# Drought



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

The Dept of Agriculture has opened all CRP in 10 counties in SW ND for haying and grazing because of drought conditions.

This will take out a lot of cover and reduce the number of birds.


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## Southwest Fisher (May 14, 2004)

Unfortunately, some issues are more important than the quality of our hunts, Ken, and this is one of those situations. Don't get me wrong, I live for pheasant hunting, I missed last season while I was in Bosnia and damn near went mad, but they positively have to open up that CRP for the ranchers out there, because with the complete lack of precipitation the haying is horrendous. It's unfortuante but necessary, but those who know the area should still be able to find their birds, it just may take past 9am to limit out!


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Could be a taste of what will happen in the rest of the state in the future, when the CRP contracts begin to run out. For now, I hope they can winter all the birds without the CRP and I hope that the outfitters can see beyond their noses and figure out ways to harvest those birds. ie. greatly reduced fees or free freelance hunting in areas with no cover. Especially in December when the majority of their pay-to-hunt clients have long since vanished.

Off the point a little bit but, Is there one, just one, chamber of commerce director willing to address the access issue in the SW during the late season. I for one would be more than willing to stay 2-3 nights in the SW, eat at the local restaurants, drink at the bars, fill-up in the gas stations, etc. Can one of you see that be talking to the farmers to open their land late season, Dec and Jan would more than likely get the resident sportsmen back to Mott, Regent, Hettinger, etc. I can't believe all the roosters are removed in any given year that would be so called surplus birds. Let the Outfitters run their operations until it gets cold and then let the residents hunt the end of the season. With a little advertising in the east and central areas you might be suprised how many guys would support your communities.


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

All that I can say Ken is why complain when ranchers need hay for there cattle and mother nature is just going through a cycle. If I get a deer tag out west we wont be driving on bacl roads dure to the drought conditons. And I could really care less. Just take what we got and go with the flow. :wink:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I am not complaining....nowhere in my statement did I say farmers should not be able to take the hay....they need it....they should take it.

All I said was that it would hurt the population and there would be less cover.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

SWF, I'd be curious to know if the commercial hunting crowd even lets the ranchers hay the CRP in your neck of the woods? In the '02 drought many folks out there had to bypass neighboring CRP (outfitter controled) to come to eastern ND or north central ND to get hay. I couldn't believe it. A rancher where I hunt had leased his ground to some professionals for hunting and then went 200 miles for hay. Amazingly a few ranchers were selling their own hay and taking CRP. Couldn't see that either.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

ken's right with less crp the birds are going to have less space to go to for food and cover and in the long run this will effect the population of the birds


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

It grows back fast....enjoy it while you can.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

it takes the whole year to grow back and thats a whole season lost


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Them little birds love those green fields full of bugs....they couldn't ask for anything more. Sorta like big alfalfa fields... just full of upland game.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

Those little green fields have no food or cover for the birds crp has sufficient ammounts of both


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Are you serious???? Thats where all the food is, burning is another rejuvination process that works superb too. The natives used fresh green fields to attract wildlife for thousands of years.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

But then where is all the cover


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

It will be there, they only cut hay.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

whay little green plants are u talking about


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

All the plants and grasses that grow there will continue to grow...sorta like your lawn keeps growing.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

well if the ranchers wanted more alfalfa they should have planted it before they planted the crp and if i'm a hunter i would rather hunt in a crp field than in a cut hay field


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

if the dog hadn't stopped to take a crap he would have caught the rabbit....lol.... didn't anybody tell you hunting is iffy???


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

enough annaliges, hunting in cut hay fields dosen't work the food may be there but the cover isnt.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

you are funny..hopefully sane 8)


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

perfictly sane but i havent been on this earth as long as u and havent been as far arround the mill


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

cool.... 8)


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

You don't know what you are talking about! CRP in the Mott/Regent area will not be hit as hard, because most farmers there do not have cattle! Flasher, Elgin, NL will suffer the most. NO COVER, NO BIRDS and good luck walking the cut CRP fields for birds. Let me know when you do so I can get a picture!


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

oh wow..not another one....you obviously didn't grow up in the country working in hayfields or you would know better. Haven't you ever heard of re-growth..... ooofta.... 8)


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

You heard him, you don't know what your talking about. LOL :lol: you guys are funny


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

rick hit the nail right on the head no cover no birds


Rick Acker said:


> Flasher, Elgin, NL will suffer the most. NO COVER, NO BIRDS and good luck walking the cut CRP fields for birds.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Actually when I think about it more...there probaly won't be much re-growth this year because of the drought. Where I live we have had well over a foot of rain in the last 2 months so we have natural re-growth around here. Those cut fields are our best hunting just like the old old days. Of course it depends on how you hunt, I find the food sources and hunt the closest cover and whatever cover is in the area. They'll be there.


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

you finally got the point the sw part of the state is getting less rain and there fore it's harder to regrow the crp to regain cover


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I would still drive way over there anyway if I was you... 8)


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

check this map....it looks like the drought is in the badlands

http://nd.water.usgs.gov/drought/


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## Drew W (Jul 7, 2004)

there's still a good ammount in the elgin new lipzek area though.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

are you going to go out there hunting?......from what I have seen on TV the crops looked OK down that way. If I remember right there are alot of hillsides and scrubbrush out that way. Hunting should be good anyway ya look at it. 8)


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

The pheasants are doing really good here because of all the rain we got. Hope you guys get some soon.


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