School Land??

L

Looper

New member
Can somebody please explain to me what and or how the school land works that is on the maps from the SDGFP website, while we were out there a few weeks ago we ran across several good looking pieces of this property but some if it appeared to be land locked by private ranch property with no access.
 
School land is suppose to be open to public hunting. I have found that most of it is in pasture and not very good for hunting. Not sure about parcels being land locked within private property. You might call the G,F & P and ask about specific properties or if you run across a local CO ask them. Good luck.
 
Looper said:
Can somebody please explain to me what and or how the school land works that is on the maps from the SDGFP website, while we were out there a few weeks ago we ran across several good looking pieces of this property but some if it appeared to be land locked by private ranch property with no access.
Click to expand...


Can't hunt it unless legally accessed from a public road or property u have permission to be on etc. Can't hunt landlocked parcels without permission from owner of land landlocking the school land.

They are leased lands so private farmers pay $ to farm these parcels & can bust ur balls if u are in unharvested crops etc. U can't hunt unharvested crops unless its a food plot how u know the difference is beyond me???

Most are crap some are great most guys drive past em I do most times...
 
Not every public land is managed for pheasants. In fact, most school ground land is managed for the optimum income potential because it supports the county schools coffers.

With that said, it may be poor pheasant ground, but excellent deer, coyote, etc.
 
These properties (typically a section in every township or so) were authorized by the US Congress as land for schools, colleges, prisons, etc... Public schools were the main focus.

When US territories became states the ownership transferred to states.

North Dakota's story ... SD likely much the same (at least in the origin).

North Dakota owns about 708,000 acres of land dedicated
to the support of schools and institutions in the state. The
vast majority of this land (98%) is leased as rangeland. The
remainder (2%) is leased as cropland. Little management
information was available before 1980, and the land was not
actively managed by the state. Therefore, an inventory program
was initiated in 1980 to serve as a basis for implementation
of the first coordinated land management program. To
understand why a management program was not initiated
earlier, it is important to understand the history of school
lands.....
Click to expand...

https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/viewFile/10371/9642

ND State Trust (School) land is open to public hunting also.
 
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Wouldn't it be great to see a good share of these lands become State Game Management Areas ??

Incorporate premium winter habitat where deer, pheasants, and other critters could move to when conditions get tough.
 
BRITTMAN said:
Wouldn't it be great to see a good share of these lands become State Game Management Areas ??

Incorporate premium winter habitat where deer, pheasants, and other critters could move to when conditions get tough.
Click to expand...

most of the school ground is crap, it can't be farmed or even support CRP....it simply fills up the public hunting ground acreage, strictly goat pastures for the most part, dry. rough. rocky.
 
For hunting maps of School lands call 605-773-3303.
This is the office of School and Public lands.

Most of this land is west of the Missouri river and is as stated here not very good hunting land--but I know of several places where really BIG mule deer live and some lands in NW South Dakota are fair for Sharp-Tail grouse and even a few Huns.

Also for a step back in time next year plan a hunt for sharp-tailed grouse in the Grand River National Grasslands near Lemon SD and the North and South forks of the Grand River west of Shadehill Lake is truly big wild country.

Jim
 
Agree that most are severely over grazed and/or infested with noxious plants that cattle will not eat.

I have killed grouse on a few and sharptails do use these trampled acres as dancing grounds.

Wetlands on most of the ND properties that I have seen are trampled down and into the waterline.

If managed properly many could be come viable management areas offering real habitat and places to hunt. It would take time and money to make these places viable.

Most North Dakota county commissioners vote against public acquisition of land and against any changes that would reduce available pasture or farming acres. Likely will not happen in ND.
 
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