MADISON - Upland game bird enthusiasts are in for a treat next year when National Pheasant Fest 2009 comes to the Alliant Center in Madison, Feb. 6-8, 2009. Organizers expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 hunters, landowners, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists to attend the event.
Matt Frank, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says Pheasant Fest will be a "tremendous opportunity" for Wisconsin's outdoor sporting enthusiasts of all ages, as well as for the Badger State and its capital city. "Wisconsin has a long and storied tradition of pheasant hunting," he said. "The success of our pheasant program would not be possible without the cooperation and collaboration of Pheasants Forever."
Pheasant Fest 2009 will combine a national consumer show, habitat seminar series and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns and art. Special attractions will include the Bird Dog Bonanza and Bird Dog Alley, the Artisan's Fair, Habitat Hall, the Landowner Habitat Help Room and the Youth Village.
Wisconsin is home to 30 PF chapters including the highly successful Sugar River Valley chapter, most of whose members reside in the Green County area. The chapter's next major event coming up is the July 12 Sporting Clay Classic at the Argyle Rod & Gun Club while September 27 marks the date of the Youth Pheasant Hunt.
Chapter members will also conduct the annual pheasant "cackle count" this Sat., April 19. The DNR provides route maps and instructions to assist with the survey.
While PF officials remain optimistic about the future of upland game bird hunting, there is rising concern over the loss of pheasant habitat and the expanding cost of pursuing shooting sports.
In the past, the Sugar River chapter has offered shot shells at a reduced cost for shooters taking part in their regularly scheduled trap, skeet and clay shoots. The cost of a case of shells, however, has skyrocketed, according to chapter treasurer Bob Wesenberg.
"Last year they were $32 a case, this year they're $52 for the same case," he said. "Now we only offer single boxes and encourage shooters to bring their own ammunition. We can't afford to have that much money tied up in inventory," Wesenberg added.
Don Martin of Martin's Gun Shop in Monroe is more familiar than most regarding the dramatic increase in the cost of ammunition. A recent special order for a box of 12 copper plated 1 and 7/8 oz. shot came to $42, he said. There are other examples of a single shell costing more than a gallon of gas.
There are other concerns for pheasant hunting enthusiasts. The number of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the crown jewel of upland game bird habitat development, is declining. Iowa County will lose approximately 10,000 acres of CRP land this year. Lafayette Count acreage will decline by 7,000.
According to a recent article in Ducks Unlimited magazine, approximately 420,000 acres of CRP land were lost in 2007 in North Dakota alone. Other states, according to the DU article, lost acreage as well - South Dakota (214,000), Iowa (131,000) and Minnesota (66,000).
The demand for corn to produce ethanol is often blamed for driving up commodity prices. "It this trend continues, we won't have many acres left in a few years," said Scott McLeod, farm bill specialist with DU. In addition to waterfowl, ring-necked pheasants and other grassland-dependent wildlife will suffer declines as well, according to Ducks Unlimited officials.
National Pheasant Fest 2009, however, promises a unique opportunity for Wisconsin pheasant hunters to celebrate the organization's many successes over the years and enjoy a family-friendly event at the same time. Pheasant Fest is open to the public, and you do not have to be a member of Pheasants Forever to attend.
- Lee Fahrney can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
Matt Frank, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says Pheasant Fest will be a "tremendous opportunity" for Wisconsin's outdoor sporting enthusiasts of all ages, as well as for the Badger State and its capital city. "Wisconsin has a long and storied tradition of pheasant hunting," he said. "The success of our pheasant program would not be possible without the cooperation and collaboration of Pheasants Forever."
Pheasant Fest 2009 will combine a national consumer show, habitat seminar series and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns and art. Special attractions will include the Bird Dog Bonanza and Bird Dog Alley, the Artisan's Fair, Habitat Hall, the Landowner Habitat Help Room and the Youth Village.
Wisconsin is home to 30 PF chapters including the highly successful Sugar River Valley chapter, most of whose members reside in the Green County area. The chapter's next major event coming up is the July 12 Sporting Clay Classic at the Argyle Rod & Gun Club while September 27 marks the date of the Youth Pheasant Hunt.
Chapter members will also conduct the annual pheasant "cackle count" this Sat., April 19. The DNR provides route maps and instructions to assist with the survey.
While PF officials remain optimistic about the future of upland game bird hunting, there is rising concern over the loss of pheasant habitat and the expanding cost of pursuing shooting sports.
In the past, the Sugar River chapter has offered shot shells at a reduced cost for shooters taking part in their regularly scheduled trap, skeet and clay shoots. The cost of a case of shells, however, has skyrocketed, according to chapter treasurer Bob Wesenberg.
"Last year they were $32 a case, this year they're $52 for the same case," he said. "Now we only offer single boxes and encourage shooters to bring their own ammunition. We can't afford to have that much money tied up in inventory," Wesenberg added.
Don Martin of Martin's Gun Shop in Monroe is more familiar than most regarding the dramatic increase in the cost of ammunition. A recent special order for a box of 12 copper plated 1 and 7/8 oz. shot came to $42, he said. There are other examples of a single shell costing more than a gallon of gas.
There are other concerns for pheasant hunting enthusiasts. The number of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the crown jewel of upland game bird habitat development, is declining. Iowa County will lose approximately 10,000 acres of CRP land this year. Lafayette Count acreage will decline by 7,000.
According to a recent article in Ducks Unlimited magazine, approximately 420,000 acres of CRP land were lost in 2007 in North Dakota alone. Other states, according to the DU article, lost acreage as well - South Dakota (214,000), Iowa (131,000) and Minnesota (66,000).
The demand for corn to produce ethanol is often blamed for driving up commodity prices. "It this trend continues, we won't have many acres left in a few years," said Scott McLeod, farm bill specialist with DU. In addition to waterfowl, ring-necked pheasants and other grassland-dependent wildlife will suffer declines as well, according to Ducks Unlimited officials.
National Pheasant Fest 2009, however, promises a unique opportunity for Wisconsin pheasant hunters to celebrate the organization's many successes over the years and enjoy a family-friendly event at the same time. Pheasant Fest is open to the public, and you do not have to be a member of Pheasants Forever to attend.
- Lee Fahrney can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
