Ken,

Thanks for the report from Kansas. It's interesting how much time and energy can go into just getting to a place to hunt under conditions like we are having now. Still, we go. It sure makes those few golden days when all things seem right feel like they are heaven sent. I'll leave it to others to decide where the terrible days originate. :)

Garry

Yes I have more pictures of Buzzy than of my second child. But I need one of my kids to help me with posting pictures, and they don't visit all that often.

Richard, great pics. I didn't know there are hunting preserves in Anchorage now. When I was stationed there back in 92-94, I lamented the lack of bird hunting. Now that I am strongly considering a move back, I was lamenting again that I won't be able to do much bird hunting. Good to know there is now a preserve in Alaska!

Practically speaking, there is no comparison. Aside from the biological disappearance of pheasants, habitat loss would have done it nearly as quickly. Most farmland has been sold off to developers for industry, retail, and housing developments. When I drive along the streets of towns in the area where I grew up it is difficult to imagine they were once strongholds for a diversity of upland game and property owners back then were more than happy to allow hunting as long as respect was shown for the landowner and his livestock and equipment.
Most towns and cities in eastern Massachusetts have outlawed the discharge of firearms today with more following suit every year. Mid-state and the western part of the state haven't suffered these problems so much but Massachusetts politics and urban mores will eventually overrun the entire state one day.

I get to go back only in my memories these days and when I want to hunt unencumbered like in the old days, I drive a couple of hours to Vermont or Maine where, just like in the 50's and 60's in Mass., I can be hunting when I step out the door on a frosty morning...





.

"I didn't know there are hunting preserves in Anchorage now."

There were a couple of preserves for a few years but they're both defunct now, unfortunately. RGS was active in southern AK for a while though and did some enhancement projects both south and north of Anchorage. They actually live captured ruffies from around the Clear/Anderson area north of the AK Range and transplanted them to the Palmer area NE of Anchorage. They've done OK last I heard. I participated in the population monitoring a couple of times.

I'm glad you still have places you can go...and your memories.

Where we live more and more fence rows are being bulldozed, and more fescue planted. Much land is tied up by leasing deer hunters (although CWD is dampening some of that activity). Still, the population in the two most northerly tier of counties in Missouri has a population lower than it did in 1900. We are part of the flyover lands...thank God(!).

It seems the lost of pheasant habitat went from east to west as what I read on this excellent site. I grew up in the lehigh valley section of east central Pa. In the late sixties and seventies there was plently of native and stocked birds. Now it"s mostly put and take but I still enjoyit with my new two year old brit. Between the state stocked birds and birds stocked by the clubs I belong to I still had a nice fall bird season. I guess you have to take the oppurtunities given. Unfortunetly we had to put my other Brit of 14 years down 3 weeks ago, He was a great dog and will be sorely missed. Thanks to all members and associates.

Nick, sorry to learn of your older Brittany, but you have still have a companion dog to roam the fields and coverts with, so you are blessed. And no one can take your memories of those times when birds were more plentiful from you.

Mobirdhunter: Thank you for your kind words they were greatly appreciated by both my wife and myself