Habitat Fragmentation

[pheasantaddict]

At what point will habitat fragmentation in Iowa become so bad for the pheasant that there will no longer be a hunting season? In about 15 yrs we went from 200,000 hunters to 46,000. A harvest of over 1 million to 100,000. If we stay on the same course there would be 11,000 hunters and a harvest of 10,000 pheasants in another 15 yrs.

 

[oldandnew]

At what point will habitat fragmentation in Iowa become so bad for the pheasant that there will no longer be a hunting season? In about 15 yrs we went from 200,000 hunters to 46,000. A harvest of over 1 million to 100,000. If we stay on the same course there would be 11,000 hunters and a harvest of 10,000 pheasants in another 15 yrs.

Welcome to Missouri! Thats where we are now. All points east as fragmented and have token populations now. Penn-Ohio-Indiana-Illinois-making a pretty good claim on Eastern Kansas, and eastern South Dakota currently. Iowa you might be next!

 

[birddog456]

Who is to blame, one might ask, so that if there is a desire, we can fix the problem? All I know is that I am doing my part on my small 80 acre piece. Spent $18,000 to replant diversified habitat to receive $97,000 over the next ten years in crp. I know I could have made more cash renting to a cropper, AND had NO out of pocket expense. Some may view that as stupidity, but I bought this ground to always have a place to hunt. As it is, pans out to be a tremendous investment...will be paid for with $35,000 out of pocket, and will easily make it back.
Lost a 160 south to the plow in '07, losing 80 a half mile west in '14, and maybe 120 directly west. Owner unsure. I know that not all people share my sense of values, and I don't find them at fault. All in all, I have great neighbors. They have done a lot for me asking for nothing in return. When I first went out there 12 years ago, neighbor west of me said "what's fair is fair, I hunt your ground, might as well go ahead and hunt mine". That was my first lesson learned as a new landowner, an unwritten law of the land, being neighborly.
Times are changing, land is selling to investers, the price is going UP! More ground being turned by the plow to produce crops because of overseas demand. No more neighborly farms, no more out of state hunter. Also wonder what impact that has on the small town economy? I know of one small town restaurant that closed, and if anyone is interested , you can buy it for less than $14,000.

 

[pheasantaddict]

Thanks for doing your part.

 

[UGUIDE]

PA, PF has made a major investment in Iowa. They have more Farm Bill Biologists staffed there than any other state. I believe they launched a major campaign in the state as well.

Are you seeing any impact? what are they doing in your state? Iowa has a history and passion for pheasants. Now they have seen the heyday and the heywherearetheyday. Game and fish must miss the money from licenses. Maybe they are getting it from whitetails.

Find your lead FBB dog in the state and see what is going on. I bet some good things.

 

[birddog456]

PA, PF has made a major investment in Iowa. They have more Farm Bill Biologists staffed there than any other state. I believe they launched a major campaign in the state as well.

Are you seeing any impact? what are they doing in your state? Iowa has a history and passion for pheasants. Now they have seen the heyday and the heywherearetheyday. Game and fish must miss the money from licenses. Maybe they are getting it from whitetails.

Find your lead FBB dog in the state and see what is going on. I bet some good things.

Met with NRCS biologist when I was out in Iowa last month. I asked him if there were any funding programs out there, all he said maybe some food plot seed from P F, that things were really tight. Pheasants forever hasen't seemed interested in helping me for the last 5 years, but they didn't mind taking my money at their banquets so I gave up on them. As far as the DNR, I see and hear more that whitetail numbers and license sales are down, with non-resident license cost out of site. Some of the seasons were shortened or eliminated depending on where you were in the state. My county made available 5400 licenses while many had 0.The insurance companies and the farm bureau would like the whitetail population wiped out, and seemed to be in control of the deer management through lobbying efforts. So if anything is happening in Iowa concerning pheasant or quail, most of what I see is falling to the plow, wetlands tiled, fields terraced, fencelines ripped out...

 

[UGUIDE]

Met with NRCS biologist when I was out in Iowa last month. I asked him if there were any funding programs out there, all he said maybe some food plot seed from P F, that things were really tight. Pheasants forever hasen't seemed interested in helping me for the last 5 years, but they didn't mind taking my money at their banquets so I gave up on them. As far as the DNR, I see and hear more that whitetail numbers and license sales are down, with non-resident license cost out of site. Some of the seasons were shortened or eliminated depending on where you were in the state. My county made available 5400 licenses while many had 0.The insurance companies and the farm bureau would like the whitetail population wiped out, and seemed to be in control of the deer management through lobbying efforts. So if anything is happening in Iowa concerning pheasant or quail, most of what I see is falling to the plow, wetlands tiled, fields terraced, fencelines ripped out...

PF has 12 FBB's staff to help landowners implement government programs like CRP. With the farm bill on hold they are on hold like you said. No monies come from PF to landowners other than thru food plot seed.

They would also offer technical assistance on habitat implementations on your farm on non crp prgrams.

 

[Jack L]

In addition to the Farm Bill Biologists and seed the best thing PF does is lobby for pheasants and conservation of uplands in congress. PF along with other sportsman organizations represent our voice in Washington. The farm bill is the biggest factor is pheasant numbers. See, CRP. Without our money there is no lobbying, without lobbying there will be no component of conservation in the farm bill.

I remember Iowa prior to PF and CRP in the 80's. Do not want to go back there.

 

[birddog456]

At what point will habitat fragmentation in Iowa become so bad for the pheasant that there will no longer be a hunting season? In about 15 yrs we went from 200,000 hunters to 46,000. A harvest of over 1 million to 100,000. If we stay on the same course there would be 11,000 hunters and a harvest of 10,000 pheasants in another 15 yrs.

Averages out to a fraction of a bird per hunter. Not even worth buying a license at that point. Not much of a point in buying one now if you are out of state. If and when it reaches that point, you will only find the die-hard hunter committed to his dog, guys like fcs, k-bell, nstric, iowa labs...maybe me(retired and living on my 80 on the descent days at 68 years old, Lord willing).

 

[Fred74]

I live in NW Iowa (Emmet county). We are fairly blessed here for the most part, something like 40,000+ acres of public land, but all the groves and CRP are dissappearing. Even with all the that acreage, it's still depressing. I remember some of the best years in the eighties and even our last great year in 1993. Even the fishing at some of our smaller lakes is pathetic compared to what it was like when I was younger. And yes, the deer numbers are really down. I hate to say it but the farming practice/style that has been used is wrecking our outdoor quality of life. I have friends that farm, and it's not really a conversation I like to have with them. But, on the other hand, who can blame them. Most of us would like to make every cent we can.

My daughter graduates from high school in a few years,, I'd like to get out of here by then or a few years shortly after. I t may just be time to say goodbye to the Hawkeye state.

I'm really fearful of what hunting might be like here in the next 10-20 years.

 

[birddog456]

PA, PF has made a major investment in Iowa. They have more Farm Bill Biologists staffed there than any other state. I believe they launched a major campaign in the state as well.

Are you seeing any impact? what are they doing in your state? Iowa has a history and passion for pheasants. Now they have seen the heyday and the heywherearetheyday. Game and fish must miss the money from licenses. Maybe they are getting it from whitetails.

Find your lead FBB dog in the state and see what is going on. I bet some good things.

Makes a person wonder why P F/Q F made such a commitment to the state...what makes them think they can compete against the dollar. If they won't help a willing landowner, how are they going to convince a landowner that habitat and less money is in their best interest? I wish them well in their effort.
Maybe some of the big boys at P F/Q F should take the time to scroll through this forum and gain another perspective. They call themselves a "grassroots" organization, don't get any more grassroots than this. If they do, no one ever bothered trying to contact me.

 

[pheasantaddict]

Sorry been gone for awhile. No impact in Iowa from PF. I recently moved to an area that has some pheasants so the dogs and I can still see a few, but it is all public ground. The area I used to live in had plenty of buffers and crp ground. It is about all gone now. Hard to imagine after 39 yrs of pheasant hunting in Iowa.