What Those Yellow Yield Signs Mean To Hunters

What Those Yellow Yield Signs Mean To Hunters...Good shooting if you're lucky!  They are actually NOT yield signs, at least in terms of access to private land, but you do have to leave your vehicle and enter on foot.  For the novice outdoorsman, PLOTS stands for Private Land Open To Sportsmen and it signifies that a private landowner has graciously opened their land up for public hunting through an agreement with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department...and that brings us to today's SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW:

While PLOTS land is open to the public, there are some rules that you need to adhere to.  First and foremost, RESPECT the land!  It is private property and therefore it is incumbent upon you to leave it in the same condition or better than you found it.  Every year I hunt my share of PLOTS land and every year, over the course of the hunting season, I collect at least on trash bag full of refuse.  Please, pick up after yourself, or better yet, go a step further and pick up after others.  Second, leave gates as you find them.  If it's open, leave it open.  If it's closed, leave it closed and for heaven's sake, if you're crossing a fence line try not to damage it.

Here's what Game and Fish has to say about PLOTS regulations...Public Use of Game and Fish Department Private Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS) Lands - PLOTS 30-04-08-01. Public access and use. All Private Land Open To Sportsmen property is open only for public walk-in access for the purpose of hunting within legal hunting seasons, or as signed. All other activities require written permission from the property owner. As used in this section PLOTS is private land enrolled by the Department for purposes of hunting as established under North Dakota Century Code chapter 20.1-02-27. Walk-in access for purposes of this section is defined as an individual travelling by foot with any legal weapon, equipment, accessories, and provisions for the purposes of hunting. Hunting weapons, equipment, accessories, or provisions may not be left unattended on PLOTS without written permission of the property owner. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a noncriminal offense and shall pay a $100 fee.

If you would like more information on PLOTS, go to the Game and Fish website by clicking HERE.  PLOTS can be a great opportunity to get on private land and make great memories with family and friends during the hunting season, but be respectful, good luck and be safe and that's today's SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!