Originally Posted by abolt300
This is not going to be a popular statement and it might be one of the most unpopular statements on here. The state has no constitutional obligation to provide, nor has it enshrined any legal requirements to use tax dollars to provide public land for the citizens to hunt or fish on. With the way big govt is today, those of you using the WMA's and state provided resources should probably just be happy to have what you have. Many states have produced and legally enshrined the "right to hunt and fish" within their state constitutions, but none to my knowledge, have in any way legally provided for a state to have an "obligation" to provide land upon which to do either. Everyone complains about welfare; free housing, free medical, free phones and free food, I guess providing public land for hunting is like recreational welfare for those that don't want to have to spend their own money owning or leasing a privately owned place to hunt.

The people of Alabama voted overwhelmingly for the FW act that took a share of the oil and gas royalties and used it to buy land for the public to use, and hunting is one of the uses of those lands. I'm not sure how spelled out the right to hunt was in the legal documents, but hunting was used as a reason to get the people to vote for it. As far as I know, hunting has always been allowed on the national forests, with a few exceptions for various reasons. It would be outrageous imo for the government to take away the right of the public to use public lands.

Most of the WMA and SOA land was already public, and the primary thing I've seen the dcnr doing with it lately is just restricting access. Sykes had a hatred of the public and even said that some of the SOA land was just too good to allow the public to use. That really rubbed me the wrong way and I truly hope the new guy has a different attitude.

I don't see the right of citizens to use public lands as being anything close to welfare. Alabama doesn't have nearly as much as some states, but I'm glad there are still places where anyone can go and enjoy the outdoors.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.