landman
New member
Looks like we are 23% below last year but still the fourth highest in 45 years.
http://www.sdgfp.info/GFPnews/News09/8_28_09.htm
http://www.sdgfp.info/GFPnews/News09/8_28_09.htm
Looks like we are 23% below last year but still the fourth highest in 45 years.
http://www.sdgfp.info/GFPnews/News09/8_28_09.htm
Shucks...it might take us all of 4 hours to get our limit instead of being done in 2 or 3!!!
Remind me to not invite Safari to the wedding, he would be the one who takes the "punch bowl" away. It should still be a great year for the SD hunters.
Problem is that there is no end in sight of this freefall. If there was I could be a bit more optimistic. I am not saying I couldn't be happy with 8 million birds but when is the bleeding going to stop?
SD may always be number 1 but only because there are no birds anywhere else. We are headed back to the days where the only good numbers of birds in the country are around Winner and Chamberlain and even those areas wont match up to the numbers we have been accustomed to.
Again where does the bleeding stop?? 750,000 acres?? 500,000 acres?? 250,000 acres??
Remember "Debbie Downer" from Saturday Night Live???? Anyway, I was not surprised that he reappeared when he did..."Pheasant #'s are COLLAPSING from West to East...EXACTLY as I predicted"...detect just a bit of something...something very flawed and unhealthy in the way he worded a few of his statements? Glee...that is the word I was searching for. He even pm'd me to alert me to the fact that the survey had been released and that #'s were down. If I am correct, this was his maiden voyage on this new website...if it wasn't, I know he hasn't been part of it to any degree. Nice way to re-emerge from his absence. The upside to this, and any future drops in bird #'s, is that it will reduce the # of "hunters" that we have had to share the land with over the past decade or so. The funny thing is, all of the areas I hunt in SD are vastly better than the areas I hunt in Mn, and despite that, we have such a good time hunting Mn the handful of days that we do, and we shoot birds there. I could never fathom quitting hunting Mn (or SD) because bird #'s aren't at some prerequisite level needed to impress myself or anyone else that I rub elbows with at cocktail parties back home. It doesn't have to be a "Safari" for me to enjoy myself! Have a great, safe fall....
I don't know how you guys in SD are going to survive on only 9 or 10 million birds. I guess if the count is so low this year I will have to stick to hunting in Kansas.
Starting to plan my big retirement hunt in two years. Heck, when I pull the plug on the day job I am going to start in ND and work my way down through SD, SW MN, IA, NE, KS, OK and end up in the TX panhandle. I am going to try to bag a few birds from each major pheasant state. Good luck to everyone and stay safe.
Remember "Debbie Downer" from Saturday Night Live???? Anyway, I was not surprised that he reappeared when he did..."Pheasant #'s are COLLAPSING from West to East...EXACTLY as I predicted"...detect just a bit of something...something very flawed and unhealthy in the way he worded a few of his statements? Glee...that is the word I was searching for. He even pm'd me to alert me to the fact that the survey had been released and that #'s were down. If I am correct, this was his maiden voyage on this new website...if it wasn't, I know he hasn't been part of it to any degree. Nice way to re-emerge from his absence. The upside to this, and any future drops in bird #'s, is that it will reduce the # of "hunters" that we have had to share the land with over the past decade or so. The funny thing is, all of the areas I hunt in SD are vastly better than the areas I hunt in Mn, and despite that, we have such a good time hunting Mn the handful of days that we do, and we shoot birds there. I could never fathom quitting hunting Mn (or SD) because bird #'s aren't at some prerequisite level needed to impress myself or anyone else that I rub elbows with at cocktail parties back home. It doesn't have to be a "Safari" for me to enjoy myself! Have a great, safe fall....
It is, unfortunately going to have an end very similar to the old "Safari" in many ways:
As game numbers and habitat diminish those remaining in the game (outfitters/hunt promoters) will be forced to stretch the truth, outright lie and promote their business on habitat and game numbers that no longer exist. I HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE GENTLEMEN.
It reminds me if, you will allow me, of a famous African Professional Hunter (PH) I met some time ago. He grew up and made his reputation in the old heyday of East African hunting. He was attempting a comeback after 2 decades of habitat loss, poaching, basically a large scale collapse of the industry. He gave a presentation at a SCI meeting I was attending after his
1st year back in a "prime concession" in Tanzania. After the talk I walked over and spoke with his son who had some photographs he was showing to others. The first was a faded, yellow picture of the PH with a big maned lion. When I asked the son about it he, somewhat embarrassed, admitted it was taken some time ago..yeah about 30 years. The next photo was recent of an immature lesser kudu taken that year. About that time the PH walked over and saw I was looking at that picture and said "I dont know how that picture got in there". I didn't say anything and walked away very sad. The picture was in there because it was the only thing he had to show for a season of dissapointment. It was the last time this PH hunted in Tanzania.
Again gentlemen I have not only seen the movie but have lived it as well.
I don't know how you guys in SD are going to survive on only 9 or 10 million birds. I guess if the count is so low this year I will have to stick to hunting in Kansas.
Starting to plan my big retirement hunt in two years. Heck, when I pull the plug on the day job I am going to start in ND and work my way down through SD, SW MN, IA, NE, KS, OK and end up in the TX panhandle. I am going to try to bag a few birds from each major pheasant state. Good luck to everyone and stay safe.