ORIGINAL: shotgun31
Hey, deepzak; you from SD--or where you from? Just curious.
I don't pay to hunt,but in SD the state has an aggressive management policy and expressed the desire toreduce the acres of Prairie Dogs byabout 20% by poisioning.I have to work a bit to find decent shooting. I have a couple of ranchers I know that are teetering on the line to poison/not poison and they're having a tough time of it. I've lost a couple of good ranches because they poisoned everything. The last several years have been drouty in West River. Some of these folksfence the place so vehicles can go in/out from the road, make it easier--you can tell when someone does that for you. I give them some money, one I buy a beeve from his family. I'm not a rich man, not by any extreme measure of the word. Retired military for crying out loud.But I will pay for value, make it worth the rancher's time to go a little out of their way, and not feel they are being taken either. The good will goes a long way, and sometimes makes for a better experience.
Ever been to Olongopo, the PI?
Shotgun
I am currently living in Virginia (active duty Navy), but grew up in central Minnesota. I don't really have a problem with tossing the land owner a few bucks or a bottle of his/her favorite to help keep relations open and all parties happy. I've done that myself. The time I was speaking of though was when we could still come out to SD and road hunt pheasants and stop at almost any ranch and they would welcome us with open arms to kill PD's. My dad and brother went out there about 2 years ago to pheasant hunt and the cheapest they found was $150/gun/day. I haven't been able to get back to kill the dogs in a while now (been 5 years since I have been back home), maybe this summer. My brother wants to try to get out and kill some yotes.
Haven't had the pleasure of getting to the PI yet. The closest I have been is shore duty in Hawaii. The Navy just isn't the same since they closed Subic Bay, I feel a little cheated.
Good hunt'n
Zak