Now, I said I was driving a Suburban, so it’s a given that I needed to get fuel, so I drove a few blocks to the nearest convienience store and started to gas up, leaving Tucker roaming in the cab, all the while wearing his flourecenent orange/yellow protective vest.   I noticed a car pull up next to my truck and a few times I noticed the passenger of the vehicle pointing at my dog and talking to the driver, who had gotten out to put fuel in the car.

I went inside to pick up a few last-minute provisions and pay and strolled back out to the truck.  The car that had been fueling next to me started to pull away, but stopped once it got past my Suburban.  I was approached by the passenger, who said she was admiring my dog while I was in the store.

To fully set the scene, I was dressed in hunting brush pants with protective layers on the front, a hunting shirt with a pheasant on the pocket and several orange patches on the shoulders and forearms.  Tucker had a protective vest, electronic collar and a bell (so I can tell where he is in heavy cover).  There was an unloaded shotgun on the front seat, a box of shells on the dashboard, a P.L.O.T.S. map on the center arm of the seat, and binoculars in the passenger seat.

The lady approached me and in a very pleasant manner asked if she could see Tucker.  I called him to the front seat, and he greeted her like he does everyone, rear-end waving back and forth and eagerly waiting to be petted.  She said she noticed the vest and asked if he was a rescue dog.  I said that we were headed out hunting, and the vest was so I could see him better and also to protect his coat and underside from fences and tangles.

Her demeanor instantly changed from pleasant to hostile.  She stepped back from the dog and me, and squared up, looking ready to argue.

The next words are so ignorant that I couldn’t make them up.  She said, and I quote, “How can you FORCE that dog to hunt?”

Force?  FORCE?  The last thing I have to do with Tucker to get him out hunting is FORCE him to come with.  She obviously missed the comical display today, or every other day we go hunting.  Tucker gets excited almost to the point of causing damage to our home.  He runs wildly through the house and whines constantly until I get fully dressed and can get him into the truck.  My wife and daughter stand by and laugh as he acts like a kid who can’t wait to go to McDonalds.  There is no FORCING him to go hunting.

I explained all of this to the woman, and she stated that she didn’t care for hunting and feels sorry for these dogs who are pushed beyond their physical means and mistreated. 

I could have done one of two things here.  I could have stayed at the gas station and had a discussion on the merits of hunting, the charateristics of this dog breed, and how my particular dog is treated.  Or, I could just end the discussion and leave, getting on with my fun day spent alone in the prairies of North Dakota with Tucker.

I simply stated that I did not wish to continue this discussion, got in my truck, and drove off.  I didn’t look back to see her expression, or if she had any more to say, but I did stop the truck later down the road to make sure no PETA stickers or other propaganda had been placed on my truck, which hadn’t.

So why write this blog post?  Simply for this… it could happen to you.  I’ve heard of this happening and never though it would be here in North Dakota, where the hunting heritage is pretty much taken for granted.  I thought about how much worse it could have been.  She could have let Tucker loose while I was inside, or worse yet, take him.  She could have sabotaged my vehicle and drove off.  She could have plastered my vehicle with anti-hunting propaganda messages. 

This anti-hunting movement is real.  It is invading further and further each and every day, and if allowed to continue to gain momentum, will destroy a valuable source of taxpayer dollars that go towards conservation, a source of commerce for small-towns  and income for many landowners, and a recreational activity for friends and families across the nation.

I regret not taking more time to argue with this woman, if only to make sure she heard the argument FOR hunting, and for me to continue to hear the counter-arguments.  Educate yourselves, educate your friends, educate your kids, and take your dogs hunting. 

But don’t FORCE them, that would be mean.

The ND Game and Fish Department is giving away 5 MUZZLELOADERS and 100 SAGEN SAWS for people who donate deer heads for the purpose of CWD and TB testing. The NDGF needs deer samples from the Western and NE corner of the state for the purpose of CWD and TB testing. If you hunt in units 2C, 2D, 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3B1, 3B2, 3D1, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F and you submit your adult doe or buck heads for the purpose of CWD and TB testing you will automatically be entered in our Hunter Cooperator Drawing to win a muzzleloader or a Sagen saw.

For more information and drop-off locations visit our website:  http://gf.nd.gov/

Thank you for your assistance,

Daniel Grove, DVM
Wildlife Veterinarian
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
100 N Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701-328-6300
Fax: 701-328-6352

Pheasants Forever looks to triple number of Farm Bill Biologists in state

Bismarck, ND – August 11, 2009 – North Dakota Pheasants Forever announces tickets for its 2009 “21 Gun Salute” raffle are on sale now. Only 2,100 tickets are available, and all proceeds from the raffle will be used to expand Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program in the state.

Guns included in the 21 Gun Salute include recognizable names such as Franchi, Beretta, Winchester, Browning, Benelli, Remington, Stoeger and more. Tickets for a chance at winning one of the 21 guns are $20, and winners will be drawn on January 8th, 2010, at the North Dakota Pheasants Forever State Habitat Convention in Mandan.

“We’re pleased to offer a fun raffle that gives hunters, conservationists and gun enthusiasts the opportunity to win some top-of-the-line firearms, all in the name of creating wildlife habitat” said Jesse Beckers, Pheasants Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist in North Dakota, “Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is off to a strong start in North Dakota, and this raffle will help generate funding to continue the much-needed expansion of the program.”

Designed to educate farmers and landowners about the benefits of conservation programs (such as the Conservation Reserve Program) as well as assist those farmers and landowners after programs have been implemented, Pheasants Forever first began employing Farm Bill Biologists in 2003 and now has 36 Farm Bill Biologists working in six states – Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In just over six years, Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 28,065 landowners, resulting in the improvement of nearly 1.3 million acres!

Since May of 2008, Pheasants Forever has had one Farm Bill Biologist in North Dakota, Steve Stensgard, based out of Jamestown, who has contacted and consulted with over 500 landowners, and planned approximately 32,000 acres through the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Technical Assistance.

“Steve is proof of how successful this program can be,” Beckers said, “In a state that is losing Conservation Reserve Program acres literally by the thousands, expanding this program will help us regain some of that critical habitat one acre at a time.” Pheasants Forever is currently looking to add additional Farm Bill Biologists in Dickinson and Forman.

TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET for the North Dakota 21 Gun Salute, make check payable to Pheasants Forever, 624 6th Ave. NW, Valley City, North Dakota 58072, or contact Jesse Beckers at (701)202-8120 or via email jbeckers@pheasantsforever.org.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

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For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

If you would like to be removed from the Pheasants Forever mailing list, please reply “REMOVE” to this email. Thank You.

The Bismarck Tribune is reporting

Tony Dean (pictured) was the host of several television and radio shows, and also contributed to numerous websites and magazines, including TonyDean.com and Dakota Country Magazine.

He was a champion of the North and South Dakota sportsmen, and a staunch defender of conservation.  His mellow voice will be dearly missed on tv and radio, and his biting intelligence will leave a void in the defense of the welfare of habitat and wildlife.

I’ve always said that Mr. Dean had it figured out.  Somehow he managed to figure out a way to make a living hunting and fishing the Great Plains.  It seems unfair that his life was cut short by something as trivial as an appendix surgery.

Dean won more than 160 regional and national awards for his programs. He also served as a press secretary for former South Dakota Gov. Frank Farrar.

Godspeed Tony Dean.  You have enriched the lives of so many, and will live on in our memories.

Below is a link to Tony’s last Dakota Backroads audio show from 10/3/2008.

Last week I was driving around the SW North Dakota countryside with windows rolled down, short-sleeved shirts on, and sweating like crazy.  It was 80+ degrees and I was out crawling for pronghorns. 

Fast-forward to the upcoming weekend.  Same area.  Same hunting season.  Same hunter.  Forecast is for 30 degrees, snow mixed with rain (up to 12″ of snow in some areas), and 30mph winds.  Global warming my a$$!

But just 150 miles NE of the storm in Bismarck/Mandan, ND, where I live, the forecast if for 50 degrees and rain.  That mans that somewhere between here and my hunting area there’s going to be a wardrobe change.  Where that boundry is, no one knows, but now I have to pack tons of extra clothing just to chase a dog-sized “big game” animal around, and a colorful chicken?

Damn right I do!  It’s October in North Dakota.  Upredicable weather and hunting season!  It just doens’t get any better than this (copyright Old Milwaukee Beer).

The new bridge was constructed over the last couple of years and should be finished some time this month, allowing the destruction of the rest of the bridge.

I know this doesn’t really have anything to do with hunting or fishing, but it was cool to watch anyway.  Here’s a video of the destruction from the Bismarck side of the river.

Recently Doug published an article outlining his frustration with the lack of concern over clean water and air, something we take for granted in North Dakota.  His article was very inciteful, and took some well-deserved shots at politicians and special interest groups.

Check out Doug Leier’s article here, and visit OutdoorNewsGuy.com for more of his excellent writing and broadcasting.

The 2008 Farm Bill that the Senate passed didn’t offer much for conservation, but the Senate Appropriations Committee just whacked off another $331 billion, an 8 percent cut of Farm Bill Conservation titles.

We’ve learned the cuts apply to five conservation provisions: the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (Equip) losing 22 percent, the Grazing Reserve Program, 23 percent, Agrocultural Management Assistance Program, 33 percent, and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) also getting a significant cutback in funding.

The Farm and Ranchland Protection program also was cut 2 percent.

All of this has raised hackles at the Environmental Working Group, a frequent critic of the farm bill.

“These are serious cuts,” said Craig Cox, the Midwest Vice President of the EWG’s new office in Ames, Iowa. “To put them in the proper context, you must realize the Farm Bill has already reduced the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) from 39 to 32 million acres. It’s all another slap in the face of sportsmen and those who enjoy wildlife and want good water quality, and if the Senate gets away with this, citizens can expect a continuation of similar occurrences.”

One Senate staffer told us he believed the conservation titles underwent the cuts to make more money available to commodity programs.

Cox added, “If sportsmen ignore these cuts, they can expect it to happen again the next time around, and they need to send members of the appropriations committee a very strong message.”

Prairie grouse prospects good
The Game, Fish & Parks Department does not conduct brood surveys on grouse as they do on pheasants, but Tom Kirschenman, who oversees upland game management, says he anticipates a good season.

“We rely mostly on spring lek counts, and some information gathered via surveys from grouse hunters following the season, but the timely rains and generally good habitat conditions that resulted have me fairly optimistic,” Kirschenman said.

More than any other upland game bird in the Dakotas, grouse are tailor-made for the owner of pointing dogs. Unlike pheasants, they hold well for a point.

The bonus upland bird for grouse and pheasant hunters is the gray partridge, and while there are isolated pockets of these small upland birds, numbers are generally low.

Gray partridge were more numerous in the 70s and 80s, and the current downward trend in their population mirrors what seems to be occurring throughout their range.

Little is known about Huns, and most biologists can’t explain why these birds have not responded positively to the good habitat conditions found across the state.

Meanwhile, duck hunters should enjoy good hunting in northeastern South Dakota, though overall numbers are likely to be down from a year ago, yet still above the long term average. For the most part, water conditions were poor throughout most of the prairie pothole region, and the loss of CRP has hurt duck populations.

Ups and downs are a part of hunting, but one thing is certain: the past 15 years have provided some of the best bird hunting in modern times, and it is doubtful older hunters will live long enough to see a repeat of these years.