August 12, 2015
New Hampshire Fish and Game
Landowner Relations Program
Private landowners play an important role in sustaining New Hampshire's wildlife.
THIS LAND IS OUR LAND: A NEW HAMPSHIRE TRADITION 

  

Hunting and fishing are based on the tradition of access to private land, a privilege provided by the generosity of landowners. We are fortunate to live in a state with such rich biodiversity and a deep seated tradition of access to private lands. In the past, as is still the case today, private land is open unless it is posted (RSA 635:4). And yes, the majority of our lands are owned privately, by individuals, families, businesses, and conservation organizations.   

 

150 years ago our landscape looked differently, both from a habitat and a human population perspective. There would have been many more farms and open fields returning to young forests, with a significantly lower human population compared to today. As our population rises and our development of the land increases, we start to have some conflicts between outdoor recreation user groups and landowners. NHFG has always helped bridge the gap between these two groups, but it wasn't until 2004 that the Landowner Relations Program was first established. A strategic decision to focus a program entirely on maintaining landowner relations was based partly on a survey of hunters that indicated that after lack of time and health reasons, hunters were abandoning their sport due to lack of access (Responsive Management, 2004 & 2008).

  

It is common for hunters to come across newly posted "No Hunting" signs on their favorite hunting spot as land ownership changes. In New Hampshire, we do not track how much land is posted as No Trespassing/Hunting, so it is hard to determine the actual acreage; however, it is safe to assume that more is posted today than in our yesteryear's. However, there are still a lot of places to hunt on private land. Having a good relationship with the landowner is key to keeping lands open for access. With that being said, landowners are faced with increasingly more safety and liability concerns, as our land use changes, we build more houses and roads, forcing outdoor recreation to occur on less and less land. Not to mention the occasional inappropriate behavior that causes an increasing number of landowners to close their property to all user groups. The Landowner Relations Program helps landowners deal with these issues and connects landowners to other opportunities to make their lands better suited for wildlife and recreational access. To learn more about the program please visit www.wildnh.com/landshare.

 

  Looking forward, what will our land look like and will it be suited to fit the needs of the diverse wildlife species that call New Hampshire home? Will private landowners continue to keep their lands open for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and other recreational activities? The NH Fish and 
Game Department is poised to continue working with both user groups and landowners on maintaining open access, providing programs that incentivize leaving lands open and maintaining good relationships with landowners. Remember, treat the landowner as you would like to be treated, and treat their land as you would like yours to be treated.

(This op-ed piece was originally written as part of NHFG's 150th anniversary and is reproduced in an abbreviated version here.) 

  
Operation Game Thief
REPORT WILDLIFE CRIME 

Protect New Hampshire's natural resources - report wildlife law violators!  Operation Game Thief is a silent witness, anti-poaching program that encourages the public to report any suspicious activity or knowledge about a poaching violation.   

 

Report Violations: 1-800-344-4262 or www.nhogt.org/

HOW WEATHERED ARE YOUR SIGNS?
This sign is used to restrict hunting around homes,
buildings and other areas for safety purposes.

 
I stumbled on this faded one (originally orange) and the landowner owner name was just a faint scribble.   Maybe time for some new ones?  If your signs are faded or torn, you can order new ones. 
How to get this sign: Download the Operation Land Share participation agreement form and mail in with your request, www.wildnh.com/landshare.  If you're already enrolled in the program, just call or email with your request, 603-271-1137, [email protected].  


New Hampshire Fish and Game
Landowner Relations Program

 11 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301 

www.wildnh.com