Five Question Friday: Berdette Zastrow

Five Question Friday with Berdette Zastrow. Zastrow serves on PF's National Board of directors.

PF: How did you first get involved with Pheasants Forever?

BW: I first heard about PF when I served on the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission. The Aberdeen, SD, chapter was one of the first to organize. My husband and I live near Aberdeen so I joined that chapter. Our local conservation officer at the time, Bill Antonides, was a great and enthusiastic PF member and I learned a lot about the conservation organization from him. Word of mouth works very well!

PF: Tales of pheasant hunts in South Dakota are legendary. What's your best tale?

BW: When I was growing up, my uncle brought a carload of Wisconsin hunters to our farm. It was awesome to have company. I served as a gopher those years and had a wonderful time. The sandwiches and cookies always tasted better outdoors, and it was fun to be scared when a beautiful cocky rooster exploded up in front of me. I'll never forget cheers from all the hunters when a bird would hit the ground. My grandmother was a wonderful cook and my mother helped her with the pheasants. Different than today, those women actually cleaned the birds while the guys "rested" and told stories. When the awesome creamed pheasant was served, it was truly a magnificent occasion. Hearing all the hunting stories at the dining table was great fun.

This episode is a model of South Dakota pheasant hunting tradition. People get married, get engaged, have family reunions and more during the prime pheasant season opener day. With the habitat work done by Pheasants Forever, our tradition will be in good hands.

PF: When people think of South Dakota, they think Mount Rushmore and pheasants, and not particularly in that order. What else should they know about?

BW: Custer State Park is a jewel, a beautiful 72,000-acre park nestled in the southern Black Hills. Elk, buffalo antelope, big horn sheep, wild turkeys, mule and whitetail deer, porcupines and all types of fur-bearing animals inhabit the park. The Needles Highway presents a wonderful wilderness panorama as a person drives through. There are tunnels on the near-by Iron Mountain road that allows a view of Mt. Rushmore at the entrance or end of the tunnel.

The Missouri River that divides South Dakota in two, East River, and West River, is a majestic river. The Oahe Dam, the largest earthen dam in the world, is located near Pierre, and that has created Lake Oahe, a great fishing destination.

The Glacial Lakes area in the northeast corner of South Dakota is a beautiful spot with many lakes, hills, canyons and provides outstanding fishing, both winter and summer. Wild turkeys abound, as do deer. This is the waterfowl mecca of the state. Our "prairie pothole" region is the nation's duck factory, with duck production an important part of the life cycle.

The southeast part of South Dakota features rolling hills, forests, and scenic lakes created by other dams on the Missouri River.

PF: What was the last book you read, and how did it rate?

BW: Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. The book deals with all of us who are working for the preservation of hunting and outdoor traditions and how to pass it on to today's children. Louv writes about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors today. More than just raising an alarm, the author offers practical solutions. The book is full of reasons why our youth are so divorced from the outdoors, and what we can do to try to turn the situation around.

PF: When you were a kid, you wanted to be a _______?

BW: When I was a kid, my dream life was to be a "cowboy" in Wyoming, riding the mountains herding cattle and fishing. I always had a connection to the outdoors and whatever I desired to do dealt with the outdoors. I built tree houses by myself and spent much time in them. I grew up on a farm and then raised our children on a farm, complete with cattle. Our children had the connection to the outdoors and love it still today.

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