Happy it just seems to me like you are trying to pick a fight with everybody who doesnt agree with you. Do you even have any interest in ag or are you just entertaining yourself with this. You dont even have enough guts to put where you are from.
Wrong stating facts that is it, if you can proove them as not go for it. My main interest is wildlife and yes I care about farmers and ranchers as well. Where I live does that enter into this discussion? I think you see it as argumentative because I don't take some people's word as gospel. If the facts can't back it up it can't hold water. I would rather discuss things with facts, than a bias created for whatever reason.
Now, your last post you make it sound like the ranchers are against hunting and/or hunters. TOTALLY untrue. The problem is with the GF & P. If they were willing to change their policy, there would be no lockout. Dont turn around this arguement into something its not!!
The lock out in SD is nothing but smoke and mirrors, as you can't factualy proove numbers it is nothing but coffee talk. Some ranchers/farmers are against hunting unless your willing to pay, that is a fact. I just have a hard time listening to those complain about deer numbers and yet won't allow hunting? But I see by the press release many "lockout" people have allowed does to be shot, I wonder why?
How would you know if anyone around here profits from the hunters that come over to this side of the state for ONE weekend. The ones we had in the past pulled a camper out here with all their food and extra fuel. Tell me how our local merchants benefited from that. You cant. You cant because you dont live here.
It doesn't take much to conclude with the number out out of state tags and people as in many other states hunt different areas than their own backyards that it creates revenue. It isn't one small town in itself, it is all the people spending a weekend or two in big numbers that generates the dollars. Are you telling me they all come self sustained and spend nothing?
Me letting you hunt is a privledge and dont forget it. Very few people in NW SD charge a fee to hunt. From my knowledge, most people do charge a fee to hunt in eastern sd. So dont point fingers and say its about the money in this part of the state but it okay to charge east river.
Consider yourself very lucky if a rancher lets you hunt his land. You could be paying 2,500 to 5,000, sometimes even more to hunt deer in a state like wyoming or montana.
I fully understand the privlage to hunt fulton, in fact my family hunted the same farm for 40+ years exclusively, started with my grand father talking to the landowner many years ago, we also had his son spend 2 weeks in our home when he was taking a few college courses in the 80's. We where allowed to setup a trailer on this property. Never was there any thought of paying to hunt or charging them anything for there son to stay with us. WE treated the ground with respect and also treated the landowners in the same manner.
Fee hunting is spreading all over doesn't matter what state a buck to be made people will make it, fee hunting or high land leases for hunting all the same in my book and will ruin hunting for future generations. I consider my self lucky that I can still have a repore with landowners and hunt without paying a fee and my children hopefully will be able to do the same, if it comes down to only way to hunt is to pay or hunt public, I'll hunt public or hang up the weapons as will many, many sportsman, the cost to all tax payers would be higher that is a fact. As I have stated wildlife control will always be needed either by hunters who can do it at no cost to landowners or hired hunters, which some urban areas have and have to pay for.