Montana Wildlife Conservation: Turn Your Ranch’s Wildlife Into an Asset

8/3/2019 Montana Wildlife Conservation: Turn Your Ranch’s Wildlife Into an Asset

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/montana-wildlife-conservation-turn-your-ranchs-wildlife-into-an-asset 1/4

Turn Your Ranch’s Wildlife Into an Asset

By Jim Knight, MSU Extension Wildlife Specialist

Ranchers often look at wildlife as aliability and as an obstacle tomaximizing economic efficiency on aranch. We recognize that in somecases, big game compete with livestock for available forage, cause damage tohaystacks, damage fences and, ingeneral, provide challenges for ranchers. Bus maybe we should look at

potential ways to make wildlife a positive part of a ranch operation rather than a

negative part.

Hunting Access Programs Several states have programs to provideeconomic incentives to landowners whoallow public hunting on their ranches. If a landowner needs to have big gamepopulations managed, hunting is themost logical management tool available.Payment for allowing public access for hunting can be significant. In Montana,

legislative action in 1995 increased theamount of payment a landowner canreceive up to $8,000. Montana’sprogram is called Block Management.

Some landowners are discouraged fromparticipating in Block Managementbecause the landowner feels that publichunting may get out of hand. It’simportant to recognize that this publicaccess program can be tailor-made for

your operation. If you feel a limitednumber of hunter days is desirable, thismay be a part of your agreement. If youfeel you would like the hunters tocontact you directly, this can also be apart of the agreement. Take time todiscuss with Fish, Wildlife and Parks justwhat your payment would be for the

particular hunting program you wouldallow.

Conservation Easement The utilization of conservationeasements as an incentive for landowners to provide wildlife habitat isnot new. Conservation easementshave, however, generated more interestrecently because wildlife agenciesrealize that many of the interests of the

landowner are compatible with theinterests of the wildlife habitat manager.Many landowners do not realize thesignificance of payment that can bemade for entering into a conservationeasement, nor do they realize theflexibility that can be incorporated intothe agreement.

It is important to recognize that just asan oil or power line easement on a deed

is permanent, so is a conservationeasement. A conservation easement isattached to the deed and provides for certain restrictions as to how the land isutilized in the future. If a landowner isconcerned that the ranch will be worthless in the future, then payment for theeasement should be invested to makeup the difference in net worth.

Most conservation easements are

designed to keep the land from beingsubdivided. Payment for theconservation easement is usually basedon how much the value of the propertywould be reduced if it could not besubdivided versus what developerswould be willing to pay for the land atthe present time. Most conservation

Page 1 of 1



easements not only allow, butencourage that present agriculturalpractices continue. For somelandowners the attractiveness of aconservation easement is that the landwill be guaranteed to stay in the use it isin today. Traditional producers who

have been on a ranch for many yearsare sometimes attracted to a guaranteethat the ranch will stay in one piece.

Many landowners are concerned thatparticipation in a conservation easementwill open their land to the public. It isimportant to recognize that the terms of a conservation easement are entirelynegotiable. If, for example, a landowner desires that only limited hunting be

allowed on the ranch, this is somethingthat can be put in the easement. If thelandowner wants only hunters selectedby them to be on the ranch, again this issomething that can be put into theagreement.

Some landowners are concerned thatentering into a conservation easementagreement will prevent their heirs frombeing able to live on the ranch and have

a homesite. Again, a great deal of flexibility is allowed in the conservationeasement, and areas can be designatedfor future homesites or potentialhomesites.

There have been some situations inwhich the presence of a conservationeasement attached to a deed actuallyincreased the value of the land. Muchof the interest in land purchased in the

West are from people oriented towardconservation. The attachment of aconservation easement will often makethe land more attractive to these typesof buyers.

The amount of payment is dependent onthe value of the land as wildlife habitat

and – to a certain extent – the potentialfor that land to be developed in the near future. Some situations have resulted inland areas as small as 5,000 acresbeing placed into conservationeasements for payments as high as$1.5 million. In other areas where the

wildlife habitat values are not assignificant, the payments may besignificantly less. The highest paymentsare for large portions of land providingcritical habitat in areas sought for development.

Leasing to Outfitters Many landowners lease their hunting tooutfitters. This can be a significantsource of income. If the right outfitter is

utilized, this practice can result in soundwildlife management incorporated intoranch management needs. However,the price an outfitter pays the landowner will be significantly less than what theoutfitter will charge hunters. Studieshave shown that most of the price ahunter will pay is dependent upon theservices provided. These services arewhat the outfitter provides. A landowner should receive 10 to 50 percent of what

the outfitter charges a hunter. Thispercentage will depend on what thelandowner provides and the demand for the ranch’s hunting opportunities.

If a rancher is considering derivingincome from wildlife resources throughthe use of an outfitter, it is important thatthe landowner interview and discuss thesituation with several outfitters before adecision is made. It is also

recommended that the initial contractwith an outfitter be for one or two yearsso that the landowner will have theoption of ending the relationship if theprogram is not working out. Once it isestablished that the outfitter is providingfor the needs of the landowner, a longer term contract may be desirable so that

Page 2 of 2



wildlife management and populationdecisions can be long term.

Most outfitters are interested inharvesting adult, male big gameanimals. From the rancher’s standpoint,overall population control, which

includes anterless animals as well, is amajor concern. An outfitter who onlyallows for trophy harvest will soon leavethe rancher with a big game populationproblem.

Liability is always a concern of landowners who are deriving incomefrom wildlife. A landowner who isleasing the hunting rights to an outfitter should be certain that the landowner is

specifically named in the liabilityinsurance policy which is provided either by the outfitter or the landowner. Oftenan outfitter will provide the landowner with evidence that the outfitter hasliability insurance. This means little tothe landowner unless the landowner isspecifically named as being protectedunder the policy.

Fee Hunting Enterprises

Although outfitting is accepted in theWest as a legitimate enterprise, there ismuch controversy associated withlandowners conducting their own feehunting operations. Although mostwildlife interests recognize thatlandowners who look at wildlife as anasset rather than as a liability will takebetter care of their wildlife, there are stilltraditional and social concernsassociated with landowners charging for

hunting on private land.

Many landowners find the goodwillprovided by free hunting is enoughbenefit to continue allowing free hunting.Other landowners have found pastnegative experiences with publichunters or their own economic situation

to be the incentive they need to chargefor hunting opportunities on their land.Many places throughout the West arereceiving $7,000 per elk hunter. Deer and antelope may bring as much as$3,000 or $4,000. Individuals willing topay these prices to hunt on private land

expect a quality hunting opportunity andnot a guaranteed hunt. It’s important torecognize that the recreationalexperience and the services providedare what allow income to be derivedfrom hunting situations.

A landowner considering a huntingenterprise should first recognize someof the positive and negativeconnotations of this decision.

A landowner must have the rightpersonality to deal with public huntersand provide a quality and enjoyableexperience for clientele. They must bewilling to accept strangers on their landand welcome them as guests. For many landowners this is a difficultsituation because they have littletolerance for individuals who don’tunderstand the complexities of a

ranching operation. Some landownersrecognize that they have thisshortcoming and hire a hunt manager or designate a family member or employeewho has the necessary personality.

Consider the social and traditionalconcerns associated with fee huntingoperations. Utilizing local hunters asguides or offering public hunts for anterless animals will sometimes help

alleviate concerns. Put some of your profits into improving wildlife habitat andconsider hunt donations as fund raisersfor sports groups.

Some landowners are concerned aboutliability associated with wildlifeenterprises. While this is certainly a

Page 3 of 3



legitimate concern, it can be addressedby obtaining the necessary insurancecoverage and looking at this expense asa cost of the enterprise. As with anyenterprise, expenses are paid throughincome received. Although records of successful lawsuits involving wildlife

enterprises are limited, the importanceof liability coverage revolves around thecosts associated with legal fees whendefending oneself in a lawsuit.Landowners should contact their insurance agent to see if their insurancepolicy already covers a potential huntingenterprise or how much a rider to their policy would cost.

A landowner should weigh all the costs

and benefits before entering into a feehunting operation. If the fee huntingoperation will allow the ranch to remaineconomically viable and if the wildlifeenterprise prevents the land from beingsubdivided or developed, then certainlythe benefits to wildlife outweigh thecosts of limiting public huntingopportunities.

Non-game and Non-consumptive

Opportunities Some people find it amazing that visitorsto the West are willing to pay for theopportunity to shoot prairie dogs, gobird-watching, or take pictures of deer.But the fact is, many recreationists aremore concerned about the time theyhave available than whether they haveto pay for their experiences.

Your ranch might derive supplemental

income from providing recreationalopportunities. Advertising in appropriatemagazines or newsletters might helpyou contact people interested in a place

to go gopher or prairie dog hunting.Some people like to hunt coyotes or fishyour streams. More income can bederived by renting out part of thebunkhouse.

Photo safaris are not new, but few

landowners realize the demand for wildlife photo opportunities. Photo buffsare willing to pay for “good shots,” andall the rancher needs to do is point outthe best areas or put up blinds near prairie chicken grounds, deer crossingsor other places. Again, the bunkhouseor a place to park the RV can provideadditional income.

Keep your mind open and look for

recreational income-producingopportunities on your ranch. We oftentake ranch situations for granted thatmight be unique to others.

Summary Economically difficult times may providethe incentive for ranchers to look atopportunities associated with big gamepopulations on their private land.Ranchers should consider these

opportunities with an open mind andunderstand that there is a great deal of flexibility to accommodate their concerns about public access andconservation easement programs.

There are major concerns associatedwith landowners deriving income fromwildlife. However, individuals who aresincerely concerned about the welfare of wildlife and the sustainability of

traditional land use should recognizethat practices that make wildlifeappreciated rather than unwelcomeshould be practices we encourage.

Page 4 of 4

Documents

Montana Wildlife Conservation: Turn Your Ranch’s Wildlife Into an Asset