Making a Difference For Wildlife By Gary Howey
On a recent trip, the main topic of our conversation turned to hunting and how it has changed over the years.
Several of the individuals were expressing their pessimistic views about where hunting has gone and why the no longer participate in the sport.
They felt that the sport had literally went to H—, placing the blame on everyone but themselves.
Well, being the quiet reserved shy type person that I am, I jumped right in with both feet, feeling them out and trying to figure out why they felt this way.
One was a fairly well to do businessman and the other a landowner, both of which could be doing a lot to help promote or improve hunting. Unfortunately, it looked to me as neither of them did anything to promote or help to improve the hunting in the area.
My first question was directed to them was asking if they were involved in any of the conservation groups such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, The Wild Turkey Federation, Whitetails Unlimited or the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation?
I guess I knew their answer, but I wanted to make sure I had one before I went on.
Their reply was no, they didn’t belong to any of them because all they did was to take our money: my reply to him was, really?
They like many others really were uninformed and didn’t have a clue as to all that these organizatio
ns do for wildlife and to the sport of hunting.
Then I proceeded to explain at length the numerous things these organizations have or can do for wildlife and the hunting in the upper Midwest.
All of the above mentioned groups have either purchased land that’s open to hunting as well as contributing funds to enhance and develop wetlands or other wildlife habitat.
They also have mentor hunts taking kids out into the field, highlighting safe hunting and conservation while giving many of these kids their first opportunity to go hunting.
Again, their reply was, Really, we didn’t know that.
I then proceeded to explain how these groups work closely with the Game, Fish & Parks and DNR to help purchase land or develop wildlife habitat on the public land.
The, that dumb look came over their faces as they realized that instead of complaining all these years about how bad hunting was and that hunting was becoming a rich man’s sport that perhaps there was something they could have been doing to improve both the habitat and hunting.
I then asked the landowner what he raised on his land and what type of conservation practices and his comment was that he had a corn/bean rotation depending on what was bringing the highest prices.
Well as anyone knows, wildlife can’t live in corn and beans, sure, mature corn makes a great place for wildlife to hide, but there’s no value there when it comes to nesting or roosting areas for birds or bedding areas for deer when crops are first planted.
He went on to explain that much of his ground was irrigated and he did his best to plant on the contour to keep erosion at a minimum.
As our conversation continued, I asked him what he planted on the pivot corners, his answer was native grass, which he indicated wasn’t much good for anything so bailed it and used for bedding.
That’s when I asked him if he’d ever thought about enrolling that ground into a program that’s available through the Game & Parks, N.R.C.S. or N.R.D.’s where the landowner receives a payment for leaving pivot corners alone, creating wildlife habitat on his land.
He sheepishly said, “Didn’t know you could do that, how much does it pay?”
I told him that different states and areas have different programs. Maybe it would be a good idea to check with them to find out about the many programs available that could put a few bucks in his pocket-creating habitat at the same time.
They left the café, probably thinking that they’d run into someone who talked too much, but hopefully some of the things I mentioned will sink in and the next time I’m through the area, they will be telling folks about how simple and inexpensive it is to create habitat, helping to improve the local hunting.
Of course, I may have wasted my breath, but if they do even a small part of what we talked about, I did my part to help wildlife and the sport of hunting.
It doesn’t take much, maybe a little time to talk with someone to educate them about how little it takes to improve wildlife habitat, so don’t set around on your hands and not do anything.
Join these conservation groups, talk with the N.R.C.S, N.R.D, Soil and Water Conservation, Game & Parks and D.N.R. to find out what you can don’t improve both the habitat and the hunting in your area.