The changing of seasons is accompanied by timeless traditions. These traditions may be the strongest to those who are closest to the land. There are no two groups of people who are more in tune with the changing of seasons than hunters and farmers. For farmers the changing of seasons brings the promise of a successful harvest. For hunters it brings the same promise. The connections between the two groups are undisputable, success of both groups generally goes hand and hand, and therefore hunters must continue to strengthen relationships with farmers to ensure success in the future.
Throughout the year weather conditions play a huge role in the success of the harvest. Wet weather in the spring can have a huge impact on agricultural planting and upland game nesting success, while a drought can take a toll on agricultural yields and also on waterfowl populations. Organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl and Pheasants Forever are just a few examples of organizations that play an integral role in the building relationships on these parallels. Membership in these organizations provides hunters with the opportunity to continue to strengthen ties, but developing personal relationships with farmers solidifies this relationship.
As hunters we do not always recognize the importance of this bond. An early September Canada goose hunt earlier this fall really opened my eyes. As the first group of geese rose above the horizon in the east, I looked across the decoy spread and reflected back on my first goose hunt. It was simple, a dozen Canada goose shells was all we carried into the field that day. The hunt was in the late eighties and finding resident Canada geese was no easy task. We were fortunate though, we had a lifelong family friend who was passionate about preserving wildlife habitat. He was our “guide” on that crisp October morning. As a farmer he had endured the hardships that accompanied the drought and was forced to find a second job on an assembly line earlier that year. Despite this fact his passion for sharing the bounty of wildlife on his land was evident.
While the majority of farmers in his area were clearing tree claims and shelter belts, he was planting more. He recognized the value that wildlife habitat provided. Perhaps his willingness to give up a few acres of farmland for habitat had an impact on the challenges he endured, but there was no doubt that the hardships endured were well worth it for this farmer. Through all the hardships, he had never lost sight of the true value of his land and was always willing to make the extra effort to preserve precious habitat. To him success was more than the number of acres in production, it was finding the balance between wildlife habitat and agricultural acres.
He was a landmark in the area of Soil Conservation and No-Till farming and also a strong leader in the reintroduction process of Canada geese to his area. The benefits of these efforts were evident in the eighties and they continue to be apparent today. We all have a farmer to thank for providing us with the opportunities we enjoy in the field each fall. With the expansion of commercialized hunting we must recognize and thank individual farmers for providing us with the opportunities they provide. There are tens of thousands of acres that now come only at a price. Perhaps if more hunters would have recognized the farmers for providing land access in the past, those relationships would have ensured open land access today and into the future.
Farmers should be the biggest ally hunters have and we all must strive to continue to strengthen these relationships. Farming practices play a major role in the success hunters have in the field each fall. We must work with them to encourage maximization of wildlife habitat. As we all enjoy our autumn traditions please take some time to develop a relationship with a farmer who looks to this time of year with the same anticipation and excitement as hunters do.
