Game Declines with loss of CRP Acres Nationwide
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"Last year, nearly 86,000 hunters harvested 616,000 roosters. In 2007, more than 107,000 hunters took nearly 908,000 roosters."
Why such a precipitous reduction in pheasant hunters and harvest? A major portion of the answer seems to lie in the decline in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage.
In that same press release, ND officials stated
"Wildlife populations were flourishing in 2006-07 when Conservation Reserve Program acres peaked at more than 3.25 million in North Dakota. Since then, as CRP acres have steadily declined, so has the overall harvest of game species."
In fact, according to ND officials, not only are there fewer hunters (relative to 2007...the number of pheasant hunters increased modestly from 2011 to 2012) and fewer birds being harvested, the number of birds harvested per hunter has declined as evidenced by this:
"...while the number of pheasant hunters increased by 4 percent from 2011 to 2012, overall harvest fell 10 percent."
Two things are likely clear in these numbers: the number of CRP acres has declined, but it is possible that other factors likely are playing a role in the decline in harvest.
Some news releases from upper Midwest states like Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota have pointed to climate issues playing a role in pheasant numbers. It would seem fairly clear that as we have seen weather the past few years not conducive to good breeding conditions and survival rates, that is certainly exacerbating the problem. However, that would seen to point to the idea that we need more acreage at such a time for pheasant and other wildlife habitat - not less.
One dynamic that could very well be causing the problem to be worse is the interplay between climate, commodity prices, and CRP acreage. It is plausible that the same climate conditions that have caused poor breeding conditions are also a portion of the cause for increased commodity prices. As those commodity prices have increased, farmers are likely to participate to a lesser extent in CRP programs.
Going back to August of 2011, Pheasants Forever was reporting that grassland habitat had been reduced by over 600 square miles in South Dakota alone and that over a half-million acres were scheduled to come out of the program over the next five years. On July 22, 2013, the USDA said they were enrolling 1.7 million acres on October 1st while at the same time seeing 3.3 million acres leaving the program. Current acreage nationwide adds up to 26.9 million acres. As of October 1st, the number of CRP acres will be 25.3 million.
This seems like a lot of numbers and statistics. What it really boils down to is a commentary on priorities. Who can blame the farmer for maximizing the revenue potential of the land he owns? They are not in business for charity. So, the only manner by which these acres will start to get added back in will be through a higher payment to farmers. Given the current fiscal and political climate this seems unlikely.
For the outddorsman, conservationist, and/or environmentalist, this is where your involvement becomes important. Make your voice herd by being in touch with policymakers. CRP is a part of the Farm Bill, so the appropriate contacts will be U.S. Senators and Representatives. As much as we make our voices loud and clear on gun legislation, at least for this hunter, I am not going to need any of my firearms much once there's not enough game to hunt.
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