So the 'locals' have some issues. I could see where this was going, let's trash the landowners!

The question posted:

How do you think the Vermont outdoor community could obtain the ability of more open land for everyone to use?

Hunting, fishing, hiking, ATV?.......

You can join as many organizations as you would like that focus on such issues, but the more land that is posted in this state the more the outdoors community disappears.

Then the comments start.....

Lets charge a ten dollar fee for each and every posted sign that is put up and insist on an environmental impact study at the landowners expense prior to the erection of each sign. Kind of an extension of the Billboard law. Currently, at the current rate of posting, there will be even less land available to sportsmen and women in the coming years. What really irritates me is that an awful lot of posted land is owned by out of staters who don't live on, or use the land that is made off limits to us. At least nobody has figured out how to post Lake Champlain yet. It's a disheartening situation to say the least.

....

Sticky situation. No, I don't own a bunch of land, but if I did I would have no problem sharing that land with anyone who wanted to utilize it. But if I found empty beer cans and candy wrappers on my property I would probably post it. Once again one bad apple ruins it for the rest of the respectable community. I always follow the basic rules of close the gate behind you, leave the place cleaner than it was when you got there, etc... and I've always been welcomed back.

.....

I am not against posted land anymore, I believe it is almost required now that most open land is so far in few. A posted sign should have been on the back of the Vermont quarter not Camel's Hump.

~~~~~~~~~

Knowing the posts were going to go further picking on land owners I made the following offer:

I'll let the first person who wants to hunt my land do so if they pay my property taxes and come and cut, split and stack firewood. I need six cords a year. You'd also have to pick up the trash the mud truckers and ATV riders leave along the frontage. This is a really good deal! I've got established food plots (mammoth red clover, alfalfa, chickory and imperial white clover) and a regular doe herd so you'll kill one for archery season for sure (unless you are not a very good hunter). I don't hunt my land (I have never hunted here) and don't expect to in the future so it is all yours, perfectly private. My side border neighbors are not posted and none of them hunt!

You'd also be expected to shot ANY coyote, fox or other predator while you are on the property.

I forgot to add there is one tree stand already in place on the trail to the lush, lush, LUSH food plot. AND, you're allowed to take the POSTED signs down too.

Drop me a PM if you want this opportunity!

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So far no takers and no further posts on the thread. I don't get it?

Hey Ann, Buy a couple of thousand acres in S.C. and I'll take you up on most of the offer. We may need to negotiate on the TAXES a bit.

I bet your taxes are a lot less than mine! VT has the highest in the country. Ain't nothing cheap here!

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I bet your taxes are a lot less than mine! VT has the highest in the country. Ain't nothing cheap here!

Well of course.....Sanders is an open socialist, no?

Always wondered how VT has the most lax concealed-carry laws in the country yet das comrade keeps getting elected.

Well this is kinda funny to me that those in VT who do not own land feel that there is not enough public land and access. I am no expert on VT hunting as I have only hunted there the last two seasons (but have had a small ski cabin for about 25 years), but from what I know, VT has a pretty huge amount of land that can be hunted by anyone. I hunt southern VT in Peru and Winhall and have access to tons of land. I mean the Lye Brook Wilderness alone is almost 18,000 acers and the land surrounding most of southern VT (and northern I would imagine)is national forest and huntable by parking on the side of the road. Sure the hunting is physically demanding and the animals a bit scarce (compared to southern NY state), but how much more land do people want? And what is up with people feeling like they should be able to access private property with out contributing or knowing the owner. This type of sense of entitlement is a big problem in society today.

I don't vote for any of the libs here. The resident hippie and hippie wanna-be's keep him, welsh and leahy in fat cat land. The governor gets $70 a day for lunch.

Ann.....I believe my property taxes are in the top 3 in the nation behind Bergen Cty., NJ and Nassau Cty., NY.....I always laugh when people say how great it is that NH has no sales or income tax....We're no different than any place else in terms of the need for the state to generate revenue, and they're gonna get it out of us no matter what the name of the tax.

J-Po, I agree 100%.....slob hunters ruin it for everyone. If I was a big landowner AND since I hunt I'd probably post it, if not then I'd probably allow a limited number of good hunters access.

quote:

This type of sense of entitlement is a big problem in society today.

Right on, J-Po! And there is huge tracts of public land here. The complainer's problem is it is tough country and mono-forest, unproductive same age trees. So of course private land holds most game. I don't have a lot of property, 17.5 acres and my prop taxes are $3000 a year and rising. I can't even think of retiring here.

But, despite my offer, there have been no takers. I do my own logging and land maintenance. No one wants to do the work for the privelege to hunt good property.

I'll split some wood.....but there aren't many deer left in VT!

The deer sure are scarce, and the trees are the same age (will they ever consider cutting any of them?). Funny that the complainers hit up the private citizen before trying to have the public lands managed better for game. But god forbid anyone from mentioning cutting trees down and the hippies cry, but they have no problem "poaching" off of your land or other private owners. Anyway, I agree with you on the private land issue for sure.

Ann - First off, I agree with you 100%. Secondly, you think you guys have entitlement problems there, try being in the west!

Most folks here, think non-residents should have extremely limited, or no hunting opportunities at all. They think all landowners should be banned from receiving landowner vouchers, or any advantage to a tag/tags. Regardless of the size of their property, the amount of game that may inhabit it, and the fact that they too raise the wildlife and pay taxes. And god forbid they sell said tag, or charge lease fees for hunting on their own ground. Holy cow, they might actually make some money to help pay property taxes, etc, etc. But that's capitalism, and that's a BAD WORD, to those that need everything to be "FAIR". Cause we all know, life should be fair and equal to all, right?

Lastly, try being in the hunting business in the west. Most every resident/local that either can't afford to, or in some way doesn't benefit from it, thinks ALL outfitters/guides/leasees/leasors are the scum of the earth. Again, regardless of the millions of dollars they help provide to the state's economy, jobs, wildlife benefits, etc. Unless its free to them and their buddies, and ALL for them, it should not be allowed, period!

Vermont used to be a nice state . Then in the '70s foreigners from NYC and Boston started to move in and they brought lots of problems !

I don't know about Vermont but when I lived in WV, there was a large number of folks that felt that hunting on other people's land was a birthright. I guess it was a spin-off of Rob't Byrd's welfare programs that kept him in office.

I finally had to post my land because of the poaching and utter disregard toward the land. My posted signs were ignored until I took some hands on action.

quote:

Lastly, try being in the hunting business in the west. Most every resident/local that either can't afford to, or in some way doesn't benefit from it, thinks ALL outfitters/guides/leasees/leasors are the scum of the earth. Again, regardless of the millions of dollars they help provide to the state's economy, jobs, wildlife benefits, etc. Unless its free to them and their buddies, and ALL for them, it should not be allowed, period!

Aaron,

You could not be more correct. When I first came on AR and started advertising private land antelope hunts here in Wyoming I was absolutely floored by the level of venom that was directed at me and the outfitter.

Mark

Not to pick on those who don't own land, I was one of those too. But I paid for leases and helped the land owner. It was worth it, meat in my freezer.

What irks me the most is those who do feel entitled have no idea how much work it is. The blood, sweat and tears to maintian one's property to make it worth the fricken cost. It would sure be easier to live in a condo in the city and join a gym for a workout instead of living in the wilderness.

Mete, those liberals and trustafarians all have kept any sort of industry out of VT except tourism and what few family farms are left. Their second homes, all pricey mansions, pay no more in taxes than a resident. That's one reason taxes are so bad here. No industry to add to the tax base. Plus, we have lots of welfare. LOTS of it.

I don't know if it is still true, but I understand that Essex Timber will allow hunting on their 180,000 acres as well, but I haven't contected them for a couple years. I know Wilhelm Merck is certainly not opposed to it.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:

quote:

Lastly, try being in the hunting business in the west. Most every resident/local that either can't afford to, or in some way doesn't benefit from it, thinks ALL outfitters/guides/leasees/leasors are the scum of the earth. Again, regardless of the millions of dollars they help provide to the state's economy, jobs, wildlife benefits, etc. Unless its free to them and their buddies, and ALL for them, it should not be allowed, period!

Aaron,

You could not be more correct. When I first came on AR and started advertising private land antelope hunts here in Wyoming I was absolutely floored by the level of venom that was directed at me and the outfitter.

Mark

Mark - You low down, dirty-rotten, capitalist! How dare you offer a service for profit, unreal!!