WIA: 3 of my best are no more...

Kre

Active member
I suppose this is just the way it is.

But, it's a hard hit to take. The area I hunt doesn't have a whole lot of public areas and losing 3 almost makes me think I will need to relocate next year.
 
Talk to your local CO. Tell them how great those wias were. Tell them you know many people used them. It may be enough to get them back in.
 
Talk to your local CO. Tell them how great those wias were. Tell them you know many people used them. It may be enough to get them back in.

I will, if I ever run into one. In all my years, I have never run into a CO in SD.
 
I believe it is 5 to 15 per acre. If you are too lazy to seek out the CO you aren't that concerned?

Maybe lobby the owner of the land , maybe hit up the local pf?
 
I suppose this is just the way it is.

But, it's a hard hit to take. The area I hunt doesn't have a whole lot of public areas and losing 3 almost makes me think I will need to relocate next year.

Do you think the owners of these WIHAs read the thread on this forum about the Pay to Play Rates in SD?
 
Payments are varied depending on several factors, but it’s in the $1-10 range per acre, with much of that being a sign up bonus paid in the first year; if the land is in a conservation program like CRP, that would be separate. Overall, the payments are higher for better, undisturbed cover, and for season-long access. There are options that limit the length of the access to less than the full hunting season. Anyway, my taxes are $2500 annually on a 1/4, WIA payments wouldn’t even pay my taxes if I’m understanding this correctly. I’m quite sure that WIA payments are nothing near what CRP pays, and the $1-10 per acre is what I’ve heard from other people. Might explain why there isn’t more of it, especially East River, which pays more than West River.
 
I do not know what happened in your case but I turned down 180 an acre from a guy that wanted to grow beans.
I wouldn’t do the WIA, you’re talking cash rent I assume. Where we’re at rent is $200 and up from there, some are paying North of $300. Farmer was over for supper Thur nite and told of a bunch of ground that rented for $360 not too far from here; the guy that paid it lost his rented ground recently.
 
Crops are still subsidized. Corn farmers often receive over $4 billion. In 2019 farmers received $22.6 billion representing 20% or so of $111 billion in farm profits
 
We talked about this a year or two ago and on a previous thread you can see the link and can get payments made by state. County, and even farmer. Conservation payments have declined over time.
 
I’m just referring to WIA payments to landowners; everything else is relevant and correct, just trying to pinpoint what a landowner receives by opening their ground up to public hunting via WIA program.
 
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