Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Pheasants and Family

Pheasants and Family
By Rep. Kristi Noem
October 16, 2015

Pheasant hunting is part of our lifestyle in South Dakota.  Many of us look forward to those days when the air is crisp but it doesn’t yet carry the bite of winter – the days when we can spend hours walking the fields and taking in the beauty of the incredible state we live in.  I love those days and all that comes with them.

For us, pheasant hunting is a family affair. My Grandma Bergan was an avid bird hunter.  When I was younger, she and I would spend hours walking the fields together each fall.  I think that when most girls become hunters, people assume it was their dad or their grandfather who took them.  And while my dad taught me about big-game hunting, it was my Grandma Bergan who passed down the South Dakota pheasant hunting tradition.  That’s something I’ve always been proud of.

One of the many things Grandma taught me was that hunting is more than a rush of adrenalin.  It is also a time that should be spent connecting with your family.  After my dad died, there were so many wonderful people who came into our lives and many family members who helped us make decisions and supported us. My Uncle Bob and Uncle Dennis were two of those individuals who spent many hours with our family trying to fill the void my dad had left.

I’d always felt blessed to grow up surrounded by a close family, and when all seemed to have fallen apart, Uncle Bob and Uncle Dennis  were there to offer a steady hand.  I’ve always been grateful for that and to this day, pheasant hunting sometimes seems like the best time to get past the busyness of life and catch up.  It’s why I try to make a point of walking with them and talking with them as we flush pheasants every year.  Those are times that I cherish.

I can only hope my own kids will find moments like this to hold on to.  I’m so glad that even after our girls have moved out and left for college, the pheasant season opener remains a family affair they come back for.  While not everyone in the family hunts, at the end of opening day, everyone gathers to spend time at Grandma Sharon’s for what inevitably becomes a loud, energetic, tale-telling dinner with the entire Noem family.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Whether or not you take part in the sport, I know most of us see pheasant season as part of South Dakota’s living heritage and an active segment of our economy.  Last year alone, pheasant hunters spent more than $154 million in the state, according to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.

This is a tradition we can be proud of.  However you and your family spend South Dakota’s pheasant season, I hope it is safe and abundant.

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