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ODNR Struggling to Purchase AEP Lands.

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
http://www.mchnews.com/news/odnr-s-...cle_d26c86fa-039e-11e7-9c1a-efc504705710.html

It looks like the ODNR may be struggling to purchase the AEP lands. If this is sold privately a large chunk of hunters will lose access to over 60,000 acres of public hunting land.

Good thing for the past 9 years the ODNR has been pandering to insurance and farm lobbyst instead of the hunters who pay the bills. I mean imagine if they actually concentrated on providing a better product to the people who provide their revenue stream. Imagine if they attracted hunters instead of knowingly engaged in a population reduction program they knew would cause lower participation. What if they concentrated on providing a better product with robust numbers and sustainably increased harvest and tag sales, thus increasing revenue instead of decreasing it.


Maybe they can go beg the insurance companies whose bank accounts they stuffed with tens of millions of dollars by not having to pay out deer vehicle accident dammages for a donation.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Like I said in our group text, losing AEP will be a travesty for Ohio's sportsmen. I would be more than willing to pay to camp, pay for day passes or even buy a yearly membership to retain and sustain those grounds. It truly is the gem of all Ohio's public access properties.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Like I said in our group text, losing AEP will be a travesty for Ohio's sportsmen. I would be more than willing to pay to camp, pay for day passes or even buy a yearly membership to retain and sustain those grounds. It truly is the gem of all Ohio's public access properties.
I think everyone would. But its hard to secure funding on a potential process and revenue that doesn't exist today. If they would have instituted some form of public land permitting process years ago when hunters noticed public lands getting hammered then they might have a leg to stand on and a pot of money today. Hunters calling for a fund dedicated to the purchase of public land is nothing new, sadly it has fallen on deaf ears for a long time and now the rubber meets the road. I'm sure they'll find someone else to blame if it falls through and hunters lose access however.

 

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
Wow that is a bummer. Hopefully it will remain public. I'm a member of backcountry hunters & anglers so I will see if I can drop a line with them and see if it is something they would advocate
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Joe, what exactly is the current status of the Ohio Division of Wildlife's budget? And are they the sole decision maker in this process? What is the overall attitude of the Governor, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (who oversee the DOW), in regards to buying more land?