Bette Olson attacks Babe Winkelman and Tony

[publichunter]

Bette Olson attacks Babe Winkelman and Tony

Though Bette Olson, that failed legislator and the instigator of the ill-advised SD Lockout attacks Babe Winkleman for writing of the importance of CRP, she can't resist tying me into her lead.

Truth is, I'm a lot more successful at what I do, and so is Babe, than Bette is. Between Babe and I, we've won more programming awards than almost all other outdoor TV shows in America...combined. I don't have to defend Babe, cuz he's capable of defendiing himself, but I suspect he doesn't visit the rancher's crybaby website.

Bette apparently finds CRP evil, and suggests that it's sportsmen taking over private land. Who the hell does she think pays for the commodity subsidies and makes up the difference on the bargain basement grazing rates many of them enjoy on lands that belong to the people of the United States. They ask, no, demand that same government pay for the killing of coyotes. Why should the government and sportsmen fund this effort?

They masquerade as Republicans, but I'm betting most don't hold Teddy Roosevelt in high esteem. See, TR believed in public lands. But then TR was a fine human being who also happened to become a rancher.

They whine and whine and whine...constantly railing against the evil federal government while sucking up their below market value grazing leases, courtesy of that evil, though benevolent federal government. The truth is, the government loses a considerable amount of money annually paying the difference in what they charge for grazing rates on public lands, and the pittance they receive from these crybabies.

They claim to be stauch Republicans, but deep down, dislike Mike Rounds because he backs the GFP's Open Fields policy as do most South Dakotans.

If the West River crowd wants to continue to set themselves back into a non-existent time zone, just continue to send representatives to Pierre like Bette or some of the others who have done more to hurt their political party than the Dems ever could.

Keep it up Bette, you might amuse a few small thinkers, but you won't win any major battles for them.

 

[SJ]

She evidently worries/ amuses one small thinker.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Awwww, and here I thought Tony liked me…

I had to wrack my small brain for a while before I realized that Tony Dean must be talking about this article I posted in an earlier thread. Thinking is really a tough thing for a "failed legislator" to do, but give me enough time and I can figure a few things out!

When I found this article online I had no idea who Babe Winkelman was and I certainly wasn't aware that he and Tony Dean were so well known and distinguished! I'll take Denny's assessment of Winkelman because he knows the guy and I don't:

Babe is from Brainerd Mn which is 18 miles from here. My wife worked for him in high school and we worked on his vehicle's where I worked in college. The guy is an asshole.

However, it is apparent to me that at least Tony Dean visits this "rancher's crybaby website" with some regularity or he would have never seen this article.

Dean is obviously not a rancher, so what kind of crybaby is he? And when you answer that question, watch your language. Remeber that children sometimes read these posts.

Game and Fish and the Tony Deans of this country sure hate to see you farmers opt out of the CRP program and earn some money off your own land. How long do you suppose it will be before they try to take your "native grass" acres away from you?

Conservation Reserve Program going up in smoke
Babe Winkelman
The Jamestown Sun
November 02, 2007

If you're taking a hunting trip this fall to any number of states in Middle America, you'll likely spy great plumes of smoke curling to the heavens.
Unfortunately, what you'll be seeing is equally great stands of grass and 20 years of unprecedented farmland conservation going up in smoke.

Indeed, hundreds of thousands of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres — contracts between landowners and the federal government — were lost as of Oct. 1, and thousands of others will be lost in the years ahead as farmers opt out of the program and put their precious acres back into agriculture production.

So now the Big Burn is on, as farmers prep their former CRP fields for spring planting.

The upshot — and this is an important point — is that hunters, perhaps for the first time this fall, are going to see the spoils of farm policy gone bad. And wildlife officials predict that we hunters will be none too pleased.

"It's going to be a bitter pill to swallow, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a lot of calls," said George Vandel, assistant wildlife director for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. "Some hunters are going to go back to their favorite pheasant haunts and find out that the grass is gone and with it the birds."

South Dakota, the nation's premiere pheasant-hunting state, lost 300,000 acres on Oct. 1, reducing its total CRP acreage to well below 2 million acres. The state also could lose an additional 300,000 acres over the next few years. Translation: Less grass will mean fewer pheasants in the years ahead, impacting bird hunters across the nation, as well as the economies they support.

North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa (among other states) — all serious hunting destinations — lost thousands of acres on Oct. 1 and will likely see thousands of other contract acres expire from now through 2010.

In fact, North Dakota, a major duck-producing state for the continental U.S., lost 250,000 acres and will likely see an additional 300,000 expire from now until 2010.

As I've written in this space in the past, the conversion of CRP lands to crop lands is being fueled by the false promises of corn ethanol production and higher across-the-board commodity prices. And politicians of all political persuasions are buying into it — hook, line and subsidy.

Our nation is drunk on corn ethanol, and I assure you the hangover of lost wildlife habitat will take more than two aspirins and a swig of water to cure the pain. This is but the first round of what will ultimately be a dramatic and disconcerting change to America's farm country. And the consequences will be felt not only by hunters and conservationists, but Main St. as well. Unless we change course and craft a more conservation-minded farm policy, we hunters could face some lean years, wildlife officials say.

The benefits of CRP are indisputable and well-documented. In fact, the combined size of new wildlife habitats established by the CRP is twice as large as the National Wildlife Refuge System and all state-administered wildlife areas in the contiguous 48 states combined. Which, of course, is why CRP is America's most successful conservation program — and it's not even close.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among other agencies, have documented the successes of CRP. They're worth repeating:

* Studies have shown that CRP acreage in the Dakotas and parts of Montana add 2 million ducks to the fall flight every year, benefiting waterfowl hunters across the nation.

* CRP has seen increases in grasshopper sparrow, lark, bunting, and eastern meadowlark populations.

* CRP has helped spur of ring-necked pheasant populations across the Midwest. Many states like the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota are poised for banner seasons.

* CRP has helped foster the reappearance of long-absent prairie chickens in Texas.

* CRP has spurred notable increases in populations of big game such as elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and antelope.

* CRP has improved bobwhite quail numbers in Missouri and other states.

* CRP has promoted dramatic improvements to water quality. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), each acre under a CRP contract reduces erosion by an average of 19 tons of top soil per year.

This reduces sediment and the amount of nutrients and pesticides being swept into our lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.

* CRP has provided ranchers with much-needed livestock forage in drought years.

Since its official inception in 1986, CRP has improved wildlife habitat and wildlife populations, bolstered water quality for our fisheries and provided numerous other public benefits.

Now many of those benefits are going up in smoke, thanks to a spineless Congress and the well-heeled agriculture interests who have bought their support.

My advice: enjoy this year's hunting season. We may be facing some lean years ahead.

Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for more than 25 years.

http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=56377&freebie_check&CFID=64116357&CFTOKEN=62493441&jsessionid=8830ee8c87f267791659#

People need to be taught to hunt and fish by this guy? My Dad taught me to shoot as soon as I was big enough to hold the 22 steady and hit the rabbit I was aiming at. I learned to fish with other kids my age using a bamboo pole and bobber.

Who taught the rest of you these skills? I bet it wasn't either of these guys!

 

[passin thru]

Why do some of these Small Thinker come up with the idea that they have the right to tell landowners what to do with their property.

Hypothetically, I have a piece of ex Crp land............well anyone can tell me not to farm it or do whatever.................the minute they open their checkbook and buy it.

On a side note that has no bearing on the issue..........if I had ex CRP ground I would in no way plan on farming it.........but that choice would be mine. Just as WHO I would let hunt on it.

I wonder if small minds can understand that.

 

[SJ]

"Envy is as evil a thing as arrogance" Teddy Roosevelt