As you return to the fields this fall, if last year’s numbers are any indication, there's a good chance that at some point you'll find yourself hunting on the other side of a triangular yellow sign that designates the Private Land Open to Sportsmen or PLOTS program.

Through this program, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has secured access to private land for walking hunters, from September through March. I'd bet that even if you head out for a day with no intention of hunting a piece of PLOTS land, you'll still see the signs, and when you do, you'll likely wonder if it's been hunted, or how often, and question if spending a morning walking this chunk of public access is worth your time?

PLOTS hit the radar screen for hunters just a decade ago, and recently reached a million acres, accomplishing a goal established by Governor John Hoeven. In fact, Game and Fish private land biologists achieved the goal two years ahead of schedule, while at the same time maintaining an emphasis on habitat.

While leasing just any piece of property would accomplish the goal in statistical sense, what sets the North Dakota walk-in hunting access program ahead of other alternatives is the habitat component. Now, not every inch of every parcel is prime hunting acreage. But what I will say is if you come across some PLOTS acres that you might question as to their hunting value, you can easily find a Game and Fish employee who can provide an explanation.

It may be that a landowner provided access for no additional fee to square off an odd-shaped piece of quality habitat. There are dozens of other possible answers. The key is that all land offered to the PLOTS program is evaluated for its hunting and habitat potential, and not all land offered is accepted.

Next, remember that PLOTS is one acronym that covers several different programs ranging from long-term development to shorter term contracts. The most popular program at about 450,000 acres is Working Lands, which is short term (2-3 years) and doesn’t require long-term land retirement.

Tracts enrolled under this program typically have multiple land uses. Some may be hay land, another portion slough bottom, with perhaps some fallowed field, native grassland, CRP and even some crop stubble.
The CRP cost-sharing component comes in at about 367,000 acres for 2007. These enrollments typically run for the length of the landowner’s CRP contract, and often include other acres besides CRP.
About 136,000 acres fall under the Habitat PLOTS category, which are generally long-term contracts that involve undisturbed or restored habitat.

If you're a landowner or producer and you've ever had a hint of interest in the program, there's never a bad time to contact your area private lands biologist or Game and Fish office.

In addition to pre-contract evaluation, Game and Fish personnel also make on-the-ground visits randomly throughout the year to ensure the properties are meeting expectations. Game and Fish also surveys hunters are after the season, as it’s important to know the sentiments of those who pay for and use the program.

PLOTS will never be everything to all hunters, but what it has done in the course of a decade is provide walk-in public access to thousands of hunters each year. The statistics continue to show how successful the program is from a hunter’s standpoint, and the number of landowners participating is also increasing.

Those are the keys to maintaining and building on this habitat-based access program.

Doug Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov