South Dakota Is Losing Its Hometown Pheasant Hunters. Meanwhile, the Nonresident Business Is Booming

[Gellar]

I’ll add on to that. Around here, you can go to a bird club on pen pheasants for anywhere from 20 to 40 per bird. I get not the same experience but for a couple like us spending 300 could be 15 birds released and we get maybe 8 to 12 of them. These types of "hunts" used to be the rich man's easy way to "hunt". Same price now?

I’m left speechless that this is your argument that a nonresident hunting license is too much money. I honestly don’t know how to respond.

 

[Nick87]

I’d jump off a bridge before I would pay to shoot pen raised pheasants as an alternative to hunting wild birds.

Went with a buddy once. One and done for me.

 

[Buschy]

Warmer and Wild Bill,

Is there no organization or group of people willing to get enough signatures to get a statewide referendum on the ballot that limits the number of NR bird licenses sold? I would propose a NR draw with preference points. Residents should have priority and come first. If NR can only come every 3rd year to hunt pheasants, so be it. Let the residents decide. Has this been tried before? If not, it should be started. Again, residents come first.

 

[seeth07]

I pay (happily) $150 in OR and $170 in ID.

That isnt for just birds

 

[seeth07]

I’m left speechless that this is your argument that a nonresident hunting license is too much money. I honestly don’t know how to respond.

My argument is simply the value of that particular license just doesnt align with the opportunity. That is all.

 

[seeth07]

In a few weeks when we are in SD deer hunting, we will likely drive just another 60 miles or so and get into WY for just as good of bird hunting on a license that was half the cost and is valid for 12 months. I guess that is where im coming from as I look at value

 

[Nick87]

In a few weeks when we are in SD deer hunting, we will likely drive just another 60 miles or so and get into WY for just as good of bird hunting on a license that was half the cost and is valid for 12 months. I guess that is where im coming from as I look at value

Do you put any value on time?

 

[El Jason]

That isnt for just birds

Even if I didn’t big game hunt I’d still pay it.

 

[Wild Bill]

Warmer and Wild Bill,

Is there no organization or group of people willing to get enough signatures to get a statewide referendum on the ballot that limits the number of NR bird licenses sold? I would propose a NR draw with preference points. Residents should have priority and come first. If NR can only come every 3rd year to hunt pheasants, so be it. Let the residents decide. Has this been tried before? If not, it should be started. Again, residents come first.

South Dakota Wildlife Federation is probably the most active and successful resident advocates/lobbyist. They get money from me every year.

Lower resident hunter numbers probably correlates with small farm communities shrinking and family farms being consolidated as land prices continue to rise and folks move off the farm into town as they age.

Honestly, I don’t get too worked up by it. Seems to me like the majority of NR pheasant hunters are more than happy to shoot pen raised birds at a lodge rather than go after wild birds. I’d venture to guess a small portion of NR pheasant hunters actually hunt hard on public ground. Folks show up and slug whiskey and beers and eat at the local bar or steakhouse and hunt a couple days at a lodge or a farm they pay access for to shoot pen raised birds to at the landowner buys and releases. (Landowners leave that part out when they accept the cash from their hunters and most out of state guys don’t put two and two together that they’re seeing 5:1 rooster to hen ratios.)
Plenty of birds to be had on public for me. And I can get on a fair amount of private with my local license plates and friendly conversation.
Good pheasant habitat is good deer, waterfowl, and grouse habitat. That’s habitat that we wouldn’t have if not for the NR cash flow.
It’s a give and take.

 

[seeth07]

Do you put any value on time?

Sure do