Get involved in outdoors issues

The future of North Dakota’s outdoor and hunting heritage depends largely on habitat, access, and other important variables such as weather and wildlife disease.

It’s not easy — maybe impossible — to predict the landscape of hunting in North Dakota a few decades from now. It took years for the Conservation Reserve Program to help build up both game and nongame wildlife populations, everything from native sparrows to imported pheasants, but should the program ever be eliminated, years of progress will disappear faster than the last pheasant breast on the plate.

So this holiday season, when your brother-in-law brings up something he considers wrong in the realm of the outdoors, I challenge you, and him as well, to do something about it.

One of the best things anyone who has an interest in hunting or fishing in North Dakota can do is join a local wildlife, rod or gun club. These organizations are a great place to interact with like-minded individuals who often work together to complete local projects to benefit local people, and also provide input that influences decisions at the state level.

The key point is that North Dakota has a lot of men and women, young and old, who love the outdoors and contribute to maintaining and enhancing it. Getting involved is as simple as volunteering to help add a fishing pier at the local lake, starting up a youth hunting, fishing or shooting event, planting trees or helping with spring cleaning a boat ramp or recreation area.

In some areas of the state, as population and demographics have shifted, the local wildlife club has outlasted other traditional service clubs. This a testament to the passion of hunters and anglers and their belief that our outdoors heritage adds value to our communities.

I understand that club membership is not for everyone. We all have different interests and abilities and not every hunter or angler will join the local club, but I also know how important these organizations are.

I am occasionally asked if I know of anyone who could help get an interested young boy or girl into hunting after they completed the hunter education course. If they don’t have a family member, neighbor or friend available, I’ll seek out the closest club to find out if there is a potential match, someone who has the time and interest to help out a youngster.

North Dakota has more than 100 wildlife-related clubs or groups. Some are independent, others are affiliates of larger state or national conservation organizations. They all have service in mind.

Many clubs sponsor scholarships to an outdoor skills camp, hold special mentor hunts during the youth waterfowl and pheasant seasons in North Dakota along with improving fishing access in their local areas.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’ve read this and are nodding your head in agreement, don’t let it end with an idea that sounds interesting. Take the next step and make contact. If you don’t know where to turn, feel free to shoot me an email, I’d be more than happy to help you find a place to plug in.

Leier is a biologist with the Game & Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

Tags: getting outside, outdoors, wildlife, hunting