COURTESY OF BBIAN LYNN ( 2 )
A lease provides the author with a place to take the younger generation hunting with little worry of disturbance from other hunters during turkey season .
commitments and couldn ’ t get out until afternoon . He had a bird on the ground by 3 p . m .
Even in a state with millions of acres of public land , hunting leased property has given us , especially with a high-school student , the opportunity and flexibility to enjoy hunting more effectively and thoroughly — which could be a key to passing on our passions while conserving privately owned property .
Problems with Public Public land in the U . S . is a uniquely American experiment that gives us access to around 700 million acres of huntable land . Our public lands are the perfect place for newcomers and seasoned veterans to successfully chase deer , ducks , pheasants , elk , bears , raccoons and more . From national forests and
Bureau of Land Management property to state lands and the National Wildlife Refuge System , every state has some place a hunter can visit and hunt for free .
These lands need protecting and expansion , and the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance has fought hard for more than four decades to defend and increase access for hunters , anglers and trappers . Our work has made hunting and fishing priority uses in the 95-million-acre refuge system , which set the stage for expansion of those opportunities for the last 25 years . We ’ ve also fought extreme environmental organizations when they try to curtail or end hunting in those areas , as we ’ re doing now in multiple lawsuits .
Our “ Open Until Closed ” language included in the Natural Resources Management Act of 2019 mandated that federal public Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands be open to hunting unless federal wildlife managers find cause to close them .
The Sportsmen ’ s Alliance protects hunters ’ access to our nation ’ s public lands , and always with an eye to the future , more than any other advocacy organization out there . We understand how important it is to the future of our heritage .
But , if you ’ ve hunted public land at all , you know it comes with issues : overcrowding , safety concerns , skybusting in the duck marsh , showing up to your deer stand to find someone in it ( or it ’ s been stolen ), ATV riders buzzing through an area or other hunters blowing your plans . Pretty much anything you can imagine can happen on public land , and few of us have the time and resources for multi-day scouting trips to the less-populated backcountry in the off-season , in addition to taking hunting time off during the season .
That said , 75 percent of public-land hunters are satisfied with their experience according to a survey of more than 2,200 hunters by the American Hunting Lease Association ( AHLA ). Of the 1,000 survey respondents who leased hunting land , 98 percent reported satisfaction and planned to continue leasing — a fact mirrored by surveys from the University of Georgia and Georgia Outdoor News .
The satisfaction of both groups somewhat surprised me , even though I ’ ve greatly enjoyed the leasing experience myself while getting to know the property intimately , formulating a plan of action with little fear of interference and , most importantly , spending time with Tucker in a purposeful manner with attainable results .
Leasing : Controversy and Conservation Let ’ s not beat around the bush : There ’ s no shortage of controversies when it comes to leasing property for hunting . Some consider it almost as cheating — that because an access fee was paid , “ real ” hunting isn ’ t taking place . That because some are willing to lease land for access , they ’ re singlehandedly responsible for the overall cost increase of hunting nationwide and loss of access for all , the harbinger of death for hunting .
“ What I ’ d love people to understand is , we ’ re creating opportunities on lands that wouldn ’ t otherwise allow it .
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