American prairie. What's the issue?

[rogerthat]

If you don't think people are struggling in the Great U S of A, you arent paying attention.

 

[brocksw]

No idea, but prolly.

Road hunting conserved forever.

fify

 

[Ben Lamb]

Tell me you're a boomer w/o telling me, @rogerthat

 

[Hydrophilic]

Any research into the current state of the Great Plains and prairie ecosystems compared to the time of settlement should yield some eye-opening findings. If it doesn't concern you, I'm concerned enough for both of us.

My assumption is that if in 100 years the APR is closed to hunting or closed to human access, it's because we as a species have literally plowed all other prairie into the ground. Ushered into extinction from neglect and omitted from the landscape of Middle America, all in the name of production and insignificance. Places like the APR will be mere relics of the "ocean of grass" that the euro-American explorers first described when breaching the deciduous forests of the east.

If that seems far fetched to you, you're unaware of the fact that we're already past the halfway point to get there. Less than half of the great plains remains in prairie. Nearly half of all great plains birds species are gone. 30 million American Bison, gone. Native herds of elk and big horn sheep, gone. Native grasses and wildflowers, have been corrupted by invasive species to a point of no return. Cheat grass, smooth brome, crested wheatgrass, are spreading like a prairie wild fire. Every single year we literally plow over a million acres of native prairie into the ground for mono-culture. The figure I saw for 2019 was 2.6 million acres. That's 2.6 million acres of prairie that may never be seen again.

So when Chuck and the UPOM crew gather round their Save a cowboy sign, wanting to rid the remaining prairie of Bison and elk. Doing everything they can to stop American Prairie and their mission. I have zero sympathy for them.

Thank you for this post.

Understanding what we have lost, and what we are losing, is incredibly painful.

These areas are part of our heritage

 

[stevejfarms]

When guys can get $70 per bushel small grains by using expensive contracted seed from bayer and monsato, it's hard to turn down that kind of money.

If you could get $70/bushel for small grains APR couldn’t afford to buy any land.

 

[brocksw]

If you could get $70/bushel for small grains APR couldn’t afford to buy any land.

It's incredibly expensive to buy that seed and it's contracted. So producers who want to use it have to buy it every year, they can't make their own from the original planting. So it's a recurring cost if that's the game you want to play. But overall, the guys I know that have messed around with it have doubled their yields. As far as I know it's been a pretty slow adoption rate, especially amongst the older generation of farmers. There have been significant strides in GMO/chemical treatments for small grains just during the last few years. To my understanding it was a much more significant hurdle compared to the development of modern corn and soybean seed.

 

[SAJ-99]

That wasn't my argument. I don't think many people are struggling in the US right now. We are filthy rich

I don't think APR said they were going to 'fix' anything in regards to local ranching. I admit to not being in the room where it happened, but if you were what exactly did they say they were going to 'fix'?

 

[stevejfarms]

It's incredibly expensive to buy that seed and it's contracted. So producers who want to use it have to buy it every year, they can't make their own from the original planting. So it's a recurring cost if that's the game you want to play. But overall, the guys I know that have messed around with it have doubled their yields. As far as I know it's been a pretty slow adoption rate, especially amongst the older generation of farmers. There have been significant strides in GMO/chemical treatments for small grains just during the last few years. To my understanding it was a much more significant hurdle compared to the development of modern corn and soybean seed.

If your talking about buying seed for $70/bushel, I get it. I thought you meant selling small grains for $70/bushel.

 

[brocksw]

If your talking about buying seed for $70/bushel, I get it. I thought you meant selling small grains for $70/bushel.

I'm sorry, I mispoke. Not sure what I was thinking. They doubled their yeilds to 70 bushels an acre. Not $70 a bushel. My fault.

 

[mtmuley]

A good friend drew a Breaks bull tag. Going to call the APR about the places I wanted to hunt four years ago. Maybe I will get a yes like Buzz did. mtmuley

 

[DFS]

A good friend drew a Breaks bull tag. Going to call the APR about the places I wanted to hunt four years ago. Maybe I will get a yes like Buzz did. mtmuley

I’d eat my tag before I’d ask them for access.

 

[BuzzH]

I’d eat my tag before I’d ask them for access.

You don't even have to ask for a lot of it, just sign a permission slip.

 

[mtmuley]

I’d eat my tag before I’d ask them for access.

Hey, I just want to know if access is granted to some and not others. I know plenty of other places to go. The APR said they were "evaluating" these areas in 2018. Seems they were done in 2020. We'll see. mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

A good friend drew a Breaks bull tag. Going to call the APR about the places I wanted to hunt four years ago. Maybe I will get a yes like Buzz did. mtmuley

Like my Dad did you meant.

 

[mtmuley]

Like my Dad did you meant.

Yeah, that's what I meant. mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

Hey, I just want to know if access is granted to some and not others. I know plenty of other places to go. The APR said they were "evaluating" these areas in 2018. Seems they were done in 2020. We'll see. mtmuley

Hopefully someone from APR read's hunttalk, their decision on who they allow and who they don't would be much easier.

With the way the FWP has managed elk across the state, I wouldn't be surprised if they pull access for cow elk.

When my Dad had the tag and was given permission they were only allowing bull hunting on that place. We had the entire place to ourselves for 4 days...it was spectacular.

The good thing is too, they only allowed access from the main BLM road.

 

[mtmuley]

When my Dad had the tag and was given permission they were only allowing bull hunting on that place.

Good news. My bud has a bull tag. When I asked I had a bull tag. mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

Good news. My bud has a bull tag. When I asked I had a bull tag. mtmuley

You have to ask nicely.

 

[mtmuley]

You have to ask nicely.

Trust me. I did. Talked to the hunt manager for quite awhile. Going to again. No idea if it's the same guy as four years ago. Lots of research and some intel from a former member led me there. As Said, we'll see. mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

Trust me. I did. Talked to the hunt manager for quite awhile. Going to again. No idea if it's the same guy as four years ago. Lots of research and some intel from a former member led me there. As Said, we'll see. mtmuley

We talked to Dan when we went to pick up the permission slip. Great guy, Montana native and has quite the resume'.