UA Flushes & Noteworthy Points
S.D.@100:
New Pheasant Habitat Fund Law
FROMARGUSLEADER.COMAs South Dakota prepares
for a second century of pheasant
hunting, Gov. Kristi Noem
signed the pheasant habitat
funding law.
The fund, formally called
the “Second Century Habitat Initiative,” allocates $1 million
in state money to preserve and expand South Dakota’s
pheasant habitat. The state funding may be matched with
private donations and federal conservation programs.
The “Second Century” name builds on the state’s first
100 years putting South Dakota on the map as a pheasant
hunting destination, according to Noem.
In recent years, however, pheasant numbers have
dropped, and habitat lands have diminished. Noem said in
a statement, “The bill is a step to reverse those trends. By
investing in habitat preservation and expansion, we can
preserve our outdoor traditions and ensure the second century
of pheasant hunting is as great as the first.”
For more on conservation efforts in South Dakota, see
Jodi Stemler’s article (page 32).Pheasant Restoration
by the Numbers
Michigan’s
DNR has
released the
2018 annual
report for its
“Michigan
Pheasant
Restoration
Initiative”
(MPRI). The
goal of the
initiative is
“to restore
and enhance
Michigan
pheasant habitat,
populations and hunting opportunities on private and public
lands.”
Much of the focus is placed on developing
“cooperatives,” which DNR Upland Game Bird Specialist Al
Stewart says to think of in terms of “a neighborhood watch.”
For the MPRI, these groups of neighbors band together “to do
good things for pheasants.“The areas we improve might include state lands, such as if
a collection of privately owned properties border a state game
area. And since everybody likes to see pheasants, the partners
in a co-op might be hunters and might invite hunters onto their
lands; or they might be people who just like to see pheasants.
“The overall goal of the program is to both maintain and
increase the pheasant population. There is a simple formula for
achieving that. Habitat is the name of the game.”
The other thing to consider is the trickle down effect habitat
improvement has on the rest of the environment. For example,
some of the projects for pheasant restoration will lead to
improving the quality of the water in local streams.
“Not everybody is going to love pheasants,” says Stewart.
“But everyone can agree on the need for clean water. If we
clean the water that flows from the streams into the Great Lakes,
that’s something everyone can get behind.”The MPRI report offers up the following facts and figures:- 12 – number of cooperatives actively working to expand
and improve pheasant habitat at the end of the year - 441 – number of landowners to whom Farm Bill biologists
provided technical and financial assistance to improve
grassland habitat for wildlife - 1,540 – acres of food plots planted
- 2,238/389 – acres of grasslands enhanced/restored
- 111/4,406 – acres of grasslands enhanced/restored by
partner groups (Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service) - 4,231 – acres of new habitat for wildlife planted using seed
drills - 5,490 – number of young people who attended education
and recruitment events - $61 million – amount the MPRI Coalition received for
incentive payments to landowners to benefit pheasants,
mallards, monarch butterflies and other grassland wildlife
For more information about the program: http://www.mi.gov/
pheasant.First-Aid Fever Hits
The Upland Almanac
What About People?It seems readers aren’t the only ones who have been
paying attention to Dr. Hank Clemmons’s advice on first aid
for sporting dogs. Editor Tom Carney looked at the list of items
to include in a first-aid kit and had a question. So he asked his
personal doctor, “What else would a guy need to make this first-
aid kit suitable for humans?”
The doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, replied, “This
is a very comprehensive list. Hank did a good job. There are
maybe a few things I would add to a human first-aid kit.”The Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative operates
under the guiding principle that “Habitat is the name of
the game.” (Photo/Michigan DNR)