# Waterfowl Production Area - No Hunting Suggested



## Springerguy (Sep 10, 2003)

I received a call last night from a reliable source that informed me a WPA in Sargent county has had the road leading into the area gated and a sign posted that reads - No Hunting Suggested. Why is it gated and "posted"? Because we've now decided that grazing cattle on WPA's is good for the land. The WPA in question is SW of Stirum, on the PLOTS map it is the WPA just below the word "Harlem" on the map (section 42). There has been plenty of controversy around grazing on public lands in Minnesota but looks like some have gone a step farther in ND by gating access and posting to discourage hunting. I don't think the gate is legal even on private land because I think the prairie road coming in from the south of the WPA is section line. Anyway, I thought those of you on this site would like to know about this; the direction we are moving with public lands has never been more disappointing. As an active member is conservation organizations I have spent many hours volunteering my time to raise money to purchase habitat for the public domain. Not sure if I want to continue since the public lands are suddenly used to leverage political agenda's as well as turned over to agriculture. Don't even try to convince me of the benefit of grazing land because I won't buy it; I think the only reason grazing is allowed is because our ag policy has been an incentive to dig up every square inch of land whether it's productive or not and now there is a shortage of grazing land. It really sets a bad precedent when those that have paid for the land (i.e public) can't access the land at the expensive of one individual. Sorry state of affairs to say the least. My apologies if my source is incorrect, but I don't think that is the case.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

don't like it don't hunt it. Grazing works.


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## indsport (Aug 29, 2003)

I would suggest you contact the local USFWS wetland management district office. There are any number of WPA's that are undergoing management by grazing them intensively for a short time, prescribed burning, mowing and any number of other techniques. I suspect it is part of management for that particular tract although I would not expect a locked gate unless cattle were present. Check with them first and then get back to us.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

I assume some grazing is helpful but I can show you some in south central that are grazed so heavy they look like a bad golf course.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Limited grazing isn't going to hurt them.Particularly this time of the year. For waterfowl production purposes they probably shouldn't be grazed until mid to late July and I suspect any grazzing leases might reflect that. When I started hunting probably 60-70% of the wetland areas were pasture because they were not suitable for crops so the farmers used them for what they could. Not as many cattle around now, at least in the eastern 1/2 of the state so the fences were torn up and either an attempt was made to drain them or they sit idle. In a way grazing might be a savior for such areas. If they can be used there isn't the pressure to drain them...kind of a mixed blessing.

NO HUNTING SUGGESTED doesn't mean no hunting.................


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

Old Hunter said:


> I assume some grazing is helpful but I can show you some in south central that are grazed so heavy they look like a bad golf course.


had two by my farm that were grazed down to near bare soil last summer...walked one of them 2 weekends ago and the grass was over my head in spots. They came back nice. Could do without some of the ankle breakers around the water though.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

professor If the production area was grazed almost to bare soil by summer how can they have any decent nesting cover?


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## jrp267 (Dec 17, 2007)

1 year of bad nesting equals 10 yrs of great nesting.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

Old Hunter said:


> professor If the production area was grazed almost to bare soil by summer how can they have any decent nesting cover?


I meant last summer as in summer of 2012. spring 2013 the grass came back great. we actually hunted one of those WPA's this afternoon and got two roosters just before sunset.


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