement where I am paying for a particular service, i.e., hunting land access. If nothing else I can vote with my feet. With the State intervening the contract becomes confounded.
And, the unpredictable nature of volunteer funding being what it is, the nominal amounts generated make this program unsustainable. The return to the hunter is too intangible. To get significant ground into the program will take stable funding.
If funding from my Habitat license plate, my income tax form contribution, my license fees and stamps are not available to fund this program, if hunting land access is too narrow an issue to attract the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources gambling monies, then I would suggest trying an approach used in North Dakota.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has used a Community Match contract that brings more players to the table to provide incentive payments to landowners for hunting access. Chambers of commerce, community organizations, individuals and businesses might contribute. I believe the local Pheasants Forever chapter in Ellendale played a role in making it possible.
Such an arrangement would hopefully remove the hunter from the position to having to pay to keep land open. The hunter’s contribution is to the economy in general and the hunter/farmer relationship all the better..
@Gregory – thanks for sharing your detailed point. I personally spent a day hunting Minnesota’s Walk-in lands last fall, and was very pleased with the high-quality habitat that was enrolled in the program, and the results! Here’s to long-term sustainability for these accessible lands. – Anthony Hauck, Online Editor, Pheasants Forever