As prices soar, acres set aside for conservation dwindle in S.D.

My fear is that Central/Eastern South Dakota will look much like Iowa in a couple of years.....a lush, verdant green in the summer....and a bleak, desolate landscape in winter. The birds are year 'round residents...and they just can't make it through the winter without some cover!!!
 
The writing is on the wall. With ethanol subsidies, the corn prices are not going to go down. Big business is in farming now, so the market will remain high for commodities which means CRP has to compete with high returns from corn and grains. The federal government is spending $200 billion more a month than it takes in so in the list of priorities CRP may be a thind of the past. Best hope is the local farmer with a conscience that recognizes the value of his land and doesn't lose his farm through property, income, or inheritance taxes. He needs to make tons of money off his land so he can plan his estate, pay his taxes and support wildlife.
 
The writing is on the wall. The black desert that sprawls across Iowa, Indiana, IL. and southern Minnesota. Will be spreading across eastern South Dakota. Pheasants will no doubt take a back seat to cash $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. The only pieces of habitat will be small patches planted for pay hunting. More and more pen raised birds and less wild birds to be had.
 
Put KS on that list too:mad: The 20 sq. mile radius I've spent much of my pheasant hunting "career" in once had about 25-30 good CRP fields. One or 2 per year have been plowed under for a few years now. There must have been 20 of them left last year. This past w/e I was out there and there were only 4 of them that hadn't been plowed under. 3 of those were "emergency grazed" or mowed for hay this summer. It made me so sick to my stomach I didn't even hunt. Instead I spent the w/e hanging out w/ dad and the boys. I sure hope this trend doesn't continue throughout the state, but that's just optimism. Things are a changin' gentlemen and not for the better:(
 
Where I live there is one walk in area run by the DNR and that is a good 45 minutes from me. All the other places to hunt pheasant is more than an hour away and they hunting preserves.I'm located in northeast indiana.
 
Thanks for posting this link onpoint.

Still when I drive around our county, I see plenty of erosion and farmers trying to crop areas that nature does not want to be cropped.

I think CRP can do a much better job on targeting these acres in a redesigned CCRP program. Probably have to be higher dollars on reduced acres but may have better results for conservation.

This looks like a big market correction and corrections are good in the long run. 1985 will probably come around again soon I suppose but maybe not.

I have a hard enough time selling CRP to UGUIDE camp owners.
 
The writing is on the wall. The black desert that sprawls across Iowa, Indiana, IL. and southern Minnesota. Will be spreading across eastern South Dakota. Pheasants will no doubt take a back seat to cash $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. The only pieces of habitat will be small patches planted for pay hunting. More and more pen raised birds and less wild birds to be had.

Indiana is terrible, it doesn't help that the farmers who already farm fence to fence also mow the road ditches low and tight like golf course greens!
 
Loss of CRP

I shall continue to do what I can--guess it's time to explore the one place left on the farm where a CRP planting may be possible. If it can be done I will tie it up with a 15 year contract and hope I can install the love of all of this with my stepson who will become the care taker of this place when the wife and I are gone.

If I get all I hope into CRP it will only be about 200 total acres--I know it's not much but it all I can do, PLEASE do what you can.:thumbsup:
 
Could it be that paid hunting turns out to be the savior of the ringneck?
 
Could it be that paid hunting turns out to be the savior of the ringneck?

Check out the success of that in the U.K. over the last 30 years or so. We're tilting at windmills with that hope. barring an agricultural commodity collapse, which spurs a steep drop in farm land value and farmers net worth, the future of wildlife conservation is bleak. We need about 10,000 SDJIM's per state. I find it difficult to wish ill for anybody, a lot of those guys are my friends and customers, last thing I want to see is financial ruin. Sad part is, the last great collapse of the late 70's and early 80's brought the advent of CRP, and conservation measures,both intended, and unintended, due to abandonment or just letting things go fallow. Values went from 1500 per acre to 200, or bring a chicken. We need an alternative, a comprehensive national farm/conservation plan, based upon what's good for the entire country, over a long term. it would take statesmen, courage, vision, and non-partisanship action. In other words in the present system impossible. We'll have another train wreck first.
 
Last edited:
I hate to see more losses in the CRP, but it looks to be realty at least for now. The surrounding issue of diminishing water-quality and potential soil erosion issues seams to be the only viable and argumentative approach for environmentalist to make a stand. Of course ½ million dollars ($538 M to be exact) to companies like Solyndra and $43 Million to Beacon Power by the Department of Energy (DOE) make a great reasons why we should be looking for strong advocates in reducing wasteful government spending rather than dismantling the CRP program.
 
Maybe people will have to get used to the idea that it is pheasant hunting and not pheasant shooting. That going out and shooting a limit is not a given, maybe just seeing a limit is a good day. Numbers are down in my area, it is weather related for the most part, and I am getting a little bumbed but I do not buy the doom and gloom.
 
Maybe people will have to get used to the idea that it is pheasant hunting and not pheasant shooting. That going out and shooting a limit is not a given, maybe just seeing a limit is a good day. Numbers are down in my area, it is weather related for the most part, and I am getting a little bumbed but I do not buy the doom and gloom.

Limit!!! What's that? I haven't shot a limit, mostly haven't seen a limit in years. The areas I hunt have been way down for most of that time. Hunter numbers have dropped from about 40,000 to around 16,000 in that time. Harvest about the same proportion. Counts are at an all time low. It's no way to run a railroad or sustain a sport. I admit we were spoiled from the 1950's to the 1980's, but if the next 30 years bring us what the last 30 have, we are toast, and so are the birds, maybe the sustainability of the entire North American eco-system. It's about a heck of a lot more than a few displaced gamebirds. Sounds dramatic, maybe, but look around.
 
Old&New,

I agree with your statement " We need an alternative, a comprehensive national farm/conservation plan, based upon what's good for the entire country, over a long term. it would take statesmen, courage, vision, and non-partisanship action. In other words in the present system impossible."

Too many folks believe that nature will fix things by itself. There are many man-made obstacles in the way of any significant progress unless drastic changes take place. One only has to look at the ranges of all upland game species over the last 40 years and see the diminishing trends of these home-ranges.

The effort will take hunters, landowners and wildlife organizations that have lobbyist too pursue the law-makers, the department of agriculture and energy into a common interest that appeases all. In the whole equation the hunters have one powerful tool, your vote!
 
Old&New,

I agree with your statement " We need an alternative, a comprehensive national farm/conservation plan, based upon what's good for the entire country, over a long term. it would take statesmen, courage, vision, and non-partisanship action. In other words in the present system impossible."

Too many folks believe that nature will fix things by itself. There are many man-made obstacles in the way of any significant progress unless drastic changes take place. One only has to look at the ranges of all upland game species over the last 40 years and see the diminishing trends of these home-ranges.

The effort will take hunters, landowners and wildlife organizations that have lobbyist too pursue the law-makers, the department of agriculture and energy into a common interest that appeases all. In the whole equation the hunters have one powerful tool, your vote!
The senate won't even propose a budget and you want a comprehensive plan. Good idea, I don't think that it is going to happen. If you want something done do it your self. The governmenmt is broke and inept. Fix a few acres here and there with some of your friends and have control of it your self.
 
The senate won't even propose a budget and you want a comprehensive plan. Good idea, I don't think that it is going to happen. If you want something done do it your self. The governmenmt is broke and inept. Fix a few acres here and there with some of your friends and have control of it your self.


With the lack of leadership we have in Washington, I won't expect anything less these days.
 
Back
Top