Is there a pheasant program where the money stays in MN

[kato wall guy]

wondering if there is a program like pheasants forever that the money goes only into mn. It irrates me that we have two sorounding states that have extremely larger pheasant pop. than mn, granted we do have bigger pop. of people and less habatate but i think are numbers should be higher than what they are. I dont want to be a part a of program that takes my money to another state.

[hanso612]

Pheasants Forever is based on a model that keeps money raised locally-local. Chapters fund their own projects and use local help to complete them. Only the membership fee goes to a corporate head and most of that money goes to the magazine subscription. So if you really want to help be a committee member pick a local project and start cold calling on local businesses, friends and family to fund it.

I too hated to see my dollars sent to a national head, but after being in Ducks Unlimtited for years as well-I saw the need for national programs as well. Preserving land in countries where they dont't have the resources or political climate to do it is still very important to me even If I don't ever plan to go there. Duck wintering habitat in Mexico is a great example so is breading habitat on the tundra. Both things that need protecting but in places the locals don't have the resources.

A project like the draw down on the Mississippi is a great example of a local project that could never be done by a local chapter. When multiple agencies must cooperate to complete a project a model with a national head makes more sense. Ducks Unlimited requires all money raised at banquets to be sent to the national office and this allows all of us to pool our resources and complete "Army Corps of Engeneer" size projects that could never be funded on the local level.

I hear your point- or have the same envy- of our Pheasant rich neighbors. I know that if we put the habitat in the ground we have the climate to have similar pheasant numbers. I have a group of friends and family that calls itself the southwest pheasant club. We had hats made up and each spring do some projects on our own. It has been very rewarding and cost efficiant, but we couldn't have done it as well without the help and direction of the FSA,NRCS,DU,and Pheasants Forever.

Great question and I hope you stir some things up. With the economy in the skids these conservation dollars are going to be tight so fight for every one. Push, scratch, and push some more and maybe we can get a little left over for the birds. Hans

[LABS4ME]

All the money that each individual Pheasant Forever club generates, stays with the club. The are in charge of where and how th emoney is allocated. Not a better program than that!

And your pheasant stamp dollars stay in MN.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Eric Wettschreck]

Nothing against pheasants forever as they do a TON of great things. If you're looking to drop a few bucks, and make sure it stays in your area, try looking into a local sportsmans club. Around my place we have many different local clubs and the money generated all stays in their very local areas.

Just tossin it out there for ya.

[birdswacker]

Local clubs are better in my opinion.

[muc33]

As a member of PF, NWTF, DU, MWA, all national organizations, I understand your thoughts.... I too am a member and comittee fundraiser for small local organizations like the Round Lake Sportsmans Club, Southwest Mn Fishing Club and The Dundee Rod and Gun Club.

Raising and spending the money is Mn is a priority of mine first. As noted before, not all do that. As a past president of our counties PF they also stated correctly what stays in county...(all but national membership fee).

But, what the problem really becomes comparing us to S.D. is that our land, is much more fertile than thier land. They have the acres that not many are willing to farm. This makes it that much more difficult to produce and provide the habitat acres that South Dakota, even certain areas of Iowa and North Dakota hold. Be it rolling valleys or revines, we don't have them in area's that pheasant populations can thrive in.

We also are up against public image of "taking" production land from farmers who rely on that land to live off of producing crops. Getting ground to buy is a difficult and costly task. Farm ground where in SW Mn is on an average price close to 5,000 per acre right now, in NW Iowa, you can add an easy 1,000 to 2,000 dollars per acre. When ground can go for that prices, why would most land owners sell to a group who really can't come up with that type of funds. Heck, most farmers can't come up with that. Most acres right now in SW Mn and NW Iowa are being bought by large farms with cash in hand or by investors both public and commercial.

For the small club, most have now resorted to helping and combining with the larger organizations to gain acres, that or they are focusing thier dollars to enhancing habitat properties, or educating and starting new growth by youth programs like gun safety.

Nobles County PF is happy to say we have put over 1600 acres of ground into public hunting and habitat with membership dollars and donations, we also have done this by partnering with many of the groups I also am a part of because we realize the dollars it now takes to play the game, and to do our part in gaining not only more acres, but also preserving what we have and growing the interest of youth participation to keep this going.

I am proud to do my part, we just need more people to do the same. Get involved, small, local, national, however. If we all do some part, we have a much bigger footprint.

[muc33]

Some more on the subject....

It is really unbelievable to add up the dollar cost. I did some quick math this weekend and in the 1600 acres our county PF chapter has turned to public hunting, over the 25 years our chapter and PF national has been in existance. We (the members of Nobles County PF and donators to our chapter) have spent on average 52,000 dollars per year, in our small 20 x 25 mile county. Over 1.3 Million Dollars for the birds!!!!!

Find the sources you want, and make sure you lend a hand, the money is great, it is needed, but many forget what it takes to manage and get these projects done. Try to fins some time and get involved.

[Tom7227]

I'll chime in for Pheasants Forever. The one thing that hasn't been mentioned is the network of folks with various areas of expertise. After spending a decent amount of time looking at the FM threads I am amazed at how little people know about a subject but are still going out and doing things.

A great example is getting trees from the DNR and planting a shelter belt. It's not as simple as picking the stuff up and sticking it in the ground. Working with PF you are going to have a biologist give advice on species, site prep, planting techniques and aftercare. Combine that with the opportunity to get some financial help through a state agency or a local chapter, the use of specialized equipment - things that a single landowner just isn't likely to have.

I don't want to knock a local organizaiton like a sportsman's club, but again I point out the expertise available through a larger outfit like PF. I have two friends who own large plots of land and both think the know how to do everything from planing crops, shelter belts, fish farming etc. I've watched both spend a lot of dough and had limited success.

I doubt Minnesota will every be able to compete with the Dakotas or Iowa, but lots of good things are being done here and things have been on the upswing for a decent number of years.

[CodyDawg]

The other thing that PF can do is leverage some of the programs out there. The local clubs are good, but they pretty much get a dollar, spend a dollar. PF gets a dollar and in many instances can get matching grants for land acquisition or habitat development, discounted seed, etc. By doing that, they are able to stretch their dollars further than the local clubs can (though, again, I take nothing away from the local clubs, they do a fantastic job). Really, the way to think about PF is to view them as a local club with some good ties to bigger things.

[muc33]

I agree with what both of you have said, but also look at the advantage of getting donated dollars from those who may not be big PF backers. As I stated, those local clubs have their following and are now finding that prices have caught the upswing and are now "teaming" with organizations like PF. Heck two of the smaller groups are now sponsors of our PF Chapter, they get raffle tickets and everything, if they win a gun or something, it can be used as a zero cost give away for thier raffle. So don't abandon the usefulness of the small local groups. Most of their memberships are nothing more that 5 to 15 dollars per year to join. And many of them have healthy bank accounts saved up to help out!

CodyDawg you make a good point about PF being able to get RIM matches, and use NAWCA grants for wetland work, and other programs, plus the chapters in the metro area, are huge outstate supporters with the Minnesota Habitat fund. These dollars pledged by the metro chapters in PF can be used when available by the outstate chapters who may be just short on a project. So don't think that just because you may live in a concrete jungle your dollars don't get used wisely!!!!

[tealitup]

Just remember that you can not compare PF with DU; a migratory bird against a resident bird.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Teal, that's very true. However, there is an area near my place we like to call "The big slough." There has been a ton of work done on this area with funding from both DU and PF. Yes, the DNR and local clubs put $$$ into it also. DU and PF do have some joint efforts out there. Which, is pretty cool.

[hanso612]

Teal, Mn Waterfowl assn. was a team member in the lake Maria project and that new purchase will be a boon for pheasants. The WPA project off of highway 59 and t.h. 30 north of Slayton is huge and is perfect pheasant habitat. These are joint projects with a Federal money to boot but they help pheasants here in Minnesota as much as ducks passing through.

Boiler guy, the big slew is another great winter spot for pheasants that looks like mostly duck habitat. I haven't hunted it for Pheasants in a few years mostly because I haven't had a good retriever to pull all those birds out of that sea of cattails and to high risk of lossing downed birds. Have they added any additional upland cover that isn't woods lately and if not what a great project to push? Hans

[muc33]

tealitup, I am with you on that, and I am a member of both. I was just slanting more towards the pheasants because of the initial question.

I also am a member of the MWA just for the fact that in the grand scheme of things, DU looks more to larger scale projects, which aren't seen in our "backyards", where MWA fills the gap for those who want to see stuff pop up around thier very own "backyards".

Both and all serve a purpose, that is why I am a member of all.

[Tom7227]

I don't want to steal the thread, but here's an idea that I've tossed around. How about a rural chapter inviting some urban guys out for a project. I would be very willing to come and work for a day, toss in some money, whatever, so long as it was understood that I would get an invite to come back and hunt for a day or two. My problem with some of the urban chapters of the organizations is that they throw a banquet, send the money someplace, and then the next 10 months is spent waiting for the next banquet. I'm a long time urban guy with no rural contacts and so I end up on public land. The give and take could help both sides of the transaction, and I'm sure some healthy relationships would develop.

Thoughts?

[Eric Wettschreck]

That's a cool way of thinking Tom. Just cuz you live in WBL, there's no reason what so ever that you can't be a member of Murray county PF, or Nobles county chapter, etc.

[muc33]

My email is in my user information, if you would like to hunt SW Mn, specifically Nobles or Jackson or Murray or Cottonwood counties, I can either get you in contact with someone, or personally hunt with you. I hunt with two trained labradors, and a rusty shotgun.... but it works!

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm not too far from Muc and I have an untrained GSP mix and prolly a rustier gun. C'mon down.

[kato wall guy]

A trained lab and a 870 express gotta love it. I extreme south central MN.

[muc33]

I switch guns depending on what piece of ground and what time of year. I either use my friend Charles Daily, or my Traditions O/U for the pheasants.

[Tom7227]

Thanks for the invites, but I am trying to get a whole new idea going here. I know that a person can affiliate with whatever PF Chapter she or he wants to join, but what do you think about the idea that I have to earn a right to hunt by spending money and EFFORT to get to do it. I think it's a way to turn around some of the urban vs rural thing, and mix things up. Frankly I never understood why someone would let me use their land to hunt just because I was polite and asked. Maybe this should become a topic of it's own to see if it has any legs.

[fasternu]

Not to be negative or anything, but the bad part of your idea is for people like me. I am 36 years old, and didn't grow up hunting, even though I grew up in SC Minn, and Eastern S. Dakota. About 7 years ago (after I moved to No. Minn) I had some friends that invited me along with them. I had a blast and now look forward to it. BUT, I really wouldn't have wanted to drive a long ways, spend a bunch of time doing work in this field to get ready for something I wasn't sure I would like to even do. Not all new hunters are kids. Please don't be offended, just not sure it is practical. Now I would gladly help out a farmer just to hunt a weekend or two during the year!