Private Hunting

MAKING A CASE FOR PRIVATE HUNTING

By: Noel Vick with John Jacobson

We know who you are; that hunter who refuses to pay someone else to fire rounds on private land. You would rather go days without flushing a single rooster while spending hundreds on food, lodging, and an evening elixirs. I know you have heard it before, but it's time to make 1995 the year you "broke down" and enjoyed successful and economical hunting at a private preserve. As John Jacobson, our central Minnesota field editor, sees it, there are basically seven reasons why private hunting preserves outperform public land:

1.) You know birds are there.
2.) There is no better way to expose youths to hunting.
3.) Novice hunters have a chance to learn in the field and experts can hone their skills.
4.) Hunting dogs, both young and old, are assured great bird tracking conditions.
5.) Fantastic odds of "putting food on the table".
6.) Hunt under conditions safer than found on public land.
7.) Avoid crowded and unproductive patches of public land. Now that your hunting party has decided to try a private expedition, it is time to make plans. Start by calling any of the hunting preserves and sporting clay courses advertising in this section. Over the phone, they will help you select the type of hunt and number of birds to suit your group.

Type of hunt you ask? Most preserves offer a variety of upland bird species and terrain grades to choose from. Pheasants, both roosters and hens, chukars, wild turkeys, quail, mallards, and other exotics are typical menu items. After selecting the game, you next select from easy, medium, or difficult rated fields. Fields which are easier to hunt typically sport short grasses with flat surfaces. And at the other extreme, difficult fields come complete with thick brush, steep grades, and plenty of nooks and crannies to camouflage birds. In addition to degrees of difficulty, most preserves host numerous types of ground cover. Pick from mixed fields of prairie grasses, rows of corn, cattail swamps, wooded acres, and many others. Your next question might be, "do pen raised birds behave naturally?". In general, the answer is yes. Hunting preserve operators either breed or purchase wild game specifically for flight performance. Birds are bred and raised under conditions similar to their wild brethren. Whether it be rooster pheasants or hen chukars, they fly hard and fast. By planting your chosen quarry in the field sometime before the hunt begins, they become acclimated to the surroundings, creating a more realistic situation. Hunting preserves are a fantastic medium to introduce youngsters to the sport. Youths benefit from learning in a controlled environment where they will encounter live birds. Hunters of any age group, who are either just entering the sport, or those who simply need quality time in the field, find private preserves a magnificent resource. And as stated earlier, there is no better place to educate young gun dogs or augment a veteran canine's abilities. Many preserves even offer guides and trained dogs to make a visit complete. But as experienced in the wild, just showing up does not insure a full game bag. Your shooting skills will ultimately determine if there will be victory photos taken by the club house. Your hunt is coming to a conclusion, you are likely wondering about dinner. The harvested birds are yours to take home. Field dress them yourselves or take advantage of the services provided by many outfits. Some preserves trade your game for already dressed and frozen birds, and other "flash freeze" on the spot. Now that you have an understanding of what private hunting preserves are all about, isn't it time to make reservations? Numbers of private preserves have opened over the past few years, and odds are that there is one located near you. Hunting licenses are not required on private preserves and state bag limits do not apply. Call today and experience a realistic hunt complete with bird counts you seldom find on heavily trodden public lands.

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