Farm Bureau Membership

landman

landman

New member
I just received my Farm Bureau Membership renewal notice today and I don't know if I'll renew. I've sent them an email every year asking them to stop lobbying for an end to the pheasant season by Dec 1. But they just mailed their policy booklet for 2010 and there it is again, a policy to lobby for the end of pheasant season by Dec 1.

I know what they are doing. They are also against road hunting, especially for pheasants, which I support. But I don't agree with stopping road hunting by closing the season is the answer.

The right answer is to lobby for the end of road hunting and then an extension of pheasant hunting to Jan 31st. I think most farmers and landowers would support this.

Unless they change this policy, I don't think I'll renew.

LM
 
Selfish Farm Bureau Policy

Farm Bureau apparently wants a shorter season to reduce winter weather related auto accident, glass, and roadside assistance/towing claims. I can think of no other reason why the company would seek to shorten the pheasant hunting season.

If I were you, I would not renew and would send a letter, not an email, to the CEO telling her/him why you refuse to renew. I would put in your letter that you have posted Farm Bureau's season shortening efforts on a national pheasant hunting site. That will definitely get the CEO's juices flowing.
 
BritChaser said:
Farm Bureau apparently wants a shorter season to reduce winter weather related auto accident, glass, and roadside assistance/towing claims. I can think of no other reason why the company would seek to shorten the pheasant hunting season.

If I were you, I would not renew and would send a letter, not an email, to the CEO telling her/him why you refuse to renew. I would put in your letter that you have posted Farm Bureau's season shortening efforts on a national pheasant hunting site. That will definitely get the CEO's juices flowing.
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The Farm Bureau's primary membership comes from farmers and landowners and FB acts primarily as a lobbying force for their members at both the state and national level. They also offer auto, Life and Crop Insurance to its members but most of the membership money goes towards the lobbying efforts. The majority of the Board Members must have voted for this policy and so therefore their lobbists go forward to work on them with our law makers. Our lawmakers then hear that the majority of landowners and farmers in South Dakota recommend that the pheasant season end by Dec 1. So you have to ask the question. Why do landowners and farmers want the season to end so soon? Something bothers them a great deal and in my opinion, it is road hunting. I don't think most landowners care about when the pheasant season ends except for the fact than when the season ends so does road hunting.

LM
 
I took two 3 day trips to SD after Dec 1st this year. I stayed in your motels, bought gas at your stations, and ate at your resturants. Why any organization would want to shorten your tourism season dosen't make much sense to me. Rural areas all around the country need the business.

As for road hunting, one of the things that has always appealed to me about SD as a "freelance" hunter is the ablitity to get out and walk a ROW if it has good cover and might hold a few birds. I don't walk anything close to houses or livestock and keep my dog within the ROW. I would guess that most oppose it for the potential tresspass issues, shooting around the house, and taking "free" birds around their property. I have hunted in SD for 30 years and hope to come back for many more but if SD stops road hunting I may just stay home in the future.
 
mnjimmer said:
I took two 3 day trips to SD after Dec 1st this year. I stayed in your motels, bought gas at your stations, and ate at your resturants. Why any organization would want to shorten your tourism season dosen't make much sense to me. Rural areas all around the country need the business.

As for road hunting, one of the things that has always appealed to me about SD as a "freelance" hunter is the ablitity to get out and walk a ROW if it has good cover and might hold a few birds. I don't walk anything close to houses or livestock and keep my dog within the ROW. I would guess that most oppose it for the potential tresspass issues, shooting around the house, and taking "free" birds around their property. I have hunted in SD for 30 years and hope to come back for many more but if SD stops road hunting I may just stay home in the future.
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I"m just saying that many farmers and landowners are fed up with road hunting and want it stopped. There are two ways to do it - one is to get the Legislature to change the law or to get the GF&P's Commission to end the season early. The Farm Bureau is going at it from both angles.
 
How will ending the hunting season on Dec 1 stop road hunting? Won't there be road hunters in October and November? It is kind of like chopping off your hand because your arm is getting you into trouble.

Is that a national Farm Bureau policy Landman or is it just one advocated by Farm Bureau of South Dakota? I would be interested in seeing if farmers and landowners in Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Iowa would all like to see their hunting seasons close on December 1st as well. That would really put a crimp on hunting birds in Kansas as their season doesn't open until around the middle of November.

I can't imagine what closing the season early would cost your state and its residents in lost revenue. I for one wouldn't contribute a dime to an organization that would spend my money in such a foolish pursuit.:cheers:
 
Tpharkman said:
How will ending the hunting season on Dec 1 stop road hunting? Won't there be road hunters in October and November?

Is that a national Farm Bureau policy Landman or is it just one advocated by Farm Bureau of South Dakota? .:cheers:
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This particular policy is from the South Dakota Farm Bureau. I'm sure that the Farm Bureau would prefer to end road hunting entirely, also their policy, but ending the season by Dec 1 at least limits the activity a great deal. Of course the GF&P's Commission has not given the FB its way entirely but to some extent they have some success. Afterall the season is closed today.
 
After all, road hunters are only killing roosters right?
You don't need to Winter all those Roosters!
Save the cover and food for the hens!
I can't imagine a SD resident not getting enough pheasant hunting or pheasants:eek:
Ending the season on Dec 1st?
Totally ridiculous!
The roosters that are shot road hunting will have NO effect on next years pheasant population.
You anti road hunters get past it.
Lots of times I think:confused: A party may spend hundreds of $ to have a weekend of killing a few roosters while road hunting.
You land owners may have 100's of acres, a road hunter has the ditch.
 
mnmthunting said:
After all, road hunters are only killing roosters right?
You don't need to Winter all those Roosters!
Save the cover and food for the hens!
I can't imagine a SD resident not getting enough pheasant hunting or pheasants:eek:
Ending the season on Dec 1st?
Totally ridiculous!
The roosters that are shot road hunting will have NO effect on next years pheasant population.
You anti road hunters get past it.
Lots of times I think:confused: A party may spend hundreds of $ to have a weekend of killing a few roosters while road hunting.
You land owners may have 100's of acres, a road hunter has the ditch.
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I agree, it is totally ridiculous to close the season before Dec 1, but consider this, it only takes five votes from the Commission and its a done deal. Most of the Commissioners are landowners and some aren't hunters. Also consider this, the majority of landowners who oppose road hunting are not hunters themselves. Furthermore, all the reasoning in the world will not change how landowners feel about roadhunting. Only the behavior of roadhunters will influence that. And the policy of the Farm Bureau relects how the majority of landowners feel about these issues.
 
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I hope this does not turn into another road hunting debate I think that has been beaten to death several times.
 
Farm Burea/Road Hunting

I think that the thread has become another debate on the age old question.

I also don't think that the SD GF&P Commission will take this on as ith has been to the legislature many times and to the Supreme Court at least once.

The system we have now seems to work.

We turned in several parties hunting with guns pointed out the windows this year.
 
Where do they stand on other important issues.

Do they favor production farming agendas that come at the expense of habitat, soil conservation, water quality and sensible long-term land use?

Do they oppose the acquisition of private land by the SDGF&P for Game Production Areas?

Do they oppose the long-term set aside of acreage in federal conservation easements/programs like CREP?

What is there position on the over grazing of prairie grouse habitat on federal lands?

I'm not actively involved but from a distance the December 1 closure looks like nothing more than a negotiating position designed to acheive favorable leverage on other less controversial agendas such as tighter restrictions on Road Hunting etc. etc.
 
Downtown Bang! said:
Where do they stand on other important issues.

Do they favor production farming agendas that come at the expense of habitat, soil conservation, water quality and sensible long-term land use?

Do they oppose the acquisition of private land by the SDGF&P for Game Production Areas?

Do they oppose the long-term set aside of acreage in federal conservation easements/programs like CREP?

What is there position on the over grazing of prairie grouse habitat on federal lands?

I'm not actively involved but from a distance the December 1 closure looks like nothing more than a negotiating position designed to acheive favorable leverage on other less controversial agendas such as tighter restrictions on Road Hunting etc. etc.
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Hard to say what their collective position is on these issues. We do know, however, that they will react to the pressures and recommendations around them. We also know that they are appointed by the Governor and they serve three year terms. Therefore we will see turnover in the Commission and along with that changes in views.
 
Road Hunting?

landman said:
The Farm Bureau's primary membership comes from farmers and landowners and FB acts primarily as a lobbying force for their members at both the state and national level. They also offer auto, Life and Crop Insurance to its members but most of the membership money goes towards the lobbying efforts. The majority of the Board Members must have voted for this policy and so therefore their lobbists go forward to work on them with our law makers. Our lawmakers then hear that the majority of landowners and farmers in South Dakota recommend that the pheasant season end by Dec 1. So you have to ask the question. Why do landowners and farmers want the season to end so soon? Something bothers them a great deal and in my opinion, it is road hunting. I don't think most landowners care about when the pheasant season ends except for the fact than when the season ends so does road hunting.

LM
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I have difficulty believing that FB members' objections to road hunting are behind the season shortening efforts. I'm sticking with my theory that it's solely related to the increased insurance claims associated with winter weather driving conditions.
 
Pheasant hunting is an important part of SD economy. A shortened season will hurt Businesses. Lots of people other then farmers involved here.
They won't shorten the season.
Road hunting is probably doomed.
They can come up with all kinds of reasons to end road hunting.
 
Downtown Bang! said:
Where do they stand on other important issues.

Do they favor production farming agendas that come at the expense of habitat, soil conservation, water quality and sensible long-term land use?
YES

Do they oppose the acquisition of private land by the SDGF&P for Game Production Areas? YES

Do they oppose the long-term set aside of acreage in federal conservation easements/programs like CREP? YES

What is there position on the over grazing of prairie grouse habitat on federal lands? THEY ARE ALL FOR IT
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I filled in the answers for ya. Glad to help. They certainly are no friend of the conservationists/sportsman!
 
landman said:
Hard to say what their collective position is on these issues. We do know, however, that they will react to the pressures and recommendations around them. We also know that they are appointed by the Governor and they serve three year terms. Therefore we will see turnover in the Commission and along with that changes in views.
Click to expand...

Agiain, I'm not plugged in to what is happening in SD but in MN the Farm Bureau organization has been very vocal and open about such issues. They absolutely oppose the state acquisition of private lands for Wildlife Management Areas. They and a couple legislators single handedly held up the Minnesota River Valley CREP program and although unable to kill it ultimately altered what was to be the permanent set aside of the land to what I believe was a 30-year period.

Just saying that if you look into it there may be more fundamental reasons than their ridiculus position on the length of the pheasant season to withhold your support.

DB
 
If it was up to the farm bureau there would be no wildlife.Let the GF&P make the wildlife regulations.
 
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