You cannot do this in Ohio…and if you want to hunt wild upland birds you have to travel west. And believe it or not, no one in the Buckeye state seems to mind. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
A couple of days away to enjoy the difference in the wild resources of the West, as compared to that of the Buckeyes State. And of course, there’s so little remaining at home to compare to.
Crosby, ND – A recent column by Press Pros outdoors writer Ray Reilly rather quietly, and nicely put it relative to the fate of the outdoorsman in Ohio who still enjoys owning an English pointer, a fine shotgun…and the God-given directive that man should have dominion over the beasts and the fowl of the Earth.
Ray put it nicely, as said. If you want to hunt, especially pheasants, grouse, partridge or quail, you have to go somewhere else. If you live in Ohio, those days are so long gone even your closest living relative can’t remember them.
And the Division of Wildlife, which every state has, really can’t do much about it. The fact that the simplest small game species has been encroached upon to the point of becoming endangered species, takes restoration out of the question. People, and wildlife, don’t mix. And the fact that the whitetail deer has made such an incredible comeback from near extinction from the turn of the 20th century, is simply a tip of the cap of its incredible adaptability.
You cannot hunt wild pheasants in Ohio anymore, where the estimated numer of birds may or not be 5,000, state-wide.
“Simply put,” someone once wrote about it in comparison to the loss of pheasant and quail in Ohio, “game birds need nesting cover, and exist on the basis of having a clean, natural environment in which to live. Deer do not. Deer can live, and do live, in your city park…like coyotes.”
So almost once a year I come to North Dakota, or Montana, and enjoy the still-bountiful resources of the natural environment. It’s bird hunting in the best tradition you can remember, or read about, and there’s no apparent conflict here between urban sprawl, big agriculture, and mutual compatability. You see, as of last July the p0pulation for the entire state of North Dakota was 796,000. The metropolitan area of Columbus, Ohio, itself, is rated at about 2,100,000.
It’s true. There are more game birds in North Dakota than there are people, unlike Ohio. And they like it that way.
The environment invites it. It’s raw country, dominated by the production of oil and big agriculture. Oil wells are everywhere, and without negative impact on the environment. And farmland is managed around the thousands of small ponds and potholes to leave food and nesting cover for both upland birds and waterfowl. North Dakota, in particular, benefited in the good years from the government’s CRP program – where ground not fit for farming is supported financially by the government for the benefit of natural resources..
Yes, there are hawks, and owls, and coyotes and raccoons…what some point to as the reason for decline of upland game in Ohio – predation. However, it doesn’t seem to be a problem here. They actually hunt the predators, sell fur, and the Great-Horned Owl, ironically, keeps the numbers of eagles and owls in check, who rob pheasant nests of their eggs.
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They call it big-sky country, and that’s accurate. There are no big buildings here, so you can’t help but be impressed by the backdrop of clear, clean sky. In it’s own, uninhabited way, it’s beautiful country.
But to Reilly’s point about natural resources, and wildlife, its beauty is enhanced by its remoteness. Compared to Ohio, it has 1/12th the population and the people here, including former Governor Doug Burgum (now Secretary of The Interior) say it’s the secret formula to North Dakota.
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From where I was in Crosby this week, it’s a two-hour drive to a grocery like Kroger, in Minot. Can you imagine in Miami County driving to Cincinnati to shop, and the planning it takes?
Even during the oil boom in the early 2000s, service companies in large part stayed away for lack of population centers to make it worthwhile. Those that did come soon left because of the two-hour drive. The population of the state capital, itself (Bismarck) is estimated at 77,772.
No people, and no infringement on the state’s natural resources. Those who do come here to hunt upland birds plan long in advance and have to be creative. Even if you’re here, it’s not all that convenient.
But the hunting, compared to Ohio, is dependable, stable, and the long-term outlook is actually quite good, even with a mild increase in hunter numbers.
Of course, you have to have permission, and unlike some states there are fewer pubic hunting land opportunities (PLOTS).
But the people in North Dakota are by and large reasonable about letting you hunt, and a phone call with positive identification will usually get you consideration. In Ohio, it’s increasingly hard to get permission to hunt on private property, even if someone knows you.
And the weather here can be wildly upredictable. Crosby, North Dakota is only seven miles from the Canadian border.
And again, to Ray’s points about hunting, if it isn’t deer hunting in Ohio there isn’t much interest to begin with. Culture has changed its habits, and no one seems to mind. Stated in his most recent article, its estimated that only 5,000 wild pheasants still exist in the Buckeye state – a legacy shame. Ohio, in the 1950s, was rated as one of the Midwest’s best states for the long-tailed bird.
More than one North Dakotan puts it this way. You come for the sunsets, and while you’re here you can hunt.
In Ohio you come for the sunsets…and try to remember when there were pheasants to hunt.
It’s big country and within sight of the Canadian border. And you never know what you’ll see.
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