Pinecricker
New member
...I was looking at a map of Montana today, and was surprised how little public land there is. Not that 25 millions acres isn't a lot, but given the size of the state, and its reputation for hunting, for some reason I was expecting more.
This got me to wondering how public lands are distributed by state. I was kind of surprised that California ranks 3rd in the contiguous US, with 20.8 million acres of National Forest (second only to Alaska), and 15.2 million acres of BLM (5th in the contiguous US). California also has 14 million acres of designated Wilderness (over 10 million more than Idaho which is the next below California with 4M).
Given that much of California has a mild climate, and with so much public land, one would thing that California must have some very healthy game populations and that the hunting must certainly be good? Why is it that you never here anything about it? They have sheep and goats, elk and deer, even moose. I'm guessing they must have good waterfowl and some upland game birds as well?
What's the story? I see hunters with California license plates here all the time, but I never hear of any one going to hunt in California, putting in for drawings there, etc.? Seems like it should have all the makings to be a hunting destination?
http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/chartResults?chartType=AcreageByStateMost
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_land
This got me to wondering how public lands are distributed by state. I was kind of surprised that California ranks 3rd in the contiguous US, with 20.8 million acres of National Forest (second only to Alaska), and 15.2 million acres of BLM (5th in the contiguous US). California also has 14 million acres of designated Wilderness (over 10 million more than Idaho which is the next below California with 4M).
Given that much of California has a mild climate, and with so much public land, one would thing that California must have some very healthy game populations and that the hunting must certainly be good? Why is it that you never here anything about it? They have sheep and goats, elk and deer, even moose. I'm guessing they must have good waterfowl and some upland game birds as well?
What's the story? I see hunters with California license plates here all the time, but I never hear of any one going to hunt in California, putting in for drawings there, etc.? Seems like it should have all the makings to be a hunting destination?
http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/chartResults?chartType=AcreageByStateMost
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_land