Thune Highlights South Dakota's Time-Honored Pheasant Hunting Tradition

Press Release

"Mr. President, before I begin the subject I want to address today, I just want to make an observation about this discussion we're having on our southern border.

And I would reiterate what I've been saying now for some time, and that is that it's no longer just a humanitarian crisis.

It is every bit of that, but it is a national security crisis.

We see the numbers on a daily basis, a number of people who are apprehended at the southern border trying to come into the country illegally.

The last three days, the last three days, that's over 9,000 per day, over 9,000 per day, and that doesn't include the gotaways or the unknowns.

That's the people who are apprehended coming across the border illegally.

And we now know, in the month of September, for example, that there were a significant number of people -- 18, actually -- apprehended coming across the southern border who were on the terrorist watch list.

People coming from all over the world have figured out, if you want a portal, if you want to get into the United States, just come to the southern border and we'll wave you in -- which is essentially what's happening today.

The question I would ask, Mr. President, is in what universe does that make any sense?

I said this yesterday: We are a nation of immigrants.

We've been a very welcoming country.

We have ways of bringing people into this country legally.

We do that on an annual basis.

But we are a nation of laws, first and foremost.

The rule of law is what distinguishes our country from many other countries around the world.

And yet, at our southern border, that doesn't mean a thing.

Over 9,000 a day.

Annualize that.

Think about what that means.

That's 3 million people a year.

And we have people who want to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to it.

We have an opportunity in this national security supplemental bill that will be on the floor perhaps as early as next week that will deal with issues like Ukraine; issues like Israel, what's happening there; Indo-Pacific, where we have national security interests at stake.

Mr. President, we have to deal with the national security crisis at our southern border.

This is insanity.

I don't understand it.

I don't understand the administration.

I don't understand some of my colleagues here in the Senate who feel like this isn't something that we need to be dealing with or addressing.

This is a national security crisis on a daily basis.

Over 9,000 in the last three days in a row -- and again, some of which we know, because they are catching them, are people on the terrorist watch list.

In what universe does what's being done at our southern border make sense to anybody, any rational person?

It doesn't make sense to the mayor of New York -- New York City -- or the mayor of Chicago, where as migrants arrive there, they're having to divert resources to address that.

The mayor of New York City said he was going to freeze hiring police officers in New York City.

That seems like that'd be a problem if I was a New York City resident.

He said he was going to have to close libraries, cut funding for education.

That is what we are talking about.

This is not just an issue that affects communities on the southern border -- although I've been down there a number of times, and believe me, they are profoundly affected.

This is an issue where every state becomes a border state, as literally thousands of people on a daily basis are released into the interior of the United States, waved by, no regard or respect for our heritage as a nation of laws and a country that is built upon a foundation of the rule of law.

It's got to be fixed.

It's got to be done and needs to be done now.

And I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and our folks at the White House understand that.

We can't wait any longer.

This is out of control.

On another subject, Mr. President, there are some things that are timeless.

That are cherished by every generation.

Things that never get old, no matter how long they've been going on.

In South Dakota, one of those things is our pheasant hunting tradition.

It's been a part of South Dakota's way of life for well over a century.

Over the years, as the pheasant population grew, so did the state's reputation as "The Pheasant Capital of the World.'

Today, hunters come from all over to participate in the annual hunting season.

And the season opener, which falls on the third Saturday in October, is all but an official state holiday.

Mr. President, pheasant hunting is a tradition in a lot of South Dakota families, including my own.

I can't remember a time when I didn't look forward to the start of pheasant season.

My dad would take my siblings and me out hunting.

He taught us how to bag a rooster and work together as a team in the field.

He wasn't one to miss a pheasant season, even into his late nineties.

Over the years, I've enjoyed sharing this tradition with my daughters and, later, with their husbands.

And I'm looking forward to passing it on to the next generation when my grandchildren are old enough.

Mr. President, I was able to get out pheasant hunting over the Thanksgiving holiday.

And I can say that there's nothing like a crisp fall day spent in our great outdoors with friends and family.

I think that's what keeps so many hunters coming back each year.

Of course, they also come for the challenge of the hunt and to (hopefully) limit out on roosters.

Like I said, folks come from all over for South Dakota's ringnecks.

Last year, 127,000 hunters came through our state and bagged over a million roosters.

And this year looks sure to be another great hunting season.

Mr. President, there is no shortage of satisfied hunters in South Dakota this time of year.

But pheasant season's benefits go far beyond just the hunters.

For communities in the heart of pheasant country, the hunting season has a significant economic impact.

In just over 100 days of hunting, pheasant season contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to our state's economy.

And folks in these small towns always make sure the out-of-towners feel welcome.

It's just part of who we are in South Dakota.

And Mr. President, there could hardly be so many satisfied hunters each fall without the conservation efforts of so many landowners and agriculture producers in the state.

The size of our famed pheasant population is thanks in no small part to land conservation efforts that provide quality habitat for the birds to roost.

A good hunting season in the fall depends on the spring nesting season and the ability of pheasants to hide their nests and protect their brood.

And South Dakota's farmers and ranchers make sure there's habitat for that nesting.

Mr. President, a lot of the conservation efforts in our state are supported by the Conservation Reserve Program -- the cornerstone of federal conservation programs.

It plays a critical role in South Dakota by supporting farmers who take environmentally sensitive land out of production.

Taking this land out of production protects against soil erosion, improves water quality, and provides wildlife habitat, including for pheasants.

And it provides an economical alternative for farmers, who would otherwise have to invest in expensive fertilizers and other inputs to keep this land in production.

Mr. President, I've been a longtime supporter of CRP.

And I'm working to make sure this program is strengthened and supported in the next farm bill so that more farmers and ranchers can access its benefits -- and, of course, so that future pheasant seasons are as good as seasons past.

Mr. President, it might seem that pheasant season is the pride of South Dakota.

And we're certainly proud of it.

But the pride of our state is really our way of life.

It's our values and our work ethic.

From the plains to the ponderosa pines, there's so much to appreciate about our state and its people.

South Dakotans cherish our freedoms; we love our country.

And we recognize that with freedom comes responsibility.

We recognize that sometimes you've got to step up and do the work.

And that you need to help your neighbors when they're in need.

These values have been forged in our small towns -- the kind of places where everyone knows each other and everyone does their part.

These are the timeless treasures that make life in South Dakota so good.

They're a big part of what makes me proud to serve our state here in the Senate.

And they're the values Kimberley and I tried to instill in our daughters, and that I'm confident the next generation of South Dakotans will continue to uphold.

Mr. President, whether gathered around a meal of fresh pheasant in our great outdoors or gathered around the Thanksgiving turkey, there's a lot to be thankful for as a South Dakotan.

And I'm grateful to be a son of our state.

Mr. President, I yield the floor."

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