April 2010 Updates page 10
28 April
Attached is a photo of a typical day in the pheasant fields for my dog and I during the 2009/2010 season. I normally don't take the time to take many photos but as my dog ages I'm making it point to capture her for future reminders. Overall it was a very successful year on all accounts. As you know the weather was challenging at times. I'm not a quail hunter and rarely harvest quail but we found conveys of quail on every hunt. Thanks, Ed
Thanks Ed, great picture.
Farming
There will be a lot of corn this year.
"Corn-planting progress is incredible, and that means farmers are going plant more corn than the USDA estimated, Gerlach said. 'People will be surprised' by how many acres will be planted on ground that was left idle by rains the past two years and how much is shifted from other crops"
Corn Falls to Three-Week Low as Farmers Accelerate Planting, April 27, 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek, Jeff Wilson
No movement on CRP.
As the next farm bill is crafted, it appears a shift from commodity programs to rural development will be a focus for the Obama administration...Moran [Kansas Congressman] also wanted to know about a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up. "When will that sign-up occur? If the sign-up is in July or August, we probably need a short-term extension for land coming out of CRP." The USDA is "awaiting the additional environmental information that must be completed as a condition preceding the general sign-up," said Vilsack. "Our hope is it is done expeditiously. We recognize the pressure that producers, landowners and we're under to get this done as quickly as possible. I'm a bit concerned about committing to a specific month (for sign-up) … but we're anxious to get this done quickly."
Next farm bill: shift to rural development? Apr 27, 2010, Southwest Farm Press, David Bennett
27 April
Julie finished off the 2010 Kansas Youth Turkey season the same way she started it. Two series of soft tree yelps off her push-pull call….and this big tom angrily flew down and attacked our DSD jake decoy…after the third attack…he cleared the decoy…came into aggressive strut….and Julie pulled the hammer…26.2 pounds….10 1/2 inch beard…and 1 and 7/8" spurs. It's been a blessed weekend in the woods with my bestest gal! Thanks again! Steve
Congratulations to Julie, a star performance.
See Julie's web page of turkey hunting success.
30 April
Gary's third of six. Congratulations!
Thank you Gary for sharing your pictures.
Missouri Youth Turkey
Missouri Department of Conservation offers a certificate for all youths that harvest their first turkey. See http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/806.pdf. From fellow Association hunter James. Thanks for the heads-up.
29 April
This is one of those "Wow" events. A father with two children on the same hunt tag two toms. That is the best it gets. Congratulations to Dad, Daisy and Hayden!
Then Dad went out and tagged his.
Great Dads make great kids. Thank you for what you have done. Bringing up two new hunters is less common than most want to think.