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Best Public Lands Near Big Cities - Continued
Submitted by: TBC Press
Posted on: 02/12/20
Article A20-2140-P3
If you live in a big city and love to hunt and fish, it can be a struggle to find a place to pursue those passions and find success. Hooking into a hot bed of smallies or shooting a doe, few ducks or rabbits for the pot is more difficult in urban areas than the back 40.
But in many cases outdoor opportunities are abound right outside city limits, it’s just a matter of finding them. That’s where this list comes in. It will give you better options to find, and take advantage of, the public access closest to you.
Denver
Best Public Option: Pike National Forest
Best Species to Hunt/Fish: Elk, trout
Distance from City: 47 miles
Acres: 1.1 million
If you want access to big game hunting and trout fishing, Pike National Forest is the place to go. About an hour outside of Denver, millions of acres of primitive and undeveloped land are yours to explore and you can do so by ATV, horseback, or foot. Besides wapiti and trout, bears, antelope, deer and bighorn sheep share this rugged country with elevation variations ranging from 8,000 to 14,000 feet, depending on where your boots take you. The forest has many different wilderness areas, including the over 119,000-acre Lost Creek Wilderness, which is accessed by a 136-mile trail network, if you really want to unplug.
Seattle
Best Public Option: Lake Washington
Best Species to Hunt/Fish: Coastal cutthroat trout, bass, yellow perch, black crappie
Distance from City: 9 miles
Acres: 21,933
Surrounded by private land and located on a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound, hunting near Lake Washington is limited, but fishing sure isn’t. Lake Washington is a year-round fishing mecca with plenty of bank access, boat ramps (at Kenmore, Magnuson Park, Gene Coulon Park, and Rainier Beach Park) and 29 public fishing piers—the most popular ones are in Waverly Park, Marina Park, the Old Ship Museum Park, Gene Coulon Memorial Park, and Seward Park. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, some areas are closed to fishing around the floating bridges and there is a minimum size regulation for steelhead trout (20 inches) in the spring, but, otherwise, there’s ample fishing for a variety of different species, including black crappie, brown bullhead, coastal cutthroat trout, common carp, green sunfish, kokanee, largemouth bass, largescale sucker, northern pikeminnow, pumpkinseed, sunfish, rock bass, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch. You could even get lucky and hook a chinook, Coho, or sockeye salmon. Check the annual Washington Sport Fishing Rules for all regulations.
Kansas City
Best Public Option: Baltimore Bend Conservation Area
Best Species to Hunt/Fish: Whitetail deer
Distance from City: 67.5 miles
Acres: 1,202
Just about an hour outside of Kansas City puts you in a forest steeped in history and with hunting opportunity a-plenty. During the early 1800s, Lewis and Clark passed through what’s now known as the Baltimore Bend CA on the Missouri River. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, this is where early river traffic hit its peak. Today, hardwood trees make up the majority of the area—roughly 80 percent—and there’s plenty of wildlife nestled within the native grasses and grain crops.
While deer may be your main focus, you can also hunt quail, rabbit, turkey, squirrel and dove, plus fish for black and white bass. Camping is also allowed as is trapping, but you need a special permit for that. The Big Muddle National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is one of its borders and contains the Baltimore Bottom Unit. That unit is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and while open to fishing and hunting, it is closed to motor vehicles, ATVs, horses and bicycles.
St. Louis
Best Public Option: August A. Busch Conservation Area
Best Species to Hunt/Fish: Whitetail deer, mallards
Distance from City: 33 miles
Acres: 6,987
There’s a long list of regulations at August A. Busch Conservation Area, but there are also some fantastic managed hunting opportunities at this site. Deer, duck, and turkey hunting all fall under a draw system that only allow a certain number of hunters access each year. There is no way to apply for the tags electronically. You have to drive to the site office and apply, which is advantageous, because many folks won’t take the time to do that. You should, because from the reports I heard, all three species are plentiful. If you don’t get selected the first year, keep trying.
Rabbit hunting is allowed from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, and that is a good time to not only chase bunnies, but also get the lay of the land. In September, there is dove hunting, you just have to possess a hunting tag and report the number of birds bagged. Trapping, and predator hunting are OK as well, but again you have to a special permit and the hunting must take place in the seasons outlined by the site managers. There are also youth seasons to take advantage of, but that also requires a trip to the CA office to apply. Shooting ranges and bow ranges are available as well.
There are 28 lakes and ponds totaling 550 acres for anglers to fish at August A. Busch. All you need is a state permit, but some of the lakes do have specific regulations (one lake is just for children 15 years old and under, a few others are catch-and-release only). You can snag a variety of species, including largemouth bass, white bass, stripers, catfish, crappie, musky and others. A few of the lakes are actually stocked with trout, but you will need a special trout permit to fish them. Personal boats are not allowed at the site, but you can rent them April through September. Only electric motors are permitted.
Stock Image
Article courtesy of Outdoor LIfe
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