The state of Sumter National Forest

[darealdeal]

That wma permit fee doesn’t buy a lot of habitat improvement.

I’ve seen assloads of turkeys live and die on pine and gum plantations. The lack of gobblers is something more than just habitat shortcomings.

Wonder how the wild quail populations are doing? Would think since they are also ground nesting birds since the WMA is managed so well they would also be doing well?

[BOGSTER]

Contrary to popular belief neither SNF or FMNF were preserved for the purposes of hunting.
Hunting is merely a benefit offered.

The main goal of these properties is to achieve forest restoration to levels pre civil war.

The deforestation that occurred post civil war devastated old growth habitat.

The Feds preserved them for nothing more than returning them back to their original state.

Wildlife management for the purposes of hunting was never in their direct focus.

Folks seem to forget that.

Now, we can argue that the Feds have no business owning lands, etc, but the fact is they do and “you” hunting them doesn’t amount to a hill of beans to them.

[Tater]

[Glenn]

Sell it all to private developers and build houses and Panera breads over all of it.

[Duck cutter]

I guess the squirrel population is decent.

I’m trying to remedy that,

If my pups turn out like I’m hoping you’ll be complaining about a lack of squirrel population in a few years

[santee11]

Hot fire and less trees will fix that, but as soon as they burn people start complaining about burning up nest and killing trees. The only reason a turkey needs a tree is to sleep in. Trees on federal land do not need hit our wood market and compete with private land owners, so get rid of them.

[charlie horse]

Probably the rainbow people crapping all over the place.

[DRDUCK]

Charles gets it!

[BRR]

The turkeys are thick on the SNF all winter long......you reckon they just vanish by the month of April.......

[tman]

I haven't heard a turkey gobble yet this season in SC. I'm going fishing.

[tman]

Virginia/NC has a good many birds though....



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[darealdeal]

I haven't heard a turkey gobble yet this season in SC. I'm going fishing.

I wish more people would go fishing. Until I’m fishing then there are too many people fishing.

[TheVisorGuy]

Contrary to popular belief neither SNF or FMNF were preserved for the purposes of hunting.
Hunting is merely a benefit offered.

The main goal of these properties is to achieve forest restoration to levels pre civil war.

The deforestation that occurred post civil war devastated old growth habitat.

The Feds preserved them for nothing more than returning them back to their original state.

Wildlife management for the purposes of hunting was never in their direct focus.

Folks seem to forget that.

Now, we can argue that the Feds have no business owning lands, etc, but the fact is they do and “you” hunting them doesn’t amount to a hill of beans to them.

Yeah well they have sucked at that also.

[TheVisorGuy]

Hot fire and less trees will fix that, but as soon as they burn people start complaining about burning up nest and killing trees. The only reason a turkey needs a tree is to sleep in. Trees on federal land do not need hit our wood market and compete with private land owners, so get rid of them.

Yep

[smitch320]

Yeah well they have sucked at that also.

How so?

[TheVisorGuy]

How so?

Are they preserved back to their or civil war state?

[CreekGeek]

Hot fire and less trees will fix that, but as soon as they burn people start complaining about burning up nest and killing trees. The only reason a turkey needs a tree is to sleep in. Trees on federal land do not need hit our wood market and compete with private land owners, so get rid of them.

This. More sunlight and fire on the ground. More deer, more turkeys, more rabbits, more quail. Less squirrels - sorry DC.

[Calibogue]

SNF is managed by the USFS, not SCDNR.
I know SCDNR is involved to some small degree but the problem is the lack of forest management which falls on the USFS.
Generally speaking the feds are shitty foresters and the ones who can't cut it in the real world (that's my opinion FYI).
And to whomever said they don't know if the problem can be fixed.....yes, yes it can and it could be done in under five years.

[Calibogue]

I don't think the growing lease culture is good for the future of hunting. I can afford leases, I just choose not to because I think it's bad for our future and for other reasons.

Prices will continue to go up, available acreage will continue to decrease due to development, number of hunters to compete with to even get a spot on said lease, let alone hunt the spot you want, will increase.

We need something to fall back on and that something is vast acres of publicly accessible land. Also, some folks truly can't afford to join a lease and they should be able to find a good place to hunt instead of our overgrown barren wastelands of pine and sweetgum.

If we want our children and grandchildren, and beyond, to be able to have access to hunting then relying on leases is not the solution. The solution is finding a way to kick our DNR in the butt and get them to do their jobs.

And honestly if I have to pay $2000 to have good deer hunting for 3 months I'd honestly just rather buy a whole processed cow from a local farmer. More meat, less time invested, and I'd just go fishing more. Until it starts to also cost $2000 a year for a "lease" on a section of Lake Greenwood or on my tidal marsh spots.

The govt shouldn't be responsible for your hunting pleasure.
If you want to hunt, enjoy what you do have on public and not what you don't have or go lease something.
There is no growing lease culture, that is something you came up with to justify not leasing land to hunt on I would suggest.
There have been decades in SC where land is leased for hunting, this is not a new or growing phenomenon.

[w33kender]

Cali's correct.