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Post by benmnwi on Apr 24, 2019 20:01:44 GMT -6
I'll agree though that removing windbreaks and shelterbelts in prairie areas is a horrible idea. Same goes for adding grazing cattle to public land. But I'd still take either over a 640 of private farm ground that is plowed under in October that I can't hunt.
The loss of tax revenue for these public properties is minuscule in the big picture relative to what the government spends on entitlement programs. We could sell off all the public land in most of the country which would destroy the hunter numbers and wipe out hunting for our grandkids, but still have a massive deficit.
That's my opinion anyway.
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Post by batman on Apr 25, 2019 5:28:29 GMT -6
What if we took away all similar socialist programs. Deficit be gone.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Apr 25, 2019 11:09:33 GMT -6
I just cannot imagine the potential of some of the public in my area. If they would dedicate 5 acres to spruce, cedar, plum, crabapple shelterbelts-groves...it would change the landscape. But they want ducks and duck nesting!
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Post by terrifictom on Apr 25, 2019 11:24:40 GMT -6
The last few years in Northwest Wisconsin in Bayfield county the DNR is trying to get Sharp-tail grouse re-introduced. They literally clear cut a 10 square mile area and sprayed to kill any future tree growth. Then they burn the area off annually in spring. They can't figure out why they are not getting any successful nesting. Duh, don't burn when the birds are nesting. They have tracking devices on some of the birds and they are showing up 20 to 40 miles from the area that they cleared. Millions of dollars have been spent on this project that so far is not working.
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Post by Sandbur on Apr 25, 2019 12:26:43 GMT -6
I just cannot imagine the potential of some of the public in my area. If they would dedicate 5 acres to spruce, cedar, plum, crabapple shelterbelts-groves...it would change the landscape. But they want ducks and duck nesting!
I tried to get that done when on the deer team. No way, it isn’t native to that area.
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Post by sd51555 on Apr 25, 2019 13:12:19 GMT -6
So the point of this whole thing is this. Has anyone ever seen a deer habitat project? I think Ben said he saw some food plots in Whitewater. I wonder if that wasn't a local club or farmer with land inside the system, much like a WPA. I've never seen or heard of it, yet we're told that all these agencies are using our license and dues dollars to work on deer habitat.
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Post by benmnwi on Apr 25, 2019 13:32:21 GMT -6
In Whitewater WMA there are a decent amount of tillable acres in the WMA. It appears that they typically let a farmer rent those fields in return for leaving a % of the fields standing for the wildlife. There were some corn food plots left standing in SW MN on WMA's as well, but not a lot of them. There is also a fair amount of work done on the goat prairie acres of WMA's in Whitewater as well. Goat prairies are S and SW facing hillsides in bluff country that historically were tall prairies since they cooked in the hot sun and trees didn't do too well there. Over time trees and brush have encroached and these were declining so they cut down some of the trees and burn them periodically to maintain them.
Around Rochester there are some WMA's that have tillable acres that leave a bunch of corn standing for wildlife as well. Primarily for geese I believe, but I'm sure lots of other critters use them as well.
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Post by riggs on Apr 25, 2019 13:51:04 GMT -6
I think in Mn most of the dollars are utilized for “deer management “ not necessarily habitat projects. To truly look at examples of habitat/conservation you would have to investigate into what the private groups are doing with donations and grant money allocated through the game agencies. LWCF and Lessard funding would likely be the source of those projects which include the things people take for granted like boat ramps etc. but don’t always include habitat work. Crp grass is extremely important for fawning cover especially in areas of southern Mn where certain cover can mean a death sentence for fawns. I agree Mn does not have the best examples but out west it is much clearer with the big orgs like RMEF.
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Post by nhmountains on Apr 25, 2019 14:41:23 GMT -6
In the White Mountain National Forest they base their logging operations on habitat improvements for wildlife for deer , moose, bear, etc. They have a 15 (?) year plan where they will do cuts in certain areas. They tried to do the same thing in Vermont but, the treehuggers in Vermont are against logging.
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Post by jbird on Apr 29, 2019 10:24:44 GMT -6
5% public land, HUGE Insurance and Farm lobby groups = ZERO deer specific habitat projects. My DNR is far more focused on killing as many deer as possible....not helping them. Shit...my DNR can't even manage ground for the animals we have that we KNOW are in trouble.... Grouse are no longer hunted because their numbers are so low due to habitat loss. Pheasant and Quail nobody really hunts because finding a huntable WILD population of any numbers is nearly impossible as well...again mostly due to habitat loss. Most of the public ground isn't "managed" here....it's simply "watched". The DNR here is far more interested in enforcement vs preservation. If your a wild animal in this state you better be adaptable or your screwed, because if you need a specific type of habitat to thrive that can be plowed....well....your shit out of luck!
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