# Future of Wildlife...



## mntwinsfan (Oct 8, 2010)

This is an interesting article from the Star Tribune on the changing landscapes in SD. As the landscape changes, it will most definately hurt wildlife populations. This article is somewhat refreshing. As a hunter and conservationist, I want to see high levels of wildlife but can understand where a farmer is coming from when he converts grass to crops. At what point is there no return? The subsidies that common taxpayers are forking over are unbelievable and land continues to be converted. Seems like outdoorsman are getting the short end of the stick....

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdo ... 79833.html


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

Had another great year of pheasants up here even with the hard winter. and with this year being as nice as it has been if the weather holds next will be stellar. There is a fine line but the sky is not falling. Last night deer hunting saw around 500 plus birds flying around from the grass to wheat/corn fields. Maybe if the ethanol kick is put to bed the inflated prices will lower it put things more in check.


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## swift (Jun 4, 2004)

I'd like GST to weigh in on this article. I would get dizzy from the spin.


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## mntwinsfan (Oct 8, 2010)

Well whats your opinion on the article?


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

swift said:


> I'd like GST to weigh in on this article. I would get dizzy from the spin.


i already know how that would go as there is 13 pages of everyone bickering

The article is doom and gloom but it is not as bad as they make it sound but there are things that can be done to help to. There is a middle road that needs to be maintained to help both farmers and wildlife. I know in my area seems there is a good balance of give and take


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## mntwinsfan (Oct 8, 2010)

Kurt I completely agree with you. As of right now, there is a pretty good balance. But unfortunately things are changing quickly. The amount of drain tile and ditching that were put in on the Eastern side of SD was staggering. The landscape will not be able to maintain the levels of wildlife we have now if the trends continue.


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## swift (Jun 4, 2004)

It is spot onit seems the only advocates for wildlife are those that profit from it. The guys that are calling the farmers greedy are the same ones that lease large tracts of land and profit from the wildlife. Where I live in Sd there is very little CRP there are many pheasant lodges that plant acres of food plots every year. They sell the wild pheasant hunts to the city folks around the country all the while stocking pen raised birds for their hunters. I have 60 acres of CRP ant is the only CRP in 20 square miles. Greed comes in many faces. The farmer that wants an extra 20 acres so they drain. The outfitters that want to profit from birds while turning away friend and family to do so. And the sportsman that sit back and think they are entitled to record game numbers every year. There is no one group to blame we are equally to blame for greed.


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

I really don't think the article as all doom and gloom, it made some seriously good points that most people either haven't educated themselves about or sit back and not give two ****s about because they think the "other guy" will take care of the issues. Tiling may help crop production but its destroying habitat faster than you can stop it, and regardless of how the crop production is even if farmers begin to loose there *** it really doesn't matter because regardless they are still going to get reimbursed from there insurance company. That may not apply to all farmers but in general thats a true statement. At least paid pheasant hunting outfitters for the most part understand they need CRP to have good hatches and good wintering habitat for there birds to live, one of the only benefits of them IMO but that is if there even killing wild birds and not just releasing there pen raised ones.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

I think cant remeber how many acres of crp there is where i help pheasant hunt. I know we have 2 differnt areas that are a square mile each among many other acres. Along with the trees we plant for the birds and other wildlife. Spent alot of hours in winter helping keep areas clear so they were not packed with snow so the pheasants had some where to go. In the dry years we had guzzlers out for all the wild life . Also do plant food plots that stay all winter to help with feed. So say what you want about guides but we do alot for the wildlife. Alot of people benefit from out work with land boarding the public they get to reap the rewards to. Never released one tame bird this year as there was no need and with the amount of birds left now it will be better next year with any unforseen circumstance. Swift i know you dont agree but bird hunting is no differnt than you going to africa to hunt. you paid to do that just the same as the city guy coming pheasant hunting. Paying is paying reguardless of what continent it is on. There is good in bad in all professions and we see the long run and habitat is the key and having that is helping all wildlife


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## swift (Jun 4, 2004)

Kurt, I completely agree with what your saying. I said in my post guides work to support habitat. You cannot deny that the many pheasant operations around the state have caused atleast some conflict with neighbors and friends and even between families. That will happen in all business adventures. The ironic part of the article is that most of the pheasant guides around the state are also farmers. You also have to admit that bigger, bigger, bigger menality of farmers goes on to guides in many cases. Every acre that a guide gets is one less acre for locals. Now there is huge push to allow outfitter waterfowl licenses.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

Seems that the farmers that want to guide to make a quick buck are a problem as they farm first and habitat second. The land that is used where we guide is all family owned and farmed by others but with farming prcatices that are condusive to the animals. Some thing is wrote in the lease contracts like that. I like the waterfowl just as it is but that is me being slefish as that is what i really enjoy doing. I can say we let alot diy guys go out the last month of the year when there are alot of roosters to keep the numbers in check. With a hard winter they run the hens off and in the end you need the hens to keep the population up. They have been guiding now for 18 years and seen alot of operations come and go because they look at today and not down the road. I have been on both sides first moving here and not knowing any one and now having places and knowing people there is good and bad from both aspects. I do know that we are spoiled up here with the amount of good public land and walk in areas compared to other pheasant rich parts of the state. We both know what runs it all is the money and at least with value on the wildlife it gives people incentive to help the habitat. If there was no value habitat would go down hill fast its not a nice way of looking at it but that has what the world of today has come to. It always goes back to the buck one way or another.


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## swift (Jun 4, 2004)

Well said Kurt. Maybe an outfitters license and guiding license requirement with a requirement of habitat restoration could help the good operations to thrive and the poor to vanish? What I would like to see is sportsman stepping up to the plate, organizing and helping to take some of the drain and till incentive away. If sportsmans groups could pay the difference a farmer would make to keep a wetland wet maybe less tiling would be going on.

Keep an eye on the waterfowl license issue. There is a big push to open the license numbers in for guides and the eastern part of the state will be just like the Pierre area nowhere to go without several hundreds a gun.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

The guide license is a great idea and we have tried to push for that to try and make the quick make a buck types disappear. With a little incentive to keep the wet areas is another idea i would help with to. That is part of the farming lease no slews or wet areas can be farmed as they make great winter spots for the game. Growing up in watertown i can say it is already harder to get land to hunt over there for waterfowl than here but we dont have any ducks or geese here is what i have been told from people back home :wink:


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## swift (Jun 4, 2004)

You and I aren't too far off. We almost moved to Mobridge a few years ago but my wife didn't want to deliver babies and they wanted her to so we moved elsewhere. We have some ducks around the area but this fall it was a wierd year. I have culitvated friendships over the 6 years here and have plenty of places to hunt. I had the retired local game warden tell me that "everyone with a dog is a guide around here" there is some truth to that. A license would be a good thing.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> There is no one group to blame we are equally to blame for greed.


Your whole assessment was good swift, but the last sentence should tell the whole world you have a realistic look and don't blame everyone else but yourself. There is no greater measure of integrity than a willingness to include yourself in the problem. My only point is a tip of the hat to you. :thumb:


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