Iowa the best pheasant state again.

pheasantaddict

pheasantaddict

New member
What do we ( hunters in Iowa) need to do to regain our rightful position as the National Champions of pheasant hunting? We dominated the field in 80's and 90's crushing would be contenders like SD. Like many programs, we have fallen. Its time to rebuild ( or RELOAD IOWA as they are calling it). I say the future looks bright and with new leaderership, conservation programs, and the hard working people of Iowa. We will once again be crowned National Champs. A little competion is a good thing if it brings cleaner water, better land stewardship, and more pheasants. Its on SD!
 
Those were the days before the commercialization of pheasant hunting began. There is a lot of incentinve in SD these days to have large bird numbers. Iowa will never have commercial hunting of pheasants like SD does (probably a good thing for us).With the price of land in Iowa and the intensive farming practices of today I am afraid Iowa will not be the champs again.
 
Potential for 300 bushel corn and $6000+/ACRE ground does not a good pheasant state make.

Read the SD Pheasant Mgmt Report in my other post and you will have some issues and answers.

I did just read an article in Mpls Tribune that says new Federal money for Missisippi watershed projects (conservation) for 11 states including Iowa for $320 million.

A fram the best and buffer the rest approach will help.
 
Two simple changes would fill Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania with pheasants. Eliminate the mandatory use of ethanol in gasoline. End farm price supports. Corn would fall to $1, and pheasant habitat would be everywhere. I lived in central Ohio in the mid-sixties, and there were lots of pheasants, now there are very few.

Of course many farmers would go broke, and farm belt politicians would be thrown out of office......

Of course those things won't happen. However there is still plenty of land in ND where $50 CRP payments look attractive, and I'll bet that within just a few years, ND will be the premier pheasant state.

Check this out @ $425/acre. Can you grow pheasants here or what?

http://www.prairieroserealty.com/davis_schaeffer_n__land_for_sale.htm

and this - http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ra2003_blue/ra03091.htm
 
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The potential is there with changes in farming practices that will occur in the future and establishing millions of acres of buffers. I see us regaining the title in the future. Then all the Iowa border crossers will no longer have to wait for nightfall to sneak into SD, but once again can hold their heads up high and hunt in Iowa.
 
pheasantaddict said:
The potential is there with changes in farming practices that will occur in the future and establishing millions of acres of buffers. I see us regaining the title in the future. Then all the Iowa border crossers will no longer have to wait for nightfall to sneak into SD, but once again can hold their heads up high and hunt in Iowa.
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At 200 bu/acre and $4 corn farmers will plant every square foot. Buffers? Who's going to pay for the lost corn production? Iowans will plant their land, every square foot of dirt.

I don't blame them for that. What should a farmer do, give up 75 acres on every section, 15,000 bushels, $60,000, so that strangers can shoot some pheasants? I would not, would you?

I expect the attitude of most farmers is: "Screw pheasant hunters, I'm trying to make a living from my land. Grow pheasants so some rude jerks can bang away on my land, shoot my daughter's pet cat, and throw beer cans in my ditches? No Thanks."

That's what I'd think if I were a farmer.
 
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jnormanh said:
At 200 bu/acre and $4 corn farmers will plant every square foot. Buffers? Who's going to pay for the lost corn production? Iowans will plant their land, every square foot of dirt.

I don't blame them for that. What should a farmer do, give up 75 acres on every section, 15,000 bushels, $60,000, so that strangers can shoot some pheasants? I would not, would you?

I expect the attitude of most farmers is: "Screw pheasant hunters, I'm trying to make a living from my land. Grow pheasants so some rude jerks can bang away on my land, shoot my daughter's pet cat, and throw beer cans in my ditches? No Thanks."

That's what I'd think if I were a farmer.
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its a good thing all farmers do not think like you
 
Yes, most farmers do think that way. Why do you think you see so many Posted signs. J is right they get tired of cleaning up beer cans, lunch stuff and you name it. Until the hunter gets some respect for the farmers land and him. Things will not change......Bob
 
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jnormanh said:
At 200 bu/acre and $4 corn farmers will plant every square foot. Buffers? Who's going to pay for the lost corn production? Iowans will plant their land, every square foot of dirt.

I don't blame them for that. What should a farmer do, give up 75 acres on every section, 15,000 bushels, $60,000, so that strangers can shoot some pheasants? I would not, would you?

I expect the attitude of most farmers is: "Screw pheasant hunters, I'm trying to make a living from my land. Grow pheasants so some rude jerks can bang away on my land, shoot my daughter's pet cat, and throw beer cans in my ditches? No Thanks."

That's what I'd think if I were a farmer.
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Well said, and very true. If you look at the GF&P's Management plan that Uguide posted on another thread you will find on the bottom of page 13 that over half of all CRP is enrolled by retirees or landowners who do not consider farming as their only occupation. The truth of the matter is that if we left CRP up to only farmers they would resoundedly do away with it. CRP, for the most part, is a public benefit in that it improves water quality, reduces erosion, provides recreation benefits and helps wildlife flourish.
 
That land NE of Wing, ND looks attractive at $425/acre, but that area is not in prime pheasant country. My guess it's marginal pheasant country. None the less, any land today at $425/acre looks like a good buy.
 
The thing your forgetting is when a farmer is getting $4+ corn they are making alot of money. When your setting good, 15 acres here and there is not going to effect your bottom line. In Iowa, the vast majority of landowners are over 60 and are concerned about the land and thats why you still see new buffers every year. Buffers will keep expanding no matter what the price of corn or land is. Its a win win situation for everyone, landowners, fisherman, hunters, and non hunters. People around here still have values other than money, this ain't wall st.
 
"The thing your forgetting is when a farmer is getting $4+ corn they are making alot of money."

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Pheasantaddict,
I don't know what farmers you are talking with....but at $4/bu. corn...farmers are not making a LOT of money! Input costs have gone through the roof after last year's spike in corn prices. Farmers made some good money last year. But machinery costs and all inputs including cash rents continue to sky rocket!

Farmers here in S Indiana, where we commonly raise 200 bu. corn, say that $4 is about their break even point. Farming presently is big business with huge risk....sometimes profit margins are very small. I find that conservation/wildlife habitat is not even on most farmers radar. Especially those whose primary living comes from farming. We are loosing more and more habitat every year.
 
Boomer-IN;11564I find that conservation/wildlife habitat is not even on most farmers radar. Especially those whose primary living comes from farming. We are loosing more and more habitat every year.[/QUOTE said:
Well said.

The day that the Habitat Forum has more threads, posts and views than any other forum will be the day when the pheasant returns. The key point here is "interest". Sad to say but overall, even for many pheasant hunters let alone landowners, habitat is not very interesting.
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The reason Iowa used to kill more birds than SD was because there was more hunters in Iowa. Theres no other reason. Thats it. No loss of habitat, no decrease in bird numbers, nothing. Iowa had 250,000 hunters to Sd's 100,000. Has Iowa lost habitat and had a decrease in bird numbers? Yes and yes. But it wouldnt matter because SD has nearly doubled its license sales since the 80s, where in Iowa bird hunter numbers are down to 110,000. Theres always been more birds in SD. A hunter in Iowa can kill 100 birds in a year just as easy as he can in SD. After all, they only add up at 3 per day no matter where you are.

Here whats gonna turn habitat around in Iowa and all U.S. farming states: Start-up capital in South America. Corn will go to $.50 a bushel when millions and millions of acres of row crops start being grown down there. You think the farm program is big now wait until that happens.

The main reason for pheasant numbers to fall in Iowa is the weather. Most of Iowa for 3 years has had very strong spring and summer rains. If that happens anywhere you are dun4. I remember 1997 when you couldnt buy a limit of roosters in SD after that winter. But with perfect nesting conditions, the next year 98, was my best year ever.
 
UGUIDE said:
Well said.

The day that the Habitat Forum has more threads, posts and views than any other forum will be the day when the pheasant returns. The key point here is "interest". Sad to say but overall, even for many pheasant hunters let alone landowners, habitat is not very interesting.
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I agree with this %100 UGUIDE. The day land becomes affordable enough (or I start making enough money to afford it at current prices) I'll become much more interested in what I can do for habitat. At this point, I'm only a spectator. The only involvement that I can afford is a membership to Pheasants Forever, contacting my goverment reps when necessary, and buying a hunting license; I also encourage new people into the sport, which I believe will help in the long run. Now, what can the average pheasant hunter outside of these things to assist with the improvement of habitat trends?
 
kansasbrittany said:
I agree with this %100 UGUIDE. The day land becomes affordable enough (or I start making enough money to afford it at current prices) I'll become much more interested in what I can do for habitat. At this point, I'm only a spectator. The only involvement that I can afford is a membership to Pheasants Forever, contacting my goverment reps when necessary, and buying a hunting license; I also encourage new people into the sport, which I believe will help in the long run. Now, what can the average pheasant hunter outside of these things to assist with the improvement of habitat trends?
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KB, I have another option that is cheaper than owning land and you can help support habitat. Come and hunt at a UGUIDE Pheasant camp for $420-$820 a person for 4 nights lodging and 3-days hunting. You can't come close to owning a slice of pheasant hunting heaven for anywhere near that price.

Just a suggestion and another option on the table.
 
pheasantaddict said:
Habitat is the main reason.
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No its not. Because if you had 5 times as many birds there still would be no one to shoot them. Bird numbers are not limiting the harvest numbers now. There just isnt very many hunters. If Iowa still had 2.5 times as many hunters as SD does, like it did in the 80s, Iowa would still kill more birds. I dont think Iowa ever had more birds on any kind of a rolling average. SD just has too much land that is unfarmable or not worth farming.
 
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