January 2009 Updates page 2
3 January
Bobwhite Quail
Always enjoy the hunters that enjoy their dogs. Some pictures from a long distance traveling grouse woods hunter from his first of the year trip to his Association's land.
Thank you Carl. Each picture is that much more motivation to make one more hunt.
There has to be a reason upland bird hunters hunt with their Association for decades beyond that of bagging daily limits.
Farm Friendly ='s Conservation Unfriendly + More
"South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFB) is urging Gov. Mike Rounds to not opt in to the "Sod Saver" provision of the new Farm Bill. Governors of South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and Iowa were given the option of deciding whether or not to subject some landowners in their state to the restrictions of the Sod Saver provision...it would bar landowners who convert native sod to cropland from obtaining Federal Crop Insurance coverage or from eligibility for disaster assistance..."
SD Farm Bureau to Governor Rounds: 'No' on Sod Saver, January 02, 2009, The Green Sheet Farm Forum.
The "sod saver" provision concerns private farm land that has been and currently is covered with native grasses. Such land is not suitable for tillage and crop production otherwise it would have been in crops long ago. What is occurring is that farmers pushing their tillage acreage into land not suited for tillage are creating as can be predicted "ruined" land in terms of soil and water erosion affecting drinking water quality. This type of aggressive farming practices creates the succession type habitat heavily used by wildlife. It also creates opportunity for tax payer abuse in that placing crops on such ground raises risk of crop failure and subsequent higher tax payer dollar support in terms of federal crop insurance. These grasslands in addition to being heavily affected by nature are typically within floodplain's of river systems where a building permit cannot be issued. Any farmer planting crops in these high risk areas and then enrolling in the federal crop insurance program is insuring he makes an income in spite of common sense and tax dollar stewardship. What the government in the USDA is trying to achieve is prevention of what past experience has shown as a waste of tax dollars by creating regulations such as "sod saver" that states if farmers chose to plant crops in high risk areas they are not eligible for federal relief in case of natural disaster or crop failure. This is a time when the USDA is demonstrating tax dollar stewardship and government efficiency that is opposed by the Farm Lobby.
Aggressive Farming Creating Wildlife Habitat
A tractor wheel swallowing erosion ditch developed since last September's winter wheat planting as seen in November. In less than three months an erosion ditch greater than what next year's tillage will be able to compensate for will add to the succession edge habitat of the immediately visible volunteer grass and weeds, to the deeper in brush line to the expanding woodlot. This farm is a fair Whitetail Deer hunting spot and a great Bobwhite Quail hunting farm getting better with each planting season. A contributing factor to this increasing habitat brought by aggressive farming is the landowner and the tenant farmer are two different people. The tenant farmer has the short term perspective of getting the most he can out of the land at as low a cost level as possible. Conservation practices work against the short term profit margin. This is opposed to a landowner farmer that typically has a more long term perspective of sustaining the entire acreage production for years to come.
Once again a hunter related federal issue rises to national level without any hunter friendly conservation group involvement. Perhaps that is the plan as in many of these highlighted cases the Farm Lobby wins, hunters win and water conservation loses. The hunter friendly conservation groups gain without expenditure of resources. A hunting industry strategy that works in some cases and fails in others such as it has with what is commonly known as regular CRP.
Reservations
What should not need be said needs to be stated as a reminder. When making reservations have a calendar and the MAHA map sheet out and in front when on the telephone. Record locations and days accurately. Even "honest" mistakes on days or places get our attention. Honest mistakes are added to the year-end evaluation.
