It's a flaw inherent in the system. If you want to conserve and animal for future existence put a price on killing it. Money is part of the system. Hunting can be done far cheaper than we allow ourselves to do.. Do we need 1,000 dollar bows, 1,000 dollars in trail cameras, 250 dollar stands, 200 dollar sticks, 300 dollars in camo.. Nope. All of those are want's. Not "Needs".. So in an essence our want's have allowed OUR hunting to become expensive..
Now on to the land question.. There again the problem lies with hunters themselves.. Once upon a time the tide was turned and you would very rarely get a "No" when asking to hunt, VS today where you very rarely get a "yes".. I think this problem is two fold. One being individual families have gotten away from hunting. The vast majority of the populace is not raised around it anymore. They never had that interaction with a family member that hunts. Back when we grew up the elders hunted.. In each generation since then hunting has dwindled.. Less dads hunt than grandfathers did, and now less sons than dads. This brings about an problem with educating the public. They didn;t have that first hand experience, so they formulate a misinformed opinion of hunting.. Naturally they only hear the bad news.. "Hunter killed in fall from stand" "Hunter shot on public land" "Homeowners dog shot" etc etc.. Throw Hollywood in the Mix and the public forms a bad opinion of hunters based on ignorance..
The 2nd part of the problem also lies with hunters themselves.. For every NO you get when asking to hunt.. Follow up with this question "I understand and respect that, but if you don't mind me asking can i inquire as to why" I will tell you that 95% of the time their answer will start as follows.. ""Well, we did allow hunting but"... And they will procede to tell you a story about a hunter who Shot too close to the house, shot livestock, cut a fence, rutted up a field, left trash, argued with other hunters and involved the landowner. It is for these reasons I believe the majority of NO land is unavailable.. But money talks, and money is once again opening those doors.. It is in this regard I don't look at leasing as a bad thing.. And now the hunters will have an investment in the property. Maybe now through leasing we can begin to repair those relationships with landowners.. IMO don't blame "the rich man", because "the poor man" did it to himself.
