Anybody wanna move to Saskatchewan???

[Jack Cronkhite]

This quote is from the front page of the 2010 Hunting and Trapping Synopsis
Nancy Heppner has been an active supporter of hunting in her role as Minister of Environment. If you want to examine the full synopsis you can find it HERE (http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=6556811e-477c-4a45-a2a8-6d10cacbbf44&MediaID=3430&Filename=2010+Hunters%27+and+Trappers%27+Guide.pdf&l=English). (Not me in the picture - daily limit is 3 so I expect the photog also had a shotgun)

We have the privilege of living in one of the best
places in the world – a province with a diverse
array of natural resources. Saskatchewan's
bountiful hunting opportunities make us the envy
of those who are passionate about outdoor
recreation. Our hunting opportunities are not
only world-class, they are major contributors to
our economy. Hunting, fishing and trapping are
an integral part of Saskatchewan.
Sunday hunting was implemented province-wide
for all game species and all hunters beginning
with the 2009 season. Hunters have responded
favourably to this initiative. In our busy society,
finding time beyond Saturdays and holidays to
participate in hunting activities can be difficult.
Now hunters have a full weekend to enjoy a bird
or big game hunt.
Hunters have also responded positively to the
fixed opening and closing dates for most species
and seasons that we implemented for the 2009
hunting season. The regulations were simplified
and hunters will know from year to year when
seasons begin, making it easier to make hunting
plans.
Our government introduced
The Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Heritage Act
into the Legislative Assembly last fall. This act recognizes the
important role hunting, fishing and trapping have
played in shaping Saskatchewan's social, cultural
and economic heritage. To celebrate this, the act
declares November 15 of each year “Hunting,
Fishing and Trapping Heritage Day” in
Saskatchewan. This coincides with the opening
of the fall rifle deer season in most areas of the
province.
I wish each of you a safe, successful hunting
season.
Nancy Heppner
Minister of Environment

[Francis Morin]

I love your Country- Jack London, Robert W. Service- down here things are getting too "Metro*&^%$#" for an old country boy like me- :p

[Jack Cronkhite]

Francis: We had guys running Environment forever. None of them were as supportive of hunters as Nancy has been. She not only listens to concerns and acts on them, she's a hunter herself. Nope, I'd be happy to have her in that role for as long as possible. Our guy Premier will one day move her along to another portfolio but I have seen more positive changes on the hunting scene since she came along than for decades prior. As for those RCMP's, the ladies have been part of it since 1973. The previous head of the RCMP was one of those 1973 ladies, so there is no "last bastion" left. We have lots of room for old country boys though, so not to worry. Here's a little "fixer-upper" that we could renovate should the temptation become overwhelming. Nice thing about this place - nearby creek has good water and you can shoot pheasants off a rocking chair on the porch - well we'd have to re-build a porch, but that wouldn't be too difficult. Old wood stove could be re-furbished to cook up those pheasants and keep the place warm during the minus 40 degree blizzards (from about September and ending around August)
Cheers,
Jack
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/28884/P1060849ps-small.JPG

[Francis Morin]

My bias against females in DNR-what we call the Raccoon Rangers in MI- we had a female enforcement officer in our sector for 20 years- and she was a full bore feminsta and a man-hater- and as you know, there are more ways they can write you up when waterfowling, and loved to do that- One of the District Judges (a friend and fellow hunter) finally admonished her openly in Court about her amount of "Chicken &^%$" citations- she has finally retired.

Besides being a good welder, I also have skills in carpentry, basic electricals (NOT electronics) and rough plumbing- so you'd be taking in a older guy who can and will work to earn his keep- pheasants from the porch- almost sounds too easy--Thanks!!:whistle:

[Jack Cronkhite]

Welding - good. The stove needs fixin'
Carpentry - good. The porch will be the best feature then.
Electrical - what's that??
Rough Plumbing - no need, already behind the house - and not too rough either - it's a fancy "two holer"

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=144&pictureid=1546

As for Raccoon Rangers or Ministers of Environment, the individual gets my admiration or disgust based on their actions not gender. Maybe we could set up a third rocker on the new porch and invite Nancy to shoot a few. If you get that stove into good shape, maybe she could cook 'em up too.

Cheers,
Jack

[David Hamilton]

Jack, All that place needs is a bundle of shingles! David

[Dean Romig]

...and a good woodstove!

[Jack Cronkhite]

Okay:

Shingles could be salvaged from this one. Maybe quite easily next year, as it will likely have fallen over. Now it too could be fixed up but since it no longer has its rough plumbing, chimney's gone and no stove, the other one is the better bet. But...... can still shoot pheasants off the porch of this one (once built) and the creek water here is also good.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/20071114_IMG_9999_11s_t.JPG

[Dean Romig]

Wherever they are, on the plains, in bayou country, the wooded hills of New England or the farmlands of the Midwest, those places always speak to me of broken dreams and desperation.

[calvin humburg]

Yes Dean me 2. The ol houses look sad. Once there was probably kids running around in them. And the cool ol barns also. ch

[Dave Suponski]

Dean hit the nail on the head for me too.Whenever I encounter one of these old house's or barn's my mind shifts to thought's of these homesteaders grit and determination.Trying to scratch out an existence for themselves and their family's and their ultimate failure.Most probably moved back to the cities in hope of work.

Another thought along the same lines is when I see all our old brick factory building from the 1800's here in New England now for the most part abandoned and empty. A reminder of our industrial might in years now long gone...On a positive note three of the factory building's that was part of the Parker family industrial empire are still in use today...Thanks for letting me reminice.....:)

[Jack Cronkhite]

The barn here is a bit beyond a fixer-upper but the pheasants you can shoot from the porch of the house (after Francis and I built that :) ) make good use of the shelter around the barn. Honest, there is water in the creek that you can't quite see below.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=144&pictureid=1547

I love these old places for the roosters that hang out around them. They also make great photos and evoke imagination of the time they were active farms. Some folks did not survive the depression era but others did. They were hardy stock and lived life their way. Some of the descendants are still in the area but they are not farming 1/4 section; rather, those who continued and made good business decisions are now farming 10 or more sections of land. Small family farms are a thing of the past and the distance between neighbors is pretty far on the open prairie.
Cheers,
Jack

[David Hamilton]

Jack, Mighty lomesome, hardly a tree in sight. The old building looks is if it was resigned to fate. Beautiful and austere, lovely colors and sky, dreamy and remote. I don't know how I would feel waking every day to such a plain scene. However, the poet in me would find a way to love such a place. David

[Bruce Day]

My forebears were in the Dakotas, maybe thats why I have a fondness for the plains and the wind, and I just drove through David Hamilton's town in Va, not a decent prairie view there and no constant wind. He probably doesn't even have a snow fence for the tumbleweeds to pile up against....he doesn't know what he's missing. Va was beautiful, charming, but as I said to Jim Hall, there aren't decent east-west, north south straight roads in the whole state, unlike out here where a crooked road is an employment opportunity for the highway engineers.

Jack, I used to hunt in southern western Can.... Bossevein, all that area north of the line above NoDak. Several of us are hunting prairie grouse around Mott ND in mid Sept, much the same country as in your pictures.

[Jack Cronkhite]

Bruce: From the looks of the creek around Mott, you should have some good hunting. That's about 8 hours from my little corner of the planet. I sometimes find myself N of the 49th near Ambrose and Crosby ND. The second house picture is probably 20 miles N of the Ambrose elevator.

My roots S of the 49th are in Minnesota and Idaho. Some of them decided on taking up the offer of homesteads in northern Saskatchewan. That branch of the family stayed, except my Grandmother who maintained dual citizenship and has a daughter, well into her 90's and still living in her own home in Raytown MO.

While a little fuzzy, you can see the Ambrose elevator in this pic, taken from a spot where I find a few roosters every year. I'm guessing the elevator is close to 10 miles away taken with a 400 mm telephoto lens but handheld, so not the best focus. http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/20061221_IMG_9999_6s.JPG

[Francis Morin]

Yankton SD- a great GSJ story by Jack Curtis- Skofer's run-down shack of a house-- if the stove is cast iron, tough to weld- guess I'll have to bring my portable generator to run my Skil saw etc for the rebuild- but shooting pheasants from the porch- that sounds intriguing!

[Dave Fuller]

Jack's pictures look a lot like my family's Western Kansas farmstead. But not because of "broken dreams and desperation" but because every one went to college and never came back. Its actually quite the opposite. If my dead grandfather could see where I live now he would gladly light his old machine shed on fire. But I sure am glad he left it to us so we can hunt there!

[David Borrowman]

Several of us are hunting prairie grouse around Mott ND in mid Sept, much the same country as in your pictures.

Bruce, I hunted up there two years ago and stayed in Lefor. Pheasants, huns, and sharp-tail. Very beautiful country. A college buddy's uncle lives up there (his Aunt is from Mott) and we were supposed to go back this year, but his wife is due with twins a week after we were supposed to go. The Enchanted Highway is worth a drive is you like quirky, two story tall, metal sculptures.

David

[David Hamilton]

Jack, Bruce, Calvin, I could move to the plains with hardly a look back as I love open space and low people density. I am however married and my dearly beloved thinks that 50 miles from Washington, DC is remote. I do admit that I have one child who lives in DC and another in NYC and including three grandchildren (That is two and one due any minute). My hands are tied but my spirit would be free. I find that I can be happy almost anywhere but give me some space! David