Aberdeen's Kessler Named to Pheasants Forever Nat'l Board of Directors

[UGUIDE]

Aberdeen's Kessler Named to Pheasants Forever Nat'l Board of Directors
Aberdeen businessman served for 17 years on SD Game, Fish & Parks Commission

Saint Paul, Minn. â?? July 28, 2010 â?? Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever announce Tim Kessler of Aberdeen, South Dakota, as the newest member to the organization's National Board of Directors. The 18-member board meets quarterly and oversees the operations of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

A lifelong resident of Aberdeen, Kessler served for 17 years (1992-2010) on the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission, retiring this May. South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds said Kessler "served with honor and has always come down in favor of what's best for the state's natural resources." A third-generation owner of Kessler's grocery, one of the largest food and drug stores in the Dakotas, Kessler also owns Big Shot Pheasant Fields near Aberdeen.

Kessler has long been fond of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat conservation mission, "During my time on the Commission, we teamed up many, many times with local Pheasants Forever chapters," he said. He's also taken best habitat practices to heart for his own property. "It's been extremely gratifying for me to take a marginal piece of property and develop the habitat into quality nesting, brood, food and winter cover â?? the perfect combination for pheasants," he said. Kessler looks forward to serving and contributing to "The Habitat Organization's" Board of Directors. "To be an integral part of managing what I've always had such a passion for â?? pheasants and pheasant hunting â?? this is a truly rare opportunity."

All members of the National Board are volunteers offering their expertise, time, and effort on behalf of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. "Speaking on behalf of the entire National Board of Directors, we are excited about the passion for conservation and the volunteer spirit Tim Kessler brings," said Bruce Hertzke, Chairman of the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Board of Directors, "Tim brings a wealth of wildlife and business experience that will help us achieve our habitat mission."

Kessler started sacking groceries when he was 12-years-old, and purchased the 71-year-old family business from his father in the late 1980s. He graduated from Northern State University in Aberdeen. He and his wife of 35 years, Amy, have three grown children.

 

[niceshot]

Pen Raised Pheasants Forever

Kessler also owns Big Shot Pheasant Fields near Aberdeen.

This is a volunteer position so I probably should cut the guy some slack, but can a multi-millionaire who profits from a commercial pheasant operation represent the average dues paying member of PF. I am a PF life member, but I am starting to wonder about the ethic and direction of the organization.

 

[moellermd]

Well I hope that he does not want pheasant hunting to become what he thinks pheasant hunting should be. $3000 for 3 days of hunting is what he charges. On a hunting preserve none the less.

 

[moellermd]

Well now I am really confused. He owns and operates a preserve. Which means he makes money and embraces the practice of releasing pheasants to increase their population. Something that PF frowns upon. Does make a guy wonder.

 

[Hockeybob]

As they say, Money talks and BS walks.

 

[tmrichardson]

deleted deleted

 

[UGUIDE]

I don't claim to know the guys or the ties but one could reason that Kessler has pull in SD and PF might want politics with him to benefit pheasant hunters that come to SD??

Also, preserves in SD are not like preserves in other states. They have buku wild pheasants and they have buku habitat,

I got a tour of a large preserve last week in Charles Mix County and part is in preserve and part out. 2000+ acres of some of the best wildlife habitat you will ever see and I would rather have their than not regardless if preserve or not or if they release birds or not. This was a gravel road tour and I have never met the owner nor sety foot on the ground. This is different view than advocating that releasing birds sustains wild native populations of birds.

 

[moellermd]

This is different view than advocating that releasing birds sustains wild native populations of birds.

I agree with you on a lot of stuff Chris but not on this one.

What he is doing by PF definition stocking. From the PF website, "By definition, "stocking" is the release of pen-reared pheasants into habitat where wild birds already are present."

PF opposes the practice of stocking. Again from PF website:

Even if I'm not doing much good by releasing birds, what's the real harm?
Though not proven, there is cause for concern. Genetic dilution may be occurring. Even with minimal survival, the release of thousands of pen-raised birds over many years may be diminishing the "wildness" of the wild stock. Another concern is that, by releasing hundreds of birds in a given area, predators may start keying on pheasants. This may result in wild birds incurring higher predation. Finally, there is the potential of disease transmission from released birds to the wild flock.

Kessler is doing a practice that PF thinks is bad for wild pheasant populations for the sole purpose of making money. I do not think that is very good stewardship of the pheasant population.

 

[Dakotazeb]

I feel there is something wrong with the current preserve regulations in South Dakota. Kessler is just one of many multi-millionaires that have gone out and bought a bunch of land and turned it into their own private hunting preserve where they can hunt from Sept. to March while the rest of us poor souls must try to find land to hunt on and our season only lasts 2 1/2 months. Ron Rivett (founder of Super 8 Motels) is another that has done this and the list goes on and on. I know Tim Kessler but I have to agree with the rest of you as I do not think he is a good fit for PF. But he has money and power, so what you going to do?

 

[niceshot]

preserves in SD are not like preserves in other states.

I think a preserve is a preserve. The quality of the birds and the habitat can vary greatly, but I don't think it matters what state your in. How is a preserve in Oregon or Pennsylvania any different from one in South Dakota? I have hunted at a high end lodge in Dallas,SD an I can assure you the only wild birds on the place were hens and those were few and far between. Granted it was such a fabulous operation that you would have to be a pretty experienced pheasant hunter to know the difference.

This leads to a very interesting question. Why are men flying in from all over the United States to hunt preserve birds in South Dakota?

 

[moellermd]

This leads to a very interesting question. Why are men flying in from all over the United States to hunt preserve birds in South Dakota?

Because they think that is what pheasant hunting is. They have never experienced or know of anything else.

 

[UGUIDE]

This leads to a very interesting question. Why are men flying in from all over the United States to hunt preserve birds in South Dakota?

Simple answer: Ego. One persons destination is not the others.

I have been tempted to offer a parcel on preserve to tap into that market but the clientel I support will not drive 25 hours to hunt a pen raised bird. For the reasons we remain fair chase and advocate only habitat as the means to sustainable populations.

MoellerMD, I agree that PF will not advocate the stocking of birds as it may dilute genetics but I would also imagine that they would not denouce preserves as many members enjoy preserve hunting as part of their sport. How can this be? Would you expect PF to poo-poo preserves?

 

[Downtown Bang!]

Preserves in South Dakota can be different than in other states. In no other place will you see so many preserves stuck smack dab in the middle of good wild bird habitat and high wild bird numbers. In other states including decent pheasant states like MN the highest concentrations of preserves are areas where wild birds are in few and far between. In these cases the preserves become the altenative to hunting without driving 3-hours or more to good habitat.

As mentioned above the primary reason is the rule allowing a licensed preserve to hunt all roosters (wild or otherwise) on the preserve grounds from Sept thru March. By SD law as long as the preserve operator stocks one pen raised bird for every wild rooster shot they are in compliance and can hunt the extended season. In fact some of the preserves who operate on this premise don't stock pen raised roosters at all but stock hens in the spring in an effort to boost the breeding population.

No doubt there are many preserves in SD whose primary goal is put and take hunting. They exist primarily to cater to out of state hunters whose only goal is to brag how they hunted in South Dakota and have a tailgate shot with a big pile of roosters to prove it.

As for the appointment of this Kessler guy I'm trusting that PF feels he can be of political help when it comes to influencing farm policy in Washington or South Dakota or both.

 

[moellermd]

but I would also imagine that they would not denouce preserves as many members enjoy preserve hunting as part of their sport. How can this be? Would you expect PF to poo-poo preserves?

Your right they probably would not, but they should. PF can't have it both ways. The biggest stockers are preserves. Preserves in Iowa let you wack hens. That can't be good for the wild bird population.

 

[landman]

I think a person can break it down like this:

Preserves - lots of habitat and lots of birds - Cost is very high.

Wild bird operations - lots of habitat and lots of birds, but not as many as on Preserves. Cost is high

Land owned by hunters - fair amount of birds and a good amount of habitat. Little or no cost but access is limited because owner hunts too.

Land owned by Conservationists who are not hunters - fair amount of habitat and birds. Access is limited due to competition from other hunters.

Land owned by non-hunters and non-conservationists. Habitat is scarce and so are the birds. Access is easy with little competition from other hunters.

If a person is willing to pay then that person can hunt the good stuff. If not, then well, its the stuff not so good. Some folks say, "I can hunt the good stuff if the laws are changed to make Preserves and fee hunting operations illegal". What they miss is that if you take away the financial incentives to create habitat the land will resort to intense cropping and less pheasants. Then everyone loses. The folks who enjoy Preserves and fee hunting operations will have no where to go and those that want free hunting won't have any better land to hunt then they did before.

 

[moellermd]

In fact some of the preserves who operate on this premise don't stock pen raised roosters at all but stock hens in the spring in an effort to boost the breeding population.

Not in SD. SD law requires that male birds only count towards the number of birds required to be released.

 

[landman]

Not in SD. SD law requires that male birds only count towards the number of birds required to be released.

That is true. However there are a few hunting operations that don't release birds but then they don't have to be licensed as a Preserve either. If they rely on only wild birds then that greatly limits how many hunters they can entertain. In this situation a hunting operation might release hens in an effort to boost the population. They can also release as many roosters as they want in the fall too. If a hunting operation does it this way then they don't have to be licensed as a Preserve. The Preserve license gives them the right to have a longer season and a higher limit. At least, I think this is the way it works.

I looked into the Preserve thing a few times wondering if a landowner could just apply for a Preserve and then enjoy a longer season and a higher limit. The biggest barrier is that a Preserve license is only for one block of land so if a landower owns three parcels of land he would need three licenses in order to include all of his land in a Preserve. The formula is such that very few landowers would apply for a Preserve license for that reason.

 

[oldandnew]

shooting preserves

I will reluctantly admit the the preserve option is about all thats left in much of the country. Why anyone needs to run a preserve in South Dakota for pheasants, I have no idea. In my opinion preserves are like golf courses, and inhabited by the same sorts, ( at the risk of offending a large portion of the readership), It's not for me, because it's not hunting, it's shooting with live targets, to add a little randomness. Just like the British driven game shoot, but with easier shots. I watch the hunting shows, where they "harvest", birds on pool table flat fields of perfectly quaffed milo 30 foot wide. Hunt takes a correographed 3 hours, group bags their roosters and the occasional "wild south dakota chukar", retires to the veranda to suck down whiskey sours, while the staff, cleans, ices, and cares for the dogs. I would enjoy that about as much as hacksawing my favorite double, which I'll do before I participate in that type of hunting. I get all that I want in dog training. HOWEVER...... Different strokes for different folks, I suspect even the most casual of preserve hunters, at least is sympathetic to the cause of outdoor shooting sports, and votes as well as vocalizes the same. WE NEED ALL HANDS TO ROW IN THE SAME DIRECTION. We cannot afford divisive arguments which weaken our core purpose to save upland hunting as we have known it, going forward in the future, we are already a small and declining percentage of the population. shall we drive off a few more?

 

[landman]

I will reluctantly admit the the preserve option is about all thats left in much of the country. Why anyone needs to run a preserve in South Dakota for pheasants, I have no idea. In my opinion preserves are like golf courses, and inhabited by the same sorts, ( at the risk of offending a large portion of the readership), It's not for me, because it's not hunting, it's shooting with live targets, to add a little randomness. Just like the British driven game shoot, but with easier shots. I watch the hunting shows, where they "harvest", birds on pool table flat fields of perfectly quaffed milo 30 foot wide. Hunt takes a correographed 3 hours, group bags their roosters and the occasional "wild south dakota chukar", retires to the veranda to suck down whiskey sours, while the staff, cleans, ices, and cares for the dogs. I would enjoy that about as much as hacksawing my favorite double, which I'll do before I participate in that type of hunting. I get all that I want in dog training. HOWEVER...... Different strokes for different folks, I suspect even the most casual of preserve hunters, at least is sympathetic to the cause of outdoor shooting sports, and votes as well as vocalizes the same. WE NEED ALL HANDS TO ROW IN THE SAME DIRECTION. We cannot afford divisive arguments which weaken our core purpose to save upland hunting as we have known it, going forward in the future, we are already a small and declining percentage of the population. shall we drive off a few more?

Very good points and I agree. I'm not against fee hunting operations or Preserves because there is room for them and they provide a lot of hunting enjoyment for those that like that way of hunting. Preserve hunting is not my cup of tea either but I support them because it is still a form of hunting.

 

[moellermd]

Different strokes for different folks, I suspect even the most casual of preserve hunters, at least is sympathetic to the cause of outdoor shooting sports, and votes as well as vocalizes the same. WE NEED ALL HANDS TO ROW IN THE SAME DIRECTION. We cannot afford divisive arguments which weaken our core purpose to save upland hunting as we have known it, going forward in the future, we are already a small and declining percentage of the population. shall we drive off a few more?

I agree that those hunters do share our concerns. But I am not so sure that based on Kesslers hunting operations we will be rowing in the right direction.