# Lonetree WMA



## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

Since moving to DL, I have finally had the opportunity to spend some time down at Lonetree for birdwatching and mostly hunting.

I gotta give a big kudo's the guys managing that large of a trek of land. It is absolutely a beautiful piece of property.

Earlier in the year, I noticed that plants looked healthy and viable. Some places looked just as it should. A strong mix of tall and short grass prairie species mixed with wooded habitat.

Love the food plots as well. Abundance of almost all wildlife.

Game and Fish would do wonders to provide another "Lonetree". Maybe when the Falkirk Mine dries up or somewhere else in central Nodak.


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## Aythya (Oct 23, 2004)

Lonetree WMA is managed by the ND Game and Fish Department under an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. The lands were purchased with federal funds as part of the Garrison Diversion Unit project and the 33,000+ acres are now managed for widlife habitat. Funds for management are provided to the Game and Fish Department annually by the Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation also provides funds for wildlife research at the Lonetree WMA and a number of graduate students have obtained Masters and Ph.Ds under this program.

For more information about Lonetree, its management and research contact the Bureau of Reclamtion in Bismarck or the Lonetree WMA Headquarters.


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## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

I am bringing this up to the top again. I had the opportunity to spend some time out there again this past weekend. This place is so beautiful, in fact the one day I didn't even hunt. You gotta give the agencies some huge kudo's on this piece of property. Food plots, tree rows, native and introduced habitat, buffer strips for hen pheasants, creeks, draws, ponds, hills, etc...

I sat up on a hill for about 40 minutes the other day just looking across the plains of ND out at Lonetree while I ate my lunch. This is just an amazing place to sit and look across the countryside.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Just curious. Does it get much use?


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## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

Dak: The residents hit is pretty hard before the NR's can come in. You don't want to be there the day NR's can come in. It is a darn zoo. You also don't want to be there on the deer opener weekend. Pretty busy again.

Once deer is done, it calms down a little bit. I probably saw 20-25 rigs along the main pass from Anamoose to Harvey on Saturday afternoon.

Still alot of habitat to cover. Wished we had more like that across the state.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks for the info. As you said, at least there is some room to spread out. Couldn't believe the number of folks out this past weekend around here. Don't think I've ever seen that many late season hunters.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

One of the arguements used against public lands purchases is the loss of property taxes. Could not the hospitality and tourism industries levy a dedicated tax for a reserve fund that would make up the differance? Assuming a willing seller. ND is going to rue the day we did not lock in green space for the future. If our state is in 39th place for public land we have nothing to be proud of.


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

It is my understanding that NDGF does pay property taxes on all the property that they manage. Therefore, there would not be a loss of tax revenue if the state purchased more property. In my opinion, this is something that we should be pushing.


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

I was out there pheasant hunting last weekend and seen one other hunter driving down the road. We seen quite a few birds but they were pretty educated.

I also seen two very nice 4x4 one was up close at about ten feet coming straight for me out of the cattails. He was very tall but not that wide, but would have definately gone on my wall.


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