Our Legendary Hunting Grounds

So we have a little over 3,000 acres of prime Muley hunting ground (and grouse and chukar and squirrel) with a bass lake in the middle of it that BassMasters has held fishing tourneys at and a couple trout streams.

This is acres of meadow mixed with deep woods. Back in the 1950's my grandfather, Charlie, voted so the state could buy the land, so Grandpa Charlie always called it 'Our' hunting woods- which it is. He always said on the hour drive out there that was the "best 100 bucks he ever spent."

Well my Grandpa passed and this year my dad passed on- but my son, Mike, turned 14 this spring so he is old enough to go hunting with me- same as me with my dad and dad with grandpa.
So I bought Mike a .30-30 bolt and 4'' Olsen and nikon binocs, camo, boots and a nice belt kit. Then the other day I took him down to the feed store and picked up some salt blocks and we headed out there so we could drop a few around and I could show him some strategies and give him some safety tips. It was a perfect day so we brought the fishing poles. Michael was totally psyched, I was wishing my dad was there to see it.

When we got to the turnaround parking spot at the end of the dirt road I see a caterpillar bulldozer and some other construction equipment, some huge rolls of chain link fencing and a big black SUV parked by the trail entrance. These three guys get out of the SUV and they are all packing rifles. Two look middle eastern or Indian and one is a white guy. As they come toward the truck I notice 'No Trespassing, Private Property' sign on a pole by the trail head and see on down to the left that they are putting up chain link - about 8ft high with barb wire at the top.

So the white guy tells me that the State sold the property and now it is private land - we had to leave. I'm about ready to call the cops at this point and I tell the guy that and I start arguing with him- that's how pissed I am. So he tells me that the Governor passed a law (I'm in Minn) that lets him or one of his appointed 'emergency' managers sell any government property in the State and that they had sold this 3,000 plus acres to Monsanto- who then sold it to a Saudi company. The head of the Saudi company (one of the (hundreds of) Saudi princes) was building a private hunting/fishing club on it.

I hate to say but I was tearing up with rage on the way home. We stopped at the cemetery and I busted out bawling at my dads grave. I voted for the SOB that sold off our family tradition and my sons future tradition. Starting with Charlie we paid into that 3,000 acres out of our taxes every year - only a few dollars a year - but that covered brush clearing (fire safety) lake stocking (and re-stocking) blind upkeep and trail clearing and license station.

That land belonged to me, my family and everyone who lives around here- and my best memories- the things I relate to being an American in the U.S.A., the freedom to hunt and fish. Hell I took a 16 point out of those woods 2 seasons back.

When I got home I investigated the situation and this is happening all over the place. Chicago's parking meters now belong to the Saudi Arabians. Not a joke. So the money doesn't go in as parking fees to the State and then back out to the local economy- it goes straight to Saudi Arabia. www.nytimes.com...

There is a big public lakeside park in Michigan (for over 80 years) that was bought, fenced and the Chinese are part of building a private golf course Resort there - sorry (American) kids! It's 150$ a round if you want to 'play' now. And they are talking about selling highways to be turned into toll roads.

Our ancestors came here to escape feudalism. That is Little Lord Fauntleroys owning every spot of land and all the resources and not letting the 'little people' hunt or fish or farm or live - but making sure the 'little people' pay the lions share in taxes and fines while the Lords slip through the corporate tax loopholes and make enough profit to buy up America. And then sell it to anyone they want to!

And here we are facing the same thing right in our own country- 'cause the Little Lords don't want to spend a dime- all they can think to do is steal from us and steal our heritage and steal our kids future till they own it all.

And just what are you going to do about it?

Oh yea- here is the group that is writing the Bills for these Governors to pass for these bastards to buy up our country. www.alec.org...

It's sickening. I'm so sad for your Son, and you. At this rate, there will no longer be a United States of America.

We'll just be the grounds keepers for foreign corporations. I feel like a second class citizen in my own Country.

reply to post by Destinyone

At this rate, there will no longer be a United States of America.

We'll just be the grounds keepers for foreign corporations.

And any other foreign interests with money. Great post. My WWII vet grandfather just rolled over in his grave.

What can we do. All I can think to do right now is look through that Alec site and every company that belongs to it and boycotting all their products. It's not much but being busy doing this is better than just sitting here feeling destroyed inside.

Let me see if I understand your story.

1. Your family owned this land in the past.
2. Your family signed the land over to the state so everyone could enjoy it.
3. The state sold your land to a foreign interest.
4. You and other citizens cannot enjoy this land.


Is that about right?

reply to post by choppedbrisket


There should be a clause that States that receive land for public use, can't sell it...period! What next...our local parks sold off to the highest foreign bidder?

Welcome to privatization.

This is coming to your schools and your roads and everything else the extreme right and corporate America can get their hands on.

reply to post by Stratus9

I'm interested in your story and would like to dig up a little more on it, but your first source doesn't mention Saudi Arabia, and your second (ALEC) shows no files when I search for Minnesota and Saudi Arabia. Could you help a bit here?

What's funny is you never hear about the properties going on the auction block. You just drive up a bam they've been sold. Always to big business it seems makes you wonder how theyre handling these sales.

reply to post by Stratus9


Dam sorry to hear this happen and wish I would of heard about it sooner. Normally hunters have stories like passed around like wild fire.