outdoors

A "walk-in'' hunting program in Minnesota — where landowners would be paid to allow hunters access to their lands - has been debated for years. But for several reasons, including cost, the idea has never come to fruition.

But state Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, says the time is ripe for such a plan. He said he will introduce legislation this session creating one.

The DNR issued a report in 2008 about a potential walk-in program, saying it would help address a main complaint for hunters to quit hunting: A lack of a place to hunt. Some say a program would encourage landowners to charge hunters for access, and that it could raise the cost of leasing land for hunting.

But Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson told attendees at last week's Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance banquet in St. Paul that Minnesota should take advantage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Open Fields'' program, which helps states pay the costs of walk-in hunting programs.

"Minnesota is currently leaving millions of federal matching dollars off the table by not having this hunting opportunity,'' Chaudhary said. He is holding a planning meeting, open to the public, from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday in Room 125 of the State Capitol.

Chaudhary said his Environment and Natural Resources Committee likely will be considering a fishing license fee increase. "It seems to be something anglers want,'' he said. A fee increase would help solve the imbalance between the Department of Natural Resources wildlife and fisheries budgets. "If anglers don't want an increase, we need to hear from them,'' he said.

Ruffed grouse hunters who use ATVs or other vehicles would have to be at least 20 yards from the machines before shooting - a former requirement that was eliminated in 2008.

Portable deer stands could be left on public lands throughout the deer season.

And the 16-foot height restriction for permanent deer stands would be eliminated.

Those are just some of several major changes to Minnesota's game and fish laws that are being proposed at the Legislature.

Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife management section chief, said the DNR is proposing to reinstate the law requiring hunters to be at least 20 yards from their vehicle, with the vehicle's engine off, before shooting at ruffed grouse. That law was rescinded by the Legislature in 2008, against the DNR's wishes. "We began to hear a lot of complaints from nonmotorized grouse hunters about hunters were hunting from ATVs or very close to them, and a lot of hunters didn't like it,'' Simon said. "It didn't meet our fair chase standards.'' But at least one legislator will oppose the change: Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake. "I'm the one who took it out (of law),'' he said. "I'm not going to expect conservation officers to have a tape measure. It's problematic. No one has called me to complain.''

Leaving portable deer stands on public lands is one of the more controversial proposals. Under the bill (SF2583) authored by Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, hunters could put up a stand one day before the deer season and leave it up the entire season. Hunters could only erect one stand and would have to attach their DNR license number to it, but an unoccupied stand would be considered the property of the person who erected it and not public property, as is now the case.

"It's pretty disturbing to us,'' said Bob Meier, DNR legislative director. The bill would allow hunters to preempt the use of public lands by other hunters, he said. "It goes against every tenet we have on the use of public lands.'' Meier said the move could prompt confrontations in the woods. Kubly couldn't be reached for comment, but has said the current rule discourages people from coming to Minnesota to hunt.

Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, a former conservation officer, is proposing to eliminate the 16-foot height limitation for permanent deer stands. (There is no height restriction for portable stands.) "The DNR says there is no biological reason, it's just aesthetics. If there's no real reason for the law, let's just get rid of it.'' Cornish said he doubts hunters will be inclined to build mega-sized deer stands because of the cost. His bill will be introduced this week.

Another bill (SF2536) by Sen. Michael Jungbauer, R-East Bethel, would remove the exceptions in the law allowing hunters to leave duck decoys in the water unattended when hunting private lands or where there's not enough vegetation in the water to partially conceal a hunter. That change would mean all hunters would be restricted from leaving decoys in public waters between sunset and two hours before lawful shooting hours, or leave them unattended other times for more than three consecutive hours. That would prevent hunters who own private land on a lake to have an advantage over others hunting from public lands. "Just because you own lakeshore doesn't mean you own the lake,'' Cornish said.

A driver who hits and kills a deer with his vehicle would be able to keep the deer, including its rack, as long as the deer was not taken illegally, under a bill (SF2711) sponsored by Dill. The bill is in response to a Kittson County case involving a man who hit a deer with his vehicle. The man was issued a permit to keep the deer, but DNR officials later confiscated the deer's rack, as allowed by law, because of concerns that animal might have been poached. That case has been closed, and no charges were filed.

• Language passed last session defining "protect, enhance and restore'' in the Outdoor Legacy Amendment would be repealed under a bill (SF2691) authored by Chaudhary and other senators who believe the language is too restrictive.

• Several bills have been introduced to clear the way for the state to buy 3,000 acres for creation of Lake Vermilion State Park.

• A bill (SF2484) authored by Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, would allow spearing on Cass Lake.

• HF2811 would allow county boards to offer bounties for coyotes.