Know Where To Hunt Club

[PatoLoco]

I'm seeing more and more KWTH and Duck Camp signs going up everywhere as well. I'm not a fan of either, but at least Duck Camp seems to be investing in planting food for ducks and geese, instead of the KWTH fields which all look to be whatever is left from harvest with nothing planted except maybe a cover crop. Correct me if I'm wrong but that is what I have seen. There is no way I would pay to sit in some of those fields.

I, too, have lost access to a couple fields I used to hunt because of KWTH.

Rough times for the public land hunter in Skagit County, and it doesn't look like it's ever going to get better. I'm glad I was around for the last 12 years or so of well managed duck food and amazing hunts on the Farmed Island up until the dike breached in 2021.

[RobinHoodlum]

I'm a Skagit Valley lifer and was an avid duck hunter. Worked in ag early in life at a time when landowners in the flats giving permission when asked was the norm. IMO, 4 things have all but ruined DIY hunting opportunities here on private AND public: 1) trespassers, 2) slobs who don't pick up after themselves, 3) clubs like KWTH, 4) DFW's "quality" hunting program. #1 &  #2 opened the door for #3 & #4

[EnglishSetter]

I see nothing "untypical".  There's more people who want access than the land will accommodate so the private land goes to those willing to pay.

I had friends who paid $4000 for a duck blind in rice country that was nothing special. 

Growing up we had a family membership in American Sportsman's Club.  They leased land for a variety of hunting.  No real improvements, but limited access.  Then they hire "officers up the club, salesmen, etc.) with pretty decent salaries.  Pretty soon it's a business vs a hunt club.  They sell more memberships without corresponding increase in properties.  Members get frustrated that they paid this $$$ and still can't get on the property, so they quit paying their membership dues.  Club goes defunct.  Members from the defunct club, start a new club, with many of the same properties since they have the contacts.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

As for outfits like Weyerhaeuser, .Gov COULD strike a deal for access since they also log public lands.  But as mentioned above, fire risk and trashing the place have to be considered as well as vagrancy and nefarious activities.

[YoungFowler]

for outfits like Weyerhaeuser, .Gov COULD strike a deal for access since they also log public lands.  But as mentioned above, fire risk and trashing the place have to be considered as well as vagrancy and nefarious activities.

Weyerhaeuser doesn't log public lands.

In Idaho, the state made a deal with Potlatch Deltic to open their lands for public access, but no way Washington wants to pay a timber company that kinda cash for hunters. If they did something like that, it certainly wouldn't include motorized access.

[silverdalesauer]

Something to consider is that the farmers are having to pay property taxes every year. From what I understand clubs like Know Where to Hunt and others use member fees to help pay leases, which many farmers have said are used to help pay property taxes that seem to be going up every year.

Part of the problem is our state is taxing us to death, both on the hunting license side and in the property tax side.

The recent floods up north certainly aren’t helping the farmers either. I imagine that their homes took quite a hit from flooding.

When farmers lose their land because they can’t afford the property tax and then the government and other private businesses or developers come in and buy up that land and they’ll be no hunting whatsoever.

If hunt clubs help, keep farmers intact, and surviving, I’m all for it.  The more farmland that remains intact, the more likely ducks will stick around. Even if that means those of us who can’t afford to join clubs, we have to find public lands, at least the farms will be around to support the ducks.


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[Tbar]

Something to consider is that the farmers are having to pay property taxes every year. From what I understand clubs like Know Where to Hunt and others use member fees to help pay leases, which many farmers have said are used to help pay property taxes that seem to be going up every year.

Part of the problem is our state is taxing us to death, both on the hunting license side and in the property tax side.

The recent floods up north certainly aren’t helping the farmers either. I imagine that their homes took quite a hit from flooding.

When farmers lose their land because they can’t afford the property tax and then the government and other private businesses or developers come in and buy up that land and they’ll be no hunting whatsoever.

If hunt clubs help, keep farmers intact, and surviving, I’m all for it.  The more farmland that remains intact, the more likely ducks will stick around. Even if that means those of us who can’t afford to join clubs, we have to find public lands, at least the farms will be around to support the ducks.


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This might be the worst excuse I've heard.  Between the OSTA and the counties comprehensive plan the tax burden is minimal.  Those tax breaks should absolutely be void, OSTA is based on agriculture production over the last several years and classifies current use. 

[metlhead]

Not sure what tax burden others have but for referance, I pay about $13 per acre annualy in Thurston county.