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Does Iowa DNR Ever Buy Land?

Public lands are a good thing. But the DNR does end up with some tillable tracts, that should be farmed. There's a tract of land that they recently acquired for very little, and the 100 tillable acres on the farm would produce 180-200 bpa corn most years. It's decent ground.
In fact I tried to buy that piece, but the family/state had other plans.

I'm all for public lands, but I never will understand wanting to basically give land to the state.
 
One big mistake deer hunters have made is to not have a national organization that buys land for deer hunting.

Look at Ducks Unlimited & Pheasants Forever. PF has bought 5 parcels just in my county in Minnesota. They end of managing the land for upland game and they are average for deer hunting.

DU buys up farms in the Dakotas and then puts an easement on them. Lots of acres! Some will be public.

There could have been thousands of acres in the Midwest bought for deer hunting if they had a powerful group/organization like that .l!
 
Hardwood11 said:
One big mistake deer hunters have made is to not have a national organization that buys land for deer hunting.

Look at Ducks Unlimited & Pheasants Forever. PF has bought 5 parcels just in my county in Minnesota. They end of managing the land for upland game and they are average for deer hunting.

DU buys up farms in the Dakotas and then puts an easement on them. Lots of acres! Some will be public.

There could have been thousands of acres in the Midwest bought for deer hunting if they had a powerful group/organization like that .l!
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I completely agree. I think there are a few obstacles to digest that make this the case.

1. Deer are thriving everywhere. They don't need vast swaths of land to reproduce/overwinter. Upland birds and waterfowl generally do.

2. The deer organizations have committed to advancing the "science" of managing deer, habitat, and growing big bucks but to my knowledge, have had little to no focus on making sure hunters have access.

3. Few bird hunters delineate one bird from another. Sure there a pheasants with long spurs and tail feathers, and ducks with good color and bands, but nobody is locking up ground to go after "the one". Certainly not the case with deer.

I've actually put my bow away for the last few years to take advantage of good bird numbers, a young dog and to get my son on birds. I have excellent access to private ground with excellent habitat but know darn well that land would have fewer birds if it weren't for the big public upland/wetland complexes.



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