Just saw this on Louisiana Sportsman...

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=7821

Wildlife and Fisheries proposed to raise the minimum HP from 16 to 25.

Surface drives still prohbited.

What's the difference of allowing 25 hp long tail but not surface drives ?

I might be standing alone on this, but I would think that GoDevil, Prodrive, MudBuddy, Backwater and all of the other "mud motor" companies that make a living off of the people using these WMAs would stand up. Once that train gets moving, its going to be hard to stop!! We already know those tree hugging dolphin kissing libtards hate the fact we have guns and kill animals. They can't ban those, but this is a step in the right direction. And maybe I just see it from a pessimistic perspective, but I honestly feel that's the true motivation behind all of these... to just whittle away a little at a time.

These manufacturers and companies that WILL be affected need to stand up and organize some real research into the impact of mud motors on habitat. Stand up and organize the hunters and fishers buying your products to contact their representatives. I'm not asking them to foot the bill entirely, they worked hard for their profits and they deserve to keep them (sorry dean, that's America most of us love - but that's another conversation).

I don't even know where the Biloxi Marsh WMA is - - but it's one more freedom that is being stripped from us, the People, based on just one more regulation.

<< I shall step off my soapbox now >>

This makes this whole BS situation look even worse in my opinion, and makes it look even more like some guy is just pissed off because he keeps getting passed up by SD's on his way out every morning.

Tell me how a 25 HP longtail can cause less 'erosion' than a 35 HP surface drive? Everybody on this site knows that a longtail is the '4x4' of mudmotors, and can dig out (or into) way more areas than a SD which I would assume would cause more 'erosion', it just takes longer to get there and back from the landing. Erosion my ass.

When I hunt Biloxi, I have a 45 minute run in my rig running 30-34 mph, depending on load. I don't even like thinking about how long it would take in a longtail running 16-20 mph tops.

And what about this guy?

2014-12-26 08.47.46.jpg

Common sense says his prop turned just about as many times as mine did.......to get to the same damn spot. Then when he got stuck, he caused a bunch more 'erosion' than I did during the whole damn season. Yet, his motor is OK, and mine is banned. WTF.

It's bullshit. The longtails do just as much "damage" as surface drives. Even the game wardens use GTRs when they're out there checking people. I agree with Boudreaux too... I would think that the manufacturers would stand up. I hope we never see the day that there's an outright ban on all durface drives in WMAs across the state. Then the manufacturers are gonna be hurting, and wishing they would've stood up sooner.

I've got a funny feeling that it might take a while, but sooner or later, they'll be banned everywhere, and there's gonna be thousands of surface drives for sale for dirt cheap. And I'll be hanging a yamaha outboard on the back of my cottonmouth.

Just for reference of where we're talking about.........

How will a boat loaded down plowing not on step cause less erosion?

Email the commission and state your case for SD's. They listen when they get bombarded with email.

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/louisiana- ... sheries-co

The issue is the land isn't owned by the state, the land owner wants this. They haven't allowed mm's on their private leases in several years.

No big deal, pirogue and outboard you're hunting.

The only thing that bugs me is I had a few spots that they own where we shot a lot of reds and they weren't no where near you're running. Also there are private sections near those spots, will we get harassed for being there? Just seems like a lot of BS to deal with.

Here's what ticks me off about the prohibition. As a 60 year old duck hunter, there aren't many things I can still do that I did 40 or 50 years ago when I hunted, like walking in, slugging a pirogue around, carrying decoys on my back. Those days are over. That limited significantly the prime areas I used to hunt in Indian Bayou WMA. But when mudmotors came around, I was again able to hunt those prime spots with which I was so familiar. There was a resurgence in me of excitement, and I could hunt with my son and not have to stay behind because I couldn't keep up. So I think the Biloxi Marsh WMA private land owner should make an rule providing that if you have 60 year old hunting with you an exception will apply and you can use a mudmotor. This will result in every 20 year old duck hunter with a mudmotor inviting a 60 year old to hunt with him.

Everyone can be for that, can't they?

I sent an email, I got back a stock copy and paste answer. I said they should back away from the WMA if they want to limit that much. Imagine the erosion a drilling company will make?

BILOXI MARSH LANDS CORPORATION Business Corporation (Non-Louisiana) DOVER Active

Previous Names
Business: BILOXI MARSH LANDS CORPORATION
Charter Number: 15300310F
Registration Date: 1/6/1936
Domicile Address
306 SOUTH STATE STREET
DOVER, DE 19901
Mailing Address
C/O WILLIAM B. RUDOLF
ONE GALLERIA BOULEVARD, #902
METAIRIE, LA 70001
Principal Business Office
ONE GALLERIA BOULEVARD, #902
METAIRIE, LA 70001
Registered Office in Louisiana
ONE GALLERIA BOULEVARD, #902
METAIRIE, LA 70001
Principal Business Establishment in Louisiana
ONE GALLERIA BOULEVARD, #902
METAIRIE, LA 70001
Status
Status: Active
Annual Report Status: In Good Standing
Qualified: 1/6/1936
Last Report Filed: 12/19/2014
Type: Business Corporation (Non-Louisiana)

Registered Agent(s)
Agent: WILLIAM B. RUDOLF
Address 1: ONE GALLERIA BOULEVARD, #902
City, State, Zip: METAIRIE, LA 70001
Appointment Date: 1/29/2003

Officer(s) Additional Officers: No
Officer: WILLIAM B. RUDOLF
Title: President, Director
Address 1: ONE GALLERIA BOULEVARD, #902
City, State, Zip: METAIRIE, LA 70001
Officer: PETER DODGE
Title: Director, Vice-President
Address 1: 353 BROADWAY
City, State, Zip: NEW ORLEANS, LA 70118
Officer: CHARLTON B. OGDEN, III
Title: Secretary, Director
Address 1: 2100 ENERGY CENTER
Address 2: 1100 POYDRAS ST.
City, State, Zip: NEW ORLEANS, LA 70163-2100

Here's what I sent as a comment:

The Biloxi Marsh Land Corporation’s sole purpose is to make money for its shareholders. They primarily harvest lumber and extract oil from this property. In one day there is more destruction of the environment from one drilling rig or one lumber harvester than there will ever be from surface drive mudmotors for all of time. This prohibition of surface drive motors is a hypocrisy. In my case as a 60 year old duck hunter, surface drives are the only means of transportation that gives me at least have a chance at a successful duck hunt. I can no longer hunt out of pirogues, lug decoys and walk in waiters to get to a decent hunting spot. You will be doing a disservice to the older generation of hunters revitalized by the convenience and accessibility these surface drive motors afford us. We’ve already spent our money on them and now we’ll have to sell. We can ill afford a new engine. Some of us are on fixed incomes. I am opposed to the prohibition of mudmotors in the Biloxi Marsh WMA.

Send comments to ssmith@wlf.la.gov

Deadline is April 2, 2015.

Great letter Dean.

Those meetings are Bull Dung--Boat Dr.

The individual lease holders aren't exactly happy about this either.....and I hear the tax break this corp receives from the state for their 150,000 acres is the reason this deal exists in the first place.

there it is. I figured there had to be somethin else that was keeping them with the state. I thought maybe it was upkeep and restoration/conservation type benefits. But the tax breaks thing makes way more sense.

Biloxi Marsh Land co. is a publicly traded company. Their stockholders are their number one priority. They could give a crap about the environment.

I know this is far fetched but if this year no body adds a wma permit to there hunting license then the state would step in and make changes quick!

Glad I could get everyone stirred up about this, because nothing is going to change if we don't atleast voice our opinions. I do find it pretty stupid that all the public hearings on this matter are so far away from the actual WMA. And as far as emailing your arguments... I've sent several emails to the email listed above and get the same generic email back everytime... "thanks for your comments, your email has been forwarded to our blah blah division". And then if I ask a simple question I get "I do not have answers to your question at this time, your question has been forwarded to our blah blah division". I hate to say it, but I dont see this being a fight that Surface Drive owners will win. They seem like they have their mind set on the matter. My next question is... They state the ban of "air cooled motors that don't have a long tail". Sounds like a loop hold in the system... Might be bringing my buddy's LIQUID COOLED inboard mud boat in there next season.

.