I feel blessed to live where I do. If one examines a map of the areas in Minnesota that are open to public hunting, not just WMAs, but non private state forest land, school trust land, tax forfeited land, federal reserve land, one quickly realizes that a truly huge part of the state is literally their's for the asking. Contrary to Jack's experience, I live about ten minutes from an area known as Carlos Avery WMA, which, is heavily used, but, is a vast area, just north of the cities. If you do your homework (legwork) you can expect to move grouse, pheasants and woodcock, all in the same trip. It is not premiere habitat for any of the above, but, they can be found, if you do your part. My brother has taken world class deer from the area. When he was able, my Dad hunted ducks there, after work, before coming home for dinner, and on weekends, leaving before sunrise, and coming home around noon, to finish his weekend yardwork.
The people who bitch the loudest about nothing being left there to hunt can't tell you the names of the roads around and through the place, in my experience.
I also have access to a bit of private land for grouse hunting in the northern part of the state. It isn't bad, but, it isn't usually managed for anything in particular. Tax forfeited state land will be harvested of any pulp wood almost the day it is forfeited, in an attempt to get a return out of it, creating wonderful grouse and woodcock hunting areas in about 5-10 seasons. Some of my best hunting areas are just tax forfeited areas in poor counties that someone gave up on about ten to fifteen years ago.
Anytime someone here tells me they quit hunting because they didn't have a place to go, I'm quitely suspicious. To me, that is like someone saying they couldn't find a place to fish in Minnesota. Yes, you have to do a little bit of homework, but, there is plenty out there. I'll bet some of the areas I hunt for free compare quite favorably with paid leases or private land someplace else, like Lowell's. I made great part-time money guiding people bird hunting on public land in the mid to late 1980s. They didn't need me. All they had to do was buy a much cheaper map.
Best,
Ted