Minnesota Deer: The Search For Answers

[SD51555]

SD, will you be at your place on May 8th? I will be picking up my trees at Itasca Greenhouse, you should host a land tour that day. If a few people planned their tree pickups that day you could probably get a few people to show up. Gotta put you on the spot :)

Oh man that would be fun. I gotta run that by some stakeholders of my own first. We don't have a cabin, camp, or even a road approach on our land. We have an untouched 40 and that's it. I'll be up there most likely around that time doing the same thing you are. I've gotta make 3 weekends between thaw and memorial day to get trees planted, spray, and get warm soil plots going. I'll run it by the group.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Not being from your area - what is L.O.U. ??

 

[shawnv]

I am not a Mn resident but we share the same ideas. Get a booth at your deer show and open a donation account and I will gladly donate a few $$$ for the cause.

 

[wiscwhip]

Pig roasts with a few kegs at various locations throughout the state should make some money I'd think :)

He!! I would try to make it to one of those fundraisers!

 

[sandbur]

Land Owners United...it was discussed here at one point, but I forget which of the multitudinous MN threads that occurred.

When I first read this thread, I remembered LOU as referring to one of our DNR managers. Maybe we n eed a different set of letters-acronymn??

 

[bat man]

The name is perfect. Same name got us started down this road can help show guys the way out.

 

[foggy]

or it's new offshoot: HLOU Habitat Land Owners United ?? May better describe the cause and not be looked upon as "big ag" ??

I like the idea of a fund raiser where we just do a hog roast or offer chili or brats, etc. Maybe throw in a raffle and some other ways to fund the organization.

 

[foggy]

I wonder if it could be held at a trap range or other facility (resort or country club) where they ran a cash bar.....in order to reduce the liability ?

 

[bat man]

I'd think that would be the only way to pull it off. Which then obviously cuts into any possible profits...and makes the idea (pig roast/kegger) pretty much worthless. That's why groups like MDHA have the banquets with guns/raffles/etc....

$50 bucks for the tour, free pig roast and BYOB.

 

[foggy]

I sure miss the good old days.....where we just did things.....consequences be damned. ;)

 

[Satchmo]

Love this whole idea!
Stu = Prez
Foggy = VP
You have some great ideas bouncing around here. Grass roots and if it is taken slowly, it would not have to become a burden on time or finances for any one person.

One thought....my only regret since joining this site, is that I missed Foggy's informal land tour. These seem like a great, casual get togethers among FREINDS and it would be a shame to wreck that. Our properties could, however be used as educational tools for "Classes" and then advertised that way for the benefit of the group.

Just thinkin!

 

[foggy]

I'm not VP material. .....and I have skeletons in my closet to prove it. ;)

 

[phil@thesidehill]

The bolded part isn't gonna happen. I'm an okay "idea" guy, but a leader I am not.

With any luck, more informal land tours will continue to occur. However, I will say that I'd have to think long and hard about allowing complete strangers to know where I live and what I've done to my property. Its one thing to share with others who I know (either personally or via the internet) and who may likely return that favor later on...its another to open up a property to just "anybody".

yep...i think 'open' land tours would just invite trouble on multiple levels. I think what may be able to be replicated would be for each of the "founders" to hold land tours with each other and then to have founders and members hold land tours with their own "prospects" spreading it out over time and location...while still allowing for members to recruit from their own "cirlce of trust". Just as new members join and get their properties 'on line' they should keep perpetuating the small land tours downstream.....sounds like a pyramid scheme...lol. Amway?

 

[Satchmo]

Very

The bolded part isn't gonna happen. I'm an okay "idea" guy, but a leader I am not.

With any luck, more informal land tours will continue to occur. However, I will say that I'd have to think long and hard about allowing complete strangers to know where I live and what I've done to my property. Its one thing to share with others who I know (either personally or via the internet) and who may likely return that favor later on...its another to open up a property to just "anybody".

All very good points Stu. I' d like to do a tour at my place for guys on this site, but probably not the general public now that I think about it.

yep...i think 'open' land tours would just invite trouble on multiple levels. I think what may be able to be replicated would be for each of the "founders" to hold land tours with each other and then to have founders and members hold land tours with their own "prospects" spreading it out over time and location...while still allowing for members to recruit from their own "cirlce of trust". Just as new members join and get their properties 'on line' they should keep perpetuating the small land tours downstream.....sounds like a pyramid scheme...lol. Amway?

You may have something here.

 

[foggy]

One thing about land tours is......that it gets hard to organize a tour for more than about a dozen attendees. I'd say that if I run another tour.......I would limit it to a dozen guys at a time, and I may invite a few folks first that i really want on board.

I really enjoyed the land tour I put on. And I think most of us had a nice day. And the guys there were all great participants......I'm just throwing this up for future tours by other guys. Limits can be a good thing.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Although land tours are fun I don't think they would be neccessary at all. It just has to be a group of like minded land owners with common goals to improve their properties for wildlife thus bucking the damage done by DNR/MDHA. Fund raising opportunities could exist for projects voted on by members. Sub groups of landowner friends could do property tours and offer up help as they so desire. The key to success in my opinion would be a requirement of members to sign up new members.

 

[foggy]

Although land tours are fun I don't think they would be neccessary at all. It just has to be a group of like minded land owners with common goals to improve their properties for wildlife thus bucking the damage done by DNR/MDHA. Fund raising opportunities could exist for projects voted on by members. Sub groups of landowner friends could do property tours and offer up help as they so desire. The key to success in my opinion would be a requirement of members to sign up new members.

I agree. There could be lots of other ways to have a get-together too. Could have presentations by habitat managers, a deer "consultant", food plot tips, etc. etc. And then just do the bbq and such.....even in a separate facility (like a VFW , etc). It's just hard (or different) to get some fund raising going if done this way......IF THAT IS ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES??

WE ALSO COULD HAVE A 1/2 hour VIDEO PRESENTATION ON OUR LANDS?????? FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION??? Kinda like this idea. :)

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Prez and vp are not necessary either. Have a rotating panel of board members or a committee that helps keep the organization moving in the right direction. Every monetary action would require all members to vote. I know it's not this simple but sometimes things get difficult cause people make them difficult.

 

[bat man]

LOU may bite us in the ass. LOU may only benefit you in an environment where those present have something to offer and a potential to take something away. I walk local properties with folks I trust whose deer I do not hunt. I consider these people my friends and will give my time and information freely. My immediate neighbors are best left in the dark.

If LOU were to be at a level that strangers were showing up and learning these tricks it may adversely affect my personal goals. Too many guys like us growing private herds and throwing zone wide dpsm off and intensive harvest is back. BANG.

Its a damned if you don't damned if you do unless your immediate neighbors bite on local harvest goals and you hide your secrets. Then its more out of reach of the DNR, but until you have a freaking huge contiguous block, low dpsm goals will perpetuate mediocre hunting with the number of hunters we have now. Deer spread out across the landscape because social pressures to limit expansion don't exist. Half the deer means we need to lose half the hunters for a return of quality.

If all your neighbors have 5 tags and sit your borders they will impact your deer herd. Need a special parcel to minimize the impact of brown its down neighbors.

That is why statewide regulation was so important to chase.

 

[foggy]

Doing a little "take-off" on the idea about a video presentation..... I think that if someone was good with video and maps.....and was willing to spend a day shooting and editing a presentation with voice-over......it would really be neat to watch and critique someones land. Kinda like this idea. Not sure what the costs would be?

Could be done anytime of the year too.