Minnesota struggles to hold onto pheasant range

Since 2007, Minnesota has lost about 100,000 acres of grasslands in the state's pheasant range that had been enrolled in federal farm programs, mostly the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The loss of about 50,000 of those acres has been offset by increased enrollment in other land conservation programs and through land acquisitions by the Department of Natural Resources. But that still leaves a net decrease of 50,000 acres, a big loss for pheasants and other wildlife.

Now comes a bit of good news: The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it has accepted 4.3 million acres under the CRP general sign-up -- the first in four years -- including about 44,000 acres in Minnesota.

That keeps the CRP close to the 32 million acre statutory cap nationally. But 16 million acres are set to expire from 2011-2014.

And the trend in Minnesota is still a loss of wildlife habitat. About 69,000 acres currently enrolled in CRP here are set to expire this year.

"It's disappointing," said Kurt Haroldson, DNR pheasant biologist. "We'd like to be adding acres, or at least breaking even, and it appears we aren't."

Bears abound Bear hunters appear to be on track for a season similar to last year's. They've shot 2,083 bears as of Tuesday, about 100 fewer than at the same time last year. The final bear harvest last year was 2,800. Usually about 70 percent of the harvest comes the first two weeks of the season, which opened Sept. 1.

Meanwhile, three bear hunters in the Aitkin area spent the night in the woods after they got lost. They walked out the next morning.

First crane season Interest in the state's first sandhill crane hunt has exceeded expectations. The season is being held in northwestern Minnesota. The DNR has sold 1,483 crane permits, which cost $3.50.