The future of bird hunting

Colorado has lost a lot of CRP over the past couple of years. A new program they introduced a few years back enrolls the corners of the center pivot cornfields into habitat/ hunting opportunity. It looks like the DOW/Pheasants Forever has worked with landowners to enhance some of the corners and maximize their potential. I know it is not the same as entire fields of CRP but I appreciate the effort and hope the program continues to grow.
 
Nugent said:
Steeling a guys birds is really low bagger. Early in the day, some low bagger shot a hawk, left empty shells all over the road.Probably the guys who took my birds.
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Just asking - are you sure it wasn't hawks that took your birds? I had a couple disappear out of a high fence yard while I was cleaning them - only ran inside for a minute, don't think it was a human varmint.

What's the limit on hawks (easy, that one is obviously, I hope, tongue in cheek). Sorry about your missing birds, though.
 
Munster927 said:
To get an idea at where hunting in our country is going, just look at Europe and the UK specifically. It's a sport for the very wealthy, there is no public land to hunt on and the preserves are not cheap. We aren't there yet obviously, but it's trending that way. The US is a different animal given the size of our country compared to the UK, but corporate farming and real estate companies like Realtree and Whitetail Properties are not helping.
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Agreed its a sad trend but not sure the UK/Europe are unique. Free hunting in Mexico? Cuba? Africa? Taiwan? Population growth isn't going to help destress the dwindling resource, either. More suburban sprawl plus more need for food crops (unless some folks get their way and we all learn to eat unmodified grass). Not sure it is fair to hang it on outfitters - could it be they are reacting to change, more than driving it?
 
Golden Hour said:
That is rowdy. As far as your birds go, you know in your heart it was a roving pack of feral cats. They steal upwards of 17% of harvested roosters each fall.
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True.Could have been a big cat I guess.All kinds of critters out there.That guy who shot that big hawk, will get a karma sandwich delivered to him.
 
KSnative said:
Not sure it is fair to hang it on outfitters - could it be they are reacting to change, more than driving it?
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I don't blame outfitters really. They're trying to make a buck on their own land. But what I was referring to with Whitetail Properties and Realtree Realty, those companies, will outbid the state on a given piece of land that someone has up for sale which may have turned into a management area, then they make some land improvements to it, and sell it for profit and then it sits as private land (likely forever). The state obviously can't pay what a private company will pay as funds are limited by what groups such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, etc have put up to buy a chunk of land plus whatever the state has in the budget for things many people view as "wasteful spending".
 
Munster927 said:
I don't blame outfitters really. They're trying to make a buck on their own land. But what I was referring to with Whitetail Properties and Realtree Realty, those companies, will outbid the state on a given piece of land that someone has up for sale which may have turned into a management area, then they make some land improvements to it, and sell it for profit and then it sits as private land (likely forever). The state obviously can't pay what a private company will pay as funds are limited by what groups such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, etc have put up to buy a chunk of land plus whatever the state has in the budget for things many people view as "wasteful spending".
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So the real underlying problem is actually the real estate industry profiting from private land sales? I will try to get my head around that one!
 
Oufitters often try to make a buck off more land than what they own. Many lease thousands of acres (some approaching 10K - 20K acres ... so they claim). This creates a cascading $$ effect in areas where landowners often let people hunt with a handshake and Christmas present (to keep the tradition going).
 
I believe Ducks Unlimited buys properties (especially SD). Improves the wildlife quality, sets up an easement and then sales the property to the highest bidder.

PF on the otherhand is run mainly by local and county chapters that do habitat improvement or work to purchase land (new or add on) that is turned over to the state to manage.
 
BRITTMAN said:
I believe Ducks Unlimited buys properties (especially SD). Improves the wildlife quality, sets up an easement and then sales the property to the highest bidder.

PF on the otherhand is run mainly by local and county chapters that do habitat improvement or work to purchase land (new or add on) that is turned over to the state to manage.
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Yeah DU will do that in SD. However DU land is huntable while in their possession, correct? There's a chunk of DU land near where I hunt in SD and the map says it's a huntable piece. At least they allow hunting on it while they own it.

The whitetail properties types is posted from day 1.
 
Munster927 said:
I don't blame outfitters really. They're trying to make a buck on their own land. But what I was referring to with Whitetail Properties and Realtree Realty, those companies, will outbid the state on a given piece of land that someone has up for sale which may have turned into a management area, then they make some land improvements to it, and sell it for profit and then it sits as private land (likely forever). The state obviously can't pay what a private company will pay as funds are limited by what groups such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, etc have put up to buy a chunk of land plus whatever the state has in the budget for things many people view as "wasteful spending".
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I have to comment on this.Outfitters, generally dont own the land. They pay these ranchers a yearly fee, to take hunters on the land.They lock up huge chunks of land.I am not a fan of outfitters, in any way!!!
 
Brickhouse said:
You’d be surprised what would happen if you knocked on a few doors during late season. Way too many people are afraid to ask for permission thinking the answer is always going to be no. Your best time to get on land is now.
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That's true, or bring a kid.I knock on a lot of doors, but every year it gets more difficult to get permission. My old Ford gets me on some places.
 
BRITTMAN said:
Oufitters often try to make a buck off more land than what they own. Many lease thousands of acres (some approaching 10K - 20K acres ... so they claim). This creates a cascading $$ effect in areas where landowners often let people hunt with a handshake and Christmas present (to keep the tradition going).
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That is exactly what I was trying to point out.Thank you.
 
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