Sad

[jw_wildfire]

It seems awfully short sighted to me to erase decades and decades of history, and such awesome wildlife habitat, to chase a spike in commodity prices. This is all to common across NE Iowa, especially this fall.

Post pics and the county if you are seeing this in your neck of the woods. Here is Floyd County.......

 

[Windwalker]

Same here in SW Iowa just stupid. Most areas are so poor that are being cleared off it wont raise anything anyway.

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

I honestly think that us in NE Iowa are probably the ones who held off the longest. I have seen some of it happening in the past couple years and a little this past fall. One big slough that used to be good for usually getting one big buck and numerous does out of each year is now going to be tiled and farmed.

 

[jw_wildfire]

I honestly think that us in NE Iowa are probably the ones who held off the longest. I have seen some of it happening in the past couple years and a little this past fall. One big slough that used to be good for usually getting one big buck and numerous does out of each year is now going to be tiled and farmed.

You know it is one thing to let a CRP contract expire, plow under the grass, and go back to farming it. I get that. But when it comes to large scale forested land clearing, or as you said, tiling and draining slough areas to farm it is just asinine in my opinion.

 

[sep0667]

I don't have any pics but I noticed a lot of that on my trips to to hunt in Monona and Crawford counties, disappointing.

 

[hotshott2289]

really makes a person sad to see all of this going on. Most of the ground that is being "converted" now is crap ground that isnt going to farm well, I think its time to cut subsidies ethanol in particular.

 

[bloodhoundhandler]

really makes a person sad to see all of this going on. Most of the ground that is being "converted" now is crap ground that isnt going to farm well, I think its time to cut subsidies ethanol in particular.

I agree with you on the subsidies 100% but when corn hits $7 a bushel it doesn't take long to pay off a few hours of dozing and some tiling no matter how poor the soil is farming is the only occupation where the government guarantees you will make it

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

Same here in the Loess Hills... heck, my dad is doing it to our farm. Bulldoze the trees, then tile the field... all while we sit here planning to plant 1400 trees this spring to reverse what he is tearing up. Frustrating.

 

[coyotekiller]

Around here we lose more crickline trees than anything. Most times the landowners gain little or no tillable ground. I just don't get it........ck

 

[bloodhoundhandler]

I like it when they take the waterways out then tile them and then when you get big rains you can see in the ditches all that precious black dirt laying there or how about the guys that farm right up next to the river banks and just think as taxpayers we fund all of it

 

[shadowpeople]

It really sucks. My dad and uncle are just as guilty as any and I've watched them do it for the last couple of years now. I absolutely hate it, but I can't say that I blame them.

To those that can sit back from their arm chair and talk about how the farmers have it so good, lets cut all of the subsidies and get rid of ethanol, I say don't piss where you sleep or so to speak. I'm not directing it toward anyone but in most instances, it's the farmer from whom people get permission to hunt and I know there are a few on here that will not appreciate the criticizm of common farming practices. Farming is a deep pocket book game anymore, and these are some very fragile times with the economy. I don't want to pat any of the lawmakers on the back but I would be hard pressed to come out and say that I know more about the economy and what the subsidy money really does for this nation, based upon the 10% view that most of us get to see or the 5% that we actually know for facts.

So, all I'm saying is, lets use a little bit of judgement here before we go and start running down farmers. After all, high corn prices are one thing, but obviously you have seen the absolutely ridiculously rising land prices, fertilizer costs, seed costs, diesel costs, and rent. High corn prices are not merely a function of supply and demand anymore, it's speculation and the weather so don't think that these high corn prices are anywhere near sustainable. I don't blame anybody for trying to strike while the iron is hot, because it doesn't last forever. High input costs and high rent stick around for a lot longer than corn prices do and historically, when the market tanks, so does the economy. I hear all kinds of horror stores about what it was like back in the 80's and then I get to see what it's like now and can't help but think, doesn't it just even out? What's so wrong with somebody putting their time in (good / bad) and making an honest living?

FWIW a proportioinate piece of any subsidy money that my family's farm gets, goes toward keeping any of our landowners happy for the portions of our farm that we rent.

 

[bloodhoundhandler]

Lets also remember that this land has to feed people for the next hundreds of years (hopefully 2012 is just around the corner) but some guys continue to just rape it. I am by no means against farming or putting a buck in your pocket but I am against goverment subsidies when crops are at record highs and destroying habitat and polluting waterways just to get that extra kernal of corn

 

[shadowpeople]

Lets also remember that this land has to feed people for the next hundreds of years (hopefully 2012 is just around the corner) but some guys continue to just rape it. I am by no means against farming or putting a buck in your pocket but I am against goverment subsidies when crops are at record highs and destroying habitat and polluting waterways just to get that extra kernal of corn

I totally agree with you and there is no excuse for raping the ground. There are so many programs out there that will help with funding for waterways and buffer strips that are so underutilized and we try to incorporate as much of this as possible to reduce the environmental impact of farming, while keeping its sustainability. I've seen what poor land management practices can do, and it can be devastating. But, just like there are sloppy shotgun hunters out there that "spoil the publics view," the same goes for farmers. With the current subsidies and commodity prices, it only increases the intensity of the spotlight. I'll leave my thoughts on subsidies out of this.

 

[Sligh1]

I have TONS of friends and FAMILY that farms and does not do one bit of hunting.... MOST of my family & friends just don't even think about HABITAT, wildlife, hunting, conservation, etc. It just doesn't go through their thought process. Good or bad- right or wrong- it just isn't a part of their equation. They are crunching #'s for more profit, trying to get every dollar out of ground they can and trying to utilize every inch of land for cows or crops. I talk to them about habitat BUT honestly, it's in one ear and out the other. I know they don't care & often they'll smile or laugh. Some that I know do acknowledge they wish they did care & should care & understand where I'm coming from BUT I'm not going to change their mind. That's just most the folks I know BUT I sure know there's some habitat friendly farmers- most in that category, I bet, are hunters.
BY FAR, hands down, the BEST: conservation land, wildlife habitat, least polluted, esthetic, diverse, highly populated by all sorts of wildlife, environmentally friendly land is owned by HUNTERS, in my opinion.
My family & friends come to my farm and try and convince me of "their way" actually... "you know how great of pasture you have here?!?! You know how many cows you could put on here, you're crazy!!!"... "You need to doze that area and corn/bean that!!!", etc, etc. They think I'm CRAZY planting trees, not dozing stuff, not filling with those stupid, destructive cows (sorry- I really hate cows & really hate what they do to land) & not getting every inch tilled up, etc.

Heck, I've hunted AMAZING land that is like I describe above- owned by hunters & you can go across the fence or road to a place that's filled with cows or dozed to piss and the hunting/land absolutely SUCKS. AMAZING to GARBAGE in 100 yards- it's crazy what an owner concerned with some level of conservation can do with land or vice versa.

 

[TheMadCatter]

I find this funny! I saw this about right when you posted it and my Dad was just talking to a guy on the phone about how much ground in Taylor county is being converted to row crop and it won't even produce high yields that they want. We have a few acres in Timber and I know my Dad I'll be keeping them around just so I can hunt them.

 

[raven]

I would be posting pictures all day and getting nothing done if I did that. It is STUPID what is going on. Fueled by pure GREED and nothing else. Iowa's pheasant hunting is all but history -- forever -- in my opinion because of this. Deer can adapt and weather the winters but we are losing vital security habitat for a host of species and deer are included for sure. A guy just about flipped out the other day when he pulled up to our house and looked at 10 acres of standing beans. He thought I'd flipped my lid! We all need to do something to reverse what is happening. Put down all the wildlife habitat on your farms that you can! We need to help our wildlife not grow more crops to feed more livestock! And that is a huge misconception by the public -- people consume only a tiny portion of any of the corn they see growing out there. Most goes to feed cows/pigs and then back to us to make us fat and give us all heart conditions. What a great situation. We need to grow more wildlife not grain and livestock! I guess, since I am in the wildlife consulting/management business, I am just sick of seeing the damage being done out there by growing too many crops and livestock.

 

[dedgeez]

I guess, since I am in the wildlife consulting/management business, I am just sick of seeing the damage being done out there by growing too many crops and livestock.

There is so much hypocrisy in some of these posts. I am all for conservation of habitat and a little more conservative farming practices, but can we in all reality expect that? After all, it is bottom line... a business and way of life for these people. We see it everyday in other business structures to expand and grow and corner the market persay. I hate seeing this as much as the rest of you guys, but I fully understand that farming practices have changed, and like any other business in this world, the almighty dollar is what drives decision making in most cases. If you read some of your posts, you will see clearly that almost all of us are for general practices that benefit what we like to do or how we live, and you can't expect these farmers to be any different. It sucks, and I hate seeing habitat loss, but it's the world we live in fellas, and when it comes to each of our livlihoods, we all make decisions to benefit ourselves and our incomes. Not everyone thinks that animals are important and that conserving habitat is a priority like we do. I run into very similar situations as Skip talked about earlier with family and friends, but I learned along time ago that not everyone looks at deer or other wildlife like I do. Be careful who or what you criticize, when in most cases you are probably doing things in your life that others disagree with as well.

 

[blakesburg]

Be careful who or what you criticize, when in most cases you are probably doing things in your life that others disagree with as well.[/QUOTE]


That is the quote of the years!!! Well said.

 

[raven]

I don't disagree that others will disagree with something that I may say and do. The reason I am in the wildlife business is by choice, not by chance. When others are directly and negatively impacting Iowa wildlife, than I may say so. It's "our" wildlife that is being impacted, not mine. We need to fight for it because no one else will. If no one cares that our wildlife habitat is being destroyed by dozers, cows and pigs, then we are pretty weak and worthless!

I do agree with dedgeez for the most part but we do need to criticize things that negatively impact what we are fighting for -- if we don't, then we have no backbone and will lose those things. A very high Iowa wildlife official told me once that in Iowa it's all about the agriculture and not about the wildlife -- here ag wins every time and wildlife loses. What kind of attitude is that for a coach of our Iowa wildlife team? We will always lose? I don't put up with that. Lay down the wildlife habitat! I am tired of way too many cows and pigs and dozers and laws and rules that favor these wildlife abuse agents. It's just too bad some people really don't care about how great Iowa can be as a wildlife state. We have a GREAT state and I'm not going to sit back and let others who don't care about our wildlife habitat run it over because it affects their bottom line! I spend thousands out of pocket each year for our wildlife. I don't expect others to do so but I do expect others to at least respect what we have and not destroy it to fatten their wallets.

 

[dedgeez]

I absolutely agree with you and it's refreshing to know that there are others out there that think our resources are worth defending. It is definitely a thin line that we walk in trying to define farming practices as good business or a detriment to our land and wildlife. I would like to think that we can have a good mix of both and in 20 years there will be pheasants and deer and other wildlife thriving in Iowa, but sadly, I don't see that happening if this continues. On one hand I can't blame the farmers for wanting to better their lives or "fatten their wallets", but on the other hand I try hard to talk to them about how critical it is to have cover for our animals, so in all reality, I'm probably the biggest hypocrite of all. I try to see both sides of the argument, but I guess in the end my passion for hunting and wildlife will always trump my sympathetic side for big business. IMO we can have a mix of both and there will still be plenty of cake for everyone.