CLAYBUSTER
New member
My first trip to Iowa (from North Carolina) to hunt pheasants was in 1978, which thankfully I have been able to continue each year since. My little group has hunted in Iowa, SD, ND, Nebraska and Kansas. This fall was our sixth trip to NW Kansas, and unfortunately, the worst. There were three hunters with six excellent bird dogs, and we hunted from Nov. 10th until Nov. 20th, and over that 10 day period, we managed to bag 26 roosters and 42 quail as well as getting in good physical shape after all of the walking. I am not complaining about the bag limit, because this sport in hunting, not killing. We adjusted our hunting tactics and after a couple of frustrating days, we began to locate the pheasants.
What is so depressing are the current conditions of the habitat, the total lack of moisture, and the poor prospects for 2013. The farmers are in a maintenance mode, with low harvest yields they are trying to keep their cattle alive. But, after they have mowed the CRP, and to then temporarily pasture the CRP reduces the habitat for the birds dramatically. My concern is for the future. That region desperately needs rain and cooler temperatures. Hopefully, this winter, they will get the rain and snow. Then by next spring the habitat will start to recover, and the birds will start a come back. But, if they do not, it will be very poor prospects for 2013.
With the current drought conditions, the poor corp production, mowing and pasturing of the CRP, along with the loss of CRP for crop production, we are beginning to see the steady decline of birds. Every reader of this website should be a member of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and contribute to their worthy cause. The ability to hunt these areas of the midwest is a privilege and must be continued for future generations. I have seen the loss of habitat in western Iowa for corn production and today, they have one of the lowest pheasant populations. In order to hunt wild birds, you must have habitat. We can all do our part by joining these conservation groups. If you access to some land, work with PF and create a pheasant habitat. This is a group effort and only as a group will we keep this sport alive.
What is so depressing are the current conditions of the habitat, the total lack of moisture, and the poor prospects for 2013. The farmers are in a maintenance mode, with low harvest yields they are trying to keep their cattle alive. But, after they have mowed the CRP, and to then temporarily pasture the CRP reduces the habitat for the birds dramatically. My concern is for the future. That region desperately needs rain and cooler temperatures. Hopefully, this winter, they will get the rain and snow. Then by next spring the habitat will start to recover, and the birds will start a come back. But, if they do not, it will be very poor prospects for 2013.
With the current drought conditions, the poor corp production, mowing and pasturing of the CRP, along with the loss of CRP for crop production, we are beginning to see the steady decline of birds. Every reader of this website should be a member of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and contribute to their worthy cause. The ability to hunt these areas of the midwest is a privilege and must be continued for future generations. I have seen the loss of habitat in western Iowa for corn production and today, they have one of the lowest pheasant populations. In order to hunt wild birds, you must have habitat. We can all do our part by joining these conservation groups. If you access to some land, work with PF and create a pheasant habitat. This is a group effort and only as a group will we keep this sport alive.