Archive for the ‘Pheasants’ Category
Action Alert: Your Senator Needs to Hear from Pheasant Hunters This Morning
Monday, May 20th, 2013
Your voice as a pheasant hunter is needed this morning.
Years of positioning and political posturing is finally coming to a head in Washington, D.C. today. The future of every pheasant hunter and pheasant hunter’s grandchild is being debated on the floor of the U.S. Senate this morning.Earlier this month, Pheasants Forever joined fellow conservation organizations along with farm groups in a historical coalition supporting crop insurance’s connection to conservation compliance. Today . . . THIS MORNING . . . it’s critical that your state’s two U.S. Senators hear the following from every Pheasants Forever member as the Farm Bill is debated on the Senate floor:
- You support the conservation compliance tied crop insurance deal Pheasants Forever agreed to without amendments to weaken it.
- You support Sodsaver policy to protect America’s last remaining native prairies, which are critical to you as an American bird hunter.
- You support a strong Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is critical to water quality, wildlife habitat, healthy soil, rural economies, outdoor recreation and America’s hunting heritage.
No matter what’s on your day’s list of “To Do’s,” please put this at the top. Our ability to chase roosters behind good bird dogs under autumn skies depends on your emails and phone calls today. Your two U.S. Senators absolutely need to hear from you today.
Your Senator’s contact info is available at www.senate.gov or leave phone messages by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121.
Your voice will make a difference. Current and future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen depend on you this morning. Thanks for your help.
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
Farm Bill Markup Completed by both Senate and House Agriculture Committees this Week
Thursday, May 16th, 2013
After months of delays and political posturing, both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committees began work on a new Farm Bill this week. As you’d expect, I was there along with PF’s Jim Inglis to make sure the voices of our members, bird hunters and conservationists were heard. The Farm Bill remains our single most important tool for wildlife, water and hunters.
The Hearing Room during the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill Markup
In the Senate Committee
On Tuesday, May 14th, the Senate Agriculture Committee finished the Farm Bill markup in just three hours, which may be a record! Their efficiency stems from their pretty much sticking to last year’s template. There are, however, a few amendments deserving attention due to their value for wildlife.
First, it was clearly demonstrated the Senate supports linking crop insurance to conservation compliance. Second, we were very excited to see the important Sodsaver language make it into the bill. Third, there were amendments to help USDA distribute technical assistance funding, which would give NRCS more flexibility to enter into agreements with Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever to deliver conservation programs. And lastly, there was some interesting language on increasing habitat for pollinators, especially honey bees. As we have mentioned before, great pollinator habitat can be great for all wildlife, particularly pheasants and quail.
Ultimately, the Senate Committee version of the Farm Bill passed by a vote of 15 to 5. That bill is now headed to the full Senate floor for a vote. In fact, there is a chance the Senate’s vote may happen as early as next week.
We need a strong Conservation Title in the Farm Bill that will protect wetlands like this one from being drained.
In the House Committee
On Wednesday, May 15th, the House Ag committee began work on their Farm Bill mark. There was very little action on the Conservation Title during the session, and still no language to tie crop insurance to conservation compliance. We were certainly disappointed by that omission, but remain optimistic it can be remedied in conference committee. We are also hopeful to direct more EQIP/WHIP funding for wildlife priorities, however those amendments were withdrawn. At near midnight (14 hours after the start), the House passed their version of the Bill by a vote of 36-10.
House leadership is postulating a floor vote may occur sometime in June where we hope to strengthen some of the conservation language in the Conservation Title.
Click on the graphic to visit www.CRPMeetings.org
Looking Ahead
A group of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever chapter leaders, farmers, landowners and staff will be in Washington, D.C. next week meeting with our elected officials as we work to strengthen the conservation components of the bill in preparation for floor votes.
Additionally, we were excited to see the USDA open Continuous CRP practices to landowners this week and are optimistic there will be strong demand for the general CRP signup that starts on Monday, May 20th. If you are a landowner interested in learning more about CRP, please check out one of our landowner meetings taking place in coordination with the signup. A full list of landowner workshops is available at www.CRPMeetings.org and as always, your local USDA Service Center is an excellent source of CRP information.
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
Pheasants Forever Outlines Top Conservation Priorities for 2013
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
Because nothing impacts pheasant and quail populations like the management of the nation’s agricultural lands, Pheasants Forever has set its priorities for working with Congress in 2013 on new federal Farm Bill legislation. Pheasants Forever is pushing to strengthen the Conservation Reserve Program and to remove the safety net for landowners who plow under wetlands and native prairie.
The year 2012 will be remembered as a bleak one for conservation, but it’s a new year and we must make new conservation resolutions. The conservation title of the Farm Bill remains the single largest source of federal funding for conservation on private lands in the country, and our organization sees a great deal of opportunity to create policies that benefit landowners as well as wildlife. PF’s top conservation priorities this year include:
5-Year Farm Bill with Strong Conservation Provisions
At the end of 2012, Congress passed a nine-month extension of the current Farm Bill, leaving too much instability in rural America and for the country’s wildlife habitat resources. The current extension jeopardizes many of the bill’s key conservation programs, and if a full Farm Bill fails to pass by this October, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) and other key conservation programs will lose billions in conservation funding.
Restore Competitiveness of CRP
The Conservation Reserve Program remains the workhorse of America’s conservation policy, and Pheasants Forever believes the program can continue to succeed in harmony with agriculture, but only if it becomes more economically viable to producers in light of higher modern commodity prices. We need to put the value of wildlife habitat on more equal footing with the value of cash crops, as the payoffs in protecting these toughest-to-farm acres are stable incomes for producers, as well as wildlife, water and soil benefits for us all.
Linking Crop Insurance and Conservation
Pheasants, quail and other wildlife face risks every day, but the risks to farmers who convert wetlands and remnant native prairie to cropland have been eliminated through (largely) taxpayer subsidized crop insurance. Pheasants Forever supports re-linking conservation compliance so Swampbuster (wetlands) and Sodsaver (Protect Our Prairies Act) provisions are imposed to provide the public with environmental benefits. This past autumn, the Prairie Pothole Region was ablaze with dry wetlands and cattail marshes being burned off in record numbers. These were important winter cover areas for pheasants. If taxpayers are going to continue to support crop insurance payments, then clean air, water, soil and wildlife habitat should be a minimum return on our investment.
Photo by Pete Berthelsen / Pheasants Forever
Pheasant Nesting Cover through Pollinator Habitat
Pollinators not only play a critical role in bringing food to the table, but they also provide important ecosystem support, including pheasant and quail nesting and brood habitat – pheasants and quail share a common need for habitat containing flowering plants. Pheasants Forever assigned one of its senior leaders, Nebraskan Pete Berthelsen, into a new position to leverage concerns around declining pollinator populations to advance the wildlife habitat mission of Pheasants Forever. Berthelsen has helped secure many of the pollinator planting guidelines present in Conservation Reserve Program practices across the United States, and he successfully worked to make pollinator habitat a part of many other federal Farm Bill conservation programs.
Permanent Wildlife Habitat Protections
As land values have skyrocketed, the window of opportunity to permanently protect lands as wildlife habitat continues to narrow, accelerating the need for land acquisitions and permanent conservation easements. Pheasants Forever has assigned another member of its senior leadership team, Minnesotan Matt Holland, to serve as a national resource to aggressively utilize and seek out funding opportunities for permanent wildlife habitat protection.
Voluntary Public Access Programs for Sportsmen and Sportswomen
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program is an innovative program used to help fund dwindling public access to private lands, which constitutes the greatest threat to hunting in the United States today. Pheasants Forever supports the permanent authorization and funding for this program, which benefits both wildlife habitat and hunting access. It is crucial to give sportspeople a place to experience the outdoors, and this voluntary program creates a win-win relationship for the landowner and the outdoorsman.
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
Field Report: Did Late Winter Snows Hurt Minn., N.D. and S.D. Pheasants?
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
Snow cover was common well into April in many parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota. Photo courtesy of NRCS
While the calendar turned over to spring in March, winter hung on much longer in the Upper Midwest, where parts of Minnesota reported the snowiest April on record, two feet of snow collected in Bismarck, North Dakota and South Dakota saw its share of April snowstorms. Also an important factor is a late winter’s slowing down of “greening” nesting grasses to make the quality cover that is available attractive to hen pheasants.
Cold April temperatures can be deadly for pheasant nests already on the ground, but with the way winter lingered, it’s not likely many hens got to that point this month. “I haven’t noticed any pheasants starting to prepare nests yet,” said Troy Dale, a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist in west-central Minnesota’s Lac qui Parle County, “With the late snow melt this year the hens are going to fall a little behind on nest preparation.”
Across the border in South Dakota, Matt Morlock, a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist II from Volga, says the conditions did put some stress on pheasants, but he’s thankful it was just snow as opposed to ice. “Ice is the real killer on birds, so that was a huge break. The other helpful thing is that it hasn’t been overly cold with these systems, and the fields have maintained some open spots for scratching and feeding. We haven’t been seeing any die-offs or other signs of severe stress. I do think that we are going to see the hens in a little poorer condition this spring as opposed to previous nesting seasons which could have an impact on the number of eggs and chicks produced.”
To the north, moderate temperatures and little precipitation was the story of North Dakota’s winter for the first half. “Then various blizzards hit every region of North Dakota from January to April,” says Matt Olsen, a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist from Forman in the southeast part of the state, “The most recent snowstorms in mid-April hit the south-central and far southeast corner the hardest.” Olsen expects there to be reduced nesting cover, a combination of the extended winter and carryover effects from the drought. “Last fall, nearly all Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in North Dakota were opened up for emergency haying and grazing. Consequently, this vegetation has not had the time to recover to be available for quality nesting habitat,” Olsen said, “And with the spring melt being this late, some areas that could have served as nesting habitat will be flooded and will not provide any nesting cover in the near future. “
While the weather hasn’t been ideal for pheasants, compounding the issue is continued upland habitat loss in these states. “North Dakota has also seen a reduction in the amount of land enrolled in CRP which will further reduce the amount of nesting cover on the landscape,” Olsen says.
Adds Morlock, “Drain tiling and grassland conversion will have a far bigger and more widespread impact on our pheasants than the snow ever could.”
Anthony’s Antics Afield is written by Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.organd follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauckPF.
The 25 Best Bird Hunting Towns in America
Monday, April 29th, 2013
Last year’s list of the 25 Best Pheasant Hunting Towns in America selected locales predominately based in the Midwest where the ringneck is king. Because Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever members hail from all reaches of the United States, from Alabama to Alaska, we’ve assembled this year’s list to include pheasants as well as multiple quail species, prairie grouse and even forest birds. The main criterion was to emphasize areas capable of providing multiple species, along with destinations most-welcoming to bird hunters. In other words, there were bonus points awarded for “mixed bag” opportunities and neon signs “welcoming bird hunters” in this year’s analysis. We also avoided re-listing last year’s 25 towns, so what you now have is a good bucket list of 50 destinations for the traveling wingshooter!
What towns did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
1. Pierre, South Dakota. This Missouri River town puts you in the heart of pheasant country, but the upland fun doesn’t stop there. In 2011 (the last year numbers were available) approximately 30 roosters per square mile were harvested in Hughes County. Cross the river and head south of Pierre and you’re into the Fort Pierre National Grassland, where sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chickens become the main quarry. In fact, the U.S. Forest Service manages the Fort Pierre National Grassland specifically for these native birds. Just North of Pierre also boasts some of the state’s best gray (Hungarian) partridge numbers as well.
While you’re there: Myril Arch’s Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse goes through an average of 60,000 pounds of aged, choice beef a year, so they must know what they’re doing.
2. Lewistown, Montana. Located in the geographic center of the state, Lewistown is the perfect city to home base a public land upland bird hunt. Fergus County has ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, gray (Hungarian) partridge, as well as sage grouse. You’ll chase these upland birds with stunning buttes and mountain ranges as almost surreal backdrops, and find no shortage of publically accessible land, whether state or federally owned. Two keystone Pheasants Forever wildlife habitat projects are 45 minutes from Lewistown. Located six miles north of Denton, Montana, the 800-acre Coffee Creek BLOCK Management Area is located between a 320-acre parcel and an 880-acre parcel of land – all three areas are open to public hunting. Pheasants Forever also acquired a 1,000 acre parcel known as the Wolf Creek Property, a project which created 14,000 contiguous acres open to public walk-in hunting.
While you’re there: Once the birds have been cleaned and the dog has been fed, head over to the 87 Bar & Grill in Stanford for their house specialty smoked ribs and steaks.
3. Hettinger, North Dakota. Disregard state lines and you can’t tell the difference between southwest North Dakota and the best locales in South Dakota. Hettinger gets the nod in this region because of a few more Private Land Open to Sportsmen (P.L.O.T.S.) areas.
While you’re there: A visit north to the Pheasant Café in Mott seems like a must.
4. Huron, South Dakota. Home to the “World’s Largest Pheasant,” Huron is also home to some darn good pheasant hunting. From state Game Production Areas to federal Waterfowl Production Areas to a mix of walk-in lands, there’s enough public land in the region to never hunt the same area twice on a 5 or 10-day trip, unless of course you find a honey hole.
While you’re there: The Hwy. 14 Roadhouse in nearby Cavour has the type of good, greasy food that goes down guilt free after a long day of pheasant hunting.
5. Valentine, Nebraska. One of the most unique areas in the United States, the nearly 20,000 square mile Nebraska Sandhills region is an outdoor paradise, and Valentine, which rests at the northern edge of the Sandhills, was named one of the best ten wilderness towns and cities by National Geographic Adventure magazine in 2007. Because the Sandhills are 95 percent grassland, it remains one of the most vital areas for greater prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse in the country. Grouse can be found on the 19,000-acre Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge and the 115,000-acre Samuel McKelvie National Forest, and grouse and pheasants may be encountered on the 73,000-acre Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.
While you’re there: Head over to the Peppermill & E. K. Valentine Lounge and devour the Joseph Angus Burger, a finalist in the Nebraska Beef Council’s Best Burger Contest.
6. White Bird, Idaho. Hells Canyon is 8,000 feet of elevation, and at various levels includes pheasants, quail, gray partridge and forest grouse. Show up in shape and plan the right route up and down, and you may encounter many of these species in one day. It’s considered by many wingshooting enthusiasts to be a “hunt of a lifetime.” Nearly 40 percent of Idaho’s Hells Canyon is publically accessible, either through state-owned lands, U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands or U.S. Forest Service lands.
While you’re there: Floats and rafting adventures are popular on the Salmon River, in case your bird hunt also needs to double as a family vacation.
7. Heppner, Oregon. Nestled in the Columbia Basin, within a half-hour drive hunters have the opportunity to harvest pheasants, California quail, Huns, chukar, and in the nearby Blue Mountains, Dusky grouse, ruffed grouse and at least the chance of running into mountain quail. With the exception of the Umatilla National Forest for grouse, the hunting opportunity is mostly on private land in the area, but the state has a number of agreements in the area for private land access through its Open Fields, Upland Cooperative Access Program and Regulated Hunt Areas.
While you’re there: As you scout, make sure to drive from Highway 74, also called the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway, winding south from Interstate 84 through Ione, Lexington and Heppner.
8. Winnemucca, Nevada. Winnemucca claims legendary status as the “Chukar Captial of the Country.” Long seasons (first Saturday in October through January 31), liberal bag limits (daily limit of six; possession limit of 18) and the fact that these birds are found almost exclusively on public land make chukar Nevada’s most popular game bird. The covey birds do well here in the steep, rugged canyons that mirror the original chukar habitat of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the birds’ native countries. Just know the first time you hunt chukar is for fun, the rest of your life is for revenge.
While you’re there: Nearby Orovada, 44 miles to the north of Winnemucca, is known for excellent hunting areas as well as breathtaking views of the Sawtooth Mountains.
9. Albany, Georgia. Buoyed by tradition and cemented with a local culture built upon the local quail plantation economy, Albany has a reputation as the “quail hunting capital of the world” and a citizenry that embraces “Gentleman Bob.”
While you’re there: save an hour for the 60 mile trip South to Thomasville, Georgia where you can visit Kevin’s, a landmark sporting goods retailer devoted to the bird hunter.
10. Milaca, Minnesota. There are places in Minnesota where pheasants can be found in greater abundance, ditto for ruffed grouse. But there are few places where a hunter may encounter both in such close proximity. While pheasants are found primarily on private land here, state Wildlife Management Areas in the region offer a chance at a rare pheasant/grouse double, including the 40,000-acre Mille Laces WMA. The nearby Rum River State Forest provides 40,000 acres to search for forest birds.
While you’re there: For lunch, the Rough-Cut Grill & Bar in Milaca is the place. This isn’t the type of joint with a lighter portion menu, so fill up and plan on walking it all off in the afternoon…before you come back for supper.
11. Sonoita, Arizona. Central in Arizona’s quail triangle – the Patagonia/Sonoita/Elgin tri-city area – the crossroads of U.S. Highways 82 and 83 puts you in the epicenter of Mearns’ quail country, and 90 percent of the world’s Mearns’ hunting takes place in Arizona. Surrounded by scenic mountain ranges, the pups will find the hotels dog friendly, and moderate winter temps extend through the quail hunting season. Sonoita is also close to desert grasslands (scaled quail) and desert scrub (Gambel’s quail). After your Mearns’ hunt in the oak-lined canyons, you can work toward the Triple Crown.
12. Abilene, Kansas. A gateway to the Flint Hills to the north and central Kansas to the west, the two areas in recent years that have produced the best quail hunting in the Sunflower State.
13. Eureka, South Dakota. Legend has it the town’s name stems from the first settler’s reaction to all the pheasants observed in the area – “Eureka!”
14. Wing, North Dakota. Located just northeast of Bismarck, this town’s name is a clear indication of its premiere attraction. While primarily a waterfowler’s paradise, bird hunters looking to keep their boots dry can find pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Huns on ample public ground.
15. Redfield, South Dakota. By law, there can only be one officially trademarked “Pheasant Capital of the World” and Redfield is the owner of that distinction . . . and for good reason!
16. Tallahassee, Florida. Home to Tall Timbers, a partner non-profit focused on quail research, this north Florida town is steeped in the quail plantation culture and quail hunting tradition.
17. Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. This fisherman’s paradise also makes for an excellent October launching off point for the bird hunter. Head south toward Fergus Falls to bag your limit of roosters, then jog northeast to find ruffed grouse and timberdoodles amongst thousands of acres of public forest lands. Point straight west and you’ll find prairie chickens in nearby Clay County if you’re lucky enough to pull a Minnesota prairie chicken permit.
18. Park Falls, Wisconsin. For more than 25 years, Park Falls has staked its claim as the “Ruffed Grouse Capital of the World.” It’s more than just proclamation – more than 5,000 acres in the area are intensively managed as ruffed grouse and woodcock habitat.
19. Iron River, Michigan. Four-season recreation is Iron County’s claim to fame, and with the nearby Ottawa National Forest, it’s no coincidence the county bills itself as the woodcock capital of the world.
20. Lander, Wyoming. Wyoming is home to about 54 percent of the greater sage-grouse in the United States, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Wyoming manages millions of publically-accessible acres.
21. Miles City, Montana. Sharp-tailed grouse are well dispersed throughout southeast Montana, and the state boasts the highest daily bag limit – four birds – in the country. Thicker cover along riparian areas also provides chances at ringnecks. Did we mention there are roughly 2.5 million acres of publicly-accessible land in this region?
22. Spirit Lake, Iowa. The many Waterfowl Production Areas and their cattails make northwest Iowa a great late-season pheasant hunting option.
23. Holyoke, Colorado. Lots of Pheasants Forever and state programs – including walk-in areas – are at work in Phillips County which has made the rural, northeast Colorado town of Holyoke the state’s shining upland star.
24. Barstow, California. San Bernardino County is a top quail producer in the state, and the vast Mojave National Preserve is the most popular destination for hunters from throughout southern California, where wingshooters can also find chukar in addition to quail.
25. Anchorage, Alaska. From the regional hub of Anchorage, bird hunters can drive or fly to excellent hunting areas in all directions, which include ptarmigan, ruffed grouse and spruce grouse. To maximize your chances and stay safe here, consider hiring a guide.
Return to the On the Wing eNewsletter
Anthony’s Antics Afield is written by Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.organd follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauckPF.
Keeping Flushing Dogs in Range
Friday, April 26th, 2013
“Hunter” on a solid retrieve after flushing a rooster in range. Photo by Todd Sauers / Pheasants Forever
Nothing trips my trigger more than an out-of-range flushing dog……..mine or someone else’s.
I mean, you are better off hunting pheasant without a dog than with a dog that flushes birds 75 or 100 yards out. I’ve put my own dog away in a crate when he was breaking range discipline and have insisted others do the same with their errant dogs. It’s enough to make a guy buy a pointer…naw! I’d miss the fast pace excitement of trailing a flusher too much. And that flush at the end, it don’t get any better!
I knew my current dog, a springer named “Hunter,” had arrived two years ago when he self-corrected on a hard running North Dakota rooster. Instead of running out of range, he held up for me, circled and caught the trail, eventually flushing the rooster in range (I got ‘em too).
But, it takes time and work to get a flushing dog to resist the instinct to hit the gas and chase out of range. First off, every dog I’ve ever trained is different. I’ve had to learn what it takes with each dog. I had to use an e-collar with “Hunter” the first few years, but now I don’t even put it on him. He gets it.
A dog man’s best range tool is still the check cord. Let them get out a bit and pull them back, sharply at first if the dog is a slow learner. Then, let them run with the check cord dragging behind as a reminder. Eventually, turn them loose without the cord. It takes time and repetition. The real test comes when they are hot on a bird’s trail. Keep an e-collar on them in case they need a reminder. I start with a verbal warning. If that doesn’t work, I use the tone or vibration button. If that fails, then use low stimulation. I’ve had to use mid-range stimulation when a dog first bolts after a rabbit or deer, but it usually only takes one or two lessons to make that point.
I never get tired of hunting birds with a dog. When it all comes together – a bird, close-in flush and good shot – it’s a thing of beauty.
The Nomad is written by Mark Herwig, Editor of the Pheasants Forever Journal and Quail Forever Journal. Email Mark at mherwig@pheasantsforever.org.
The Importance of Prescribed Fire in Habitat Management
Friday, April 26th, 2013
This spring, Pheasants Forever and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources teamed up for a 150-acre prescribed burn on the Hull Wildlife Management Area in Mahaska County.
It’s taken a long time this year, but winter’s icy stranglehold across the upper Midwest has finally begun to relent . . . we hope! Meteorologists are forecasting a balmy April weekend ahead which should liquefy the last remaining piles of snow throughout most of the pheasant range. Finally, we’re at spring’s doorstep, which means it’s a perfect time to start thinking about habitat management.
One of the most important tools for improving habitat is prescribed fire. Controlled burning in early spring accomplishes three main objectives in habitat management. First, burning limits the growth of woody vegetation helping maintain the prairie as a distinct ecosystem. Second, the fire burns off the duff layer of built up plant matter that hasn’t fully decayed over the last few years. Third, prescribed burning releases the nutrients bound in the plant litter stimulating vigorous new growth, which is more attractive nesting covers for ground nesting birds.
Burns can be very dangerous if not done properly. Grasses produce extremely hot fires and can spread rapidly. Pheasants Forever’s habitat specialists and chapter volunteer burn crews are trained in completing safe and effective prescribed burns in many of the pheasant range states.
Prescribed fire can be an especially important tool in the mid-contract management of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, as well as on state and federally managed wildlife lands.
What’s the biggest limitation to utilizing prescribed fire as a habitat management tool?
The answer: the general public does not understand the value of prescribed fire to the prairie ecosystem. Fire is widely viewed as bad.
Stop and think about it for a moment; what maintained prairies as unique ecosystems prior to urbanization? The answer: Massive grass fires started by lightning.
A well-planned and safely executed prescribed burn is an incredibly successful way to manage habitat for pheasants and quail.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre and listen to Bob and Billy Hildebrand every Saturday morning on FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN FM100.3.
Designing Shelterbelts for Pheasant Winter Cover
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Like most businesses, the Monday morning conversations at Pheasants Forever revolve around the weekend’s hunting and fishing adventures with a side of weather talk. My morning started off with a fascinating lesson on shelterbelts from Ron Leathers, Pheasants Forever’s Public Finance Director and a certified wildlife biologist. Considering another winter storm is forecasted to hit Pheasants Forever’s National Headquarters in Minnesota again this evening, it seemed appropriate to post today about winter cover in spite of it being April on the calendar.
A shelterbelt’s effectiveness in creating winter cover for pheasants, as I learned during my conversation with Leathers, centers on proper design.
This graphic illustrates a typical shelterbelt layout in relationship to wind direction and farmstead
Northwest
Because winter winds and snow blow from the north and west, shelterbelts should be constructed with the idea of blocking these winds from the areas you are most focused on “protecting” from the elements.
Snow Catch
According to Leathers, snow will pile for up to 10 times the height of your first row of trees. In other words, if your front row of trees are 10 feet high, then snow will pile up behind that row for 100 feet. Consequently, it’s important to recognize the need to have considerably more than 100 feet behind that first row if you plan to provide any suitable amount of winter cover.
Lift Trees
The center of any shelterbelt should feature a section of the tallest trees in the planting. These “tall lift trees” help to reduce wind speed and provide better protection for the core winter cover beyond the snow catch and lift trees.
Thermal Cover
The inner-most portion of a shelter belt should include four or more rows of thick thermal cover, like evergreens. This thickest of covers provides ground level protection from wind and heavy snows during severe winter storms.
Added Benefits of Shelterbelts
A well-designed shelterbelt can effectively protect buildings and roadways from drifting snow and can cut winter heating bills by 30 percent. Shelterbelts aid in livestock ranching by trimming feed costs by affording protection from chilling winds. And a beautiful grove of trees can also increase a farmstead’s property value.
Ron showed me this shelterbelt around a wetland as an example. It features a good snow catch and interior lift, but the spacing is too narrow and it lacks protection from the north. As a result most of the cover tends to fill in with snow without maximizing winter cover potential for pheasants.
You can learn more about shelter belts, winter cover and other important tips for creating habitat on your own property by purchasing Pheasants Forever’s Essential Habitat Guide for a mere $2.95. It’s priced so affordably because we want it in the hands of anyone interested in creating habitat.
Farm Bill Biologists
Another source of expertise are Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists. These professionals are specialized consultants in conservation programs and habitat planning. Not only can they help landowners design shelter belts and other specific habitat projects on your property, they are also experts in local, state and federal conservation programs that may provide cost-share opportunities. For our full list of Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists, follow THIS LINK.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre and listen to Bob and Billy Hildebrand every Saturday morning on FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN FM100.3.
In Memoriam: A Favorite Slough
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Time is a concept I, like most of us I suppose, find difficult to grasp. It seems like only yesterday I was seven-years-old, peering out the school bus window and taking in the countryside. Being one of the first route stops in the morning and last drop-offs in the evening meant long rides, and after enough of them the ponds, wetlands, rivers, groves, draws and grasslands began to feel like old friends.
My favorite slough was just a couple miles up the road from home. At 20 acres, it wasn’t terribly big, but to a child’s eyes it seemed massive, only more so when ducks circled above. In addition to waterfowl, I could always count on spotting a few pheasants or deer hanging out around the edges. In the winter, those ringnecks took refuge in the cattails, their last line of defense against another battering blizzard.
Where a wetland once stood. Photo by Anthony Hauck / Pheasants Forever
My first solo duck hunts came at the slough, along with a word from the landowner to never bother asking for permission again. Paradise. Come colder weather, I’d trudge around those cattails trying to roust a rooster or two. And the more I was there, the more I wondered. How many thousands of years had the slough been a landmark on the annual migration? How many sharp-tailed grouse had danced nearby? How many creatures, large and small, had sipped water from its banks?
As I grew older, the slough remained a constant, though the cattail ring dwindled to accommodate a few extra rows of corn or beans. Even so, two years ago it was brimming with life, mallards, teal and canvasbacks, shorebirds and even crows from a couple roosters who wouldn’t dare show themselves. Last year brought a time of drought. Discouraged there would be no hunting, I reminded myself this was the natural part of any slough’s cycle.
And then, in the time it takes to do a load of laundry or buy a gallon of milk, a match was lit and a plow hitched…if you didn’t know, like it never even existed. Ten thousand years gone in ten minutes.
Seems like a good time to blame. To throw hands up in the air and do nothing. But it’s as good a time as any to try and make a difference. Before somebody else’s favorite slough runs out of time.
Anthony’s Antics Afield is written by Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.organd follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauckPF.
April 15th Marks 30th Anniversary of Pheasants Forever’s 1st Banquet
Friday, April 12th, 2013
“It was inevitable that marshes would be drained we say to ourselves.
It was inevitable that ditches would be burned.
It was inevitable that fields would be plowed each fall leaving no winter cover for upland birds.
And because it was inevitable
It was now tolerable.”
Those were the words of Dennis Anderson written in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press & Dispatch on March 7, 1982. From that article, Pheasants Forever began to coalesce.
A year later, on April 15, 1983, Pheasants Forever held its first banquet. The event was organized to celebrate the passage of the bill creating Minnesota’s Pheasant Habitat Stamp and to help the fledgling conservation group raise operating funds. Famed outdoor writer Jimmy Robinson and local businessman Robert Naegele, Sr. cut $1,000 checks, becoming the organization’s first Life Members.
Pheasants Forever’s first-ever banquet was held in Ramsey County, Minnesota on April 15, 1983.
According to our records, the event drew 800 supporters. In my decade of employment at Pheasants Forever, I’ve talked to thousands who claim being part of the historic event. That first Pheasants Forever banquet parallels Woodstock in that an entire generation claims to have been in attendance. In spirit, I have no doubt every Minnesota pheasant hunter was there.
Later this month, on April 20th, a new group of volunteers will hold a Ramsey County Pheasants Forever Chapter banquet at the Dellwood Hills Golf Club east of White Bear Lake. Anderson, who served as editor of the Pheasants Forever magazine as well as a longtime national board member for the organization, will be the guest speaker at this event.
As I examine Mr. Anderson’s words above, I recognize there will be cynics who complain “Pheasants Forever hasn’t stopped the habitat loss that began decades ago; just look at all the acres lost last autumn.” I also know there are others who recognize the “good old days” of 2007, 2008 and 2009 when pheasant harvests were reaching marks not experienced since the 1960s were partly the result of Pheasants Forever working with USDA, farmers and other partners to put nearly 40 million acres of CRP habitat on the ground.
But mostly, I believe Mr. Anderson understood a simple principle before most others – conservation will never be a game in which you win or lose. For eternity, it will be a constant battle. Pheasants Forever’s duty is to evolve and make a difference no matter what the conditions.
And the battle rages on the landscape these days. CRP acres are leaving the program to be burned and plowed by the millions. Habitat is hemorrhaging everywhere. The success of Pheasants Forever is dependent on volunteers. Now more than ever, we need you.
So on April 20th, a new group of volunteers will take up the flag of conservation in Ramsey County. Please join the cause and be a part of history, tickets are available for purchase by following THIS LINK. For readers outside the Twin Cities, please consider getting involved with your own local chapter of Pheasants Forever through THIS LINK.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre and listen to Bob and Billy Hildebrand every Saturday morning on FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN FM100.3.
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