Birds have always known that Cheyenne Bottoms is an important stop on the central flyway for the hundreds of thousands of water fowl and shore birds that migrate south each winter and north each spring. Although it’s not always recognized as such by humans, Cheyenne Bottoms was designated a wetlands of international importance in 1971.
Staale Alvestad and Nils Henrik Parborg both from Oslo, Norway travelled to this country for one thing-to hunt at Cheyenne Bottoms. This is the first time either of the two men had been in the U.S.
“I read about Cheyenne Bottoms on the website of Wildfowl magazine,” said Alvestad on Friday. “I read about the really huge area of wetlands.”
He explained that in Norway, there are wetlands, but they are closed off to hunting or they have been drained off for agriculture. Plus, much of the country is forested or mountainous.
“All hunters have to find another place to hunt,” Parborg said on Friday. “Cheyenne Bottoms give hunters a chance to do what they love to do.”
“It’s hard to find good duck hunting in Norway,” Alvestad said. He was really impressed that Cheyenne Bottoms allows both for conservation and hunting and was managed for both.
“Is there any place in the world like Cheyenne Bottoms?” asked Alvestad. They plan to hunt ducks and geese, using some of the five weeks of vacation they have each year.
They plan to eat what they shoot as they cannot take it back to Norway.
The two men, who both speak excellent English, drove to Kansas after visiting a friend Texas where they also hunted. They arrived in the U.S. on Nov. 14.
What they have enjoyed the most about the U.S. so far are the people. “The people are very friendly. Super, super friendly,” said Parborg. The two have invited to go on a hunt with local residents.
“We feel welcomed,” said Nils.
Both men speak excellent English, which they begin learning when they are 10 years old. They both speak English for their work. Also, American movies in Norway are played in English without the sub-titles.
One thing the men did notice was the huge change in temperature this past week, from mild to cold. In Oslo, the temperature slowly cools down, and the ground will be covered in snow from November to April. Plus, the men said that it is dark when leave for work in the morning and dark when they leave for the day, leaving only a few hours of light per day.
They also noticed that cars are bigger, and things are less expensive. Parborg said “everything in Norway is crazy expensive.” There is a lot of oil and gas that also makes salaries and wages higher.
Nils has two kids and takes care of his family in his spare time. He designs plastic products.
Staale works as a project manager for industrial refrigeration and likes to cross-country ski, mountain bike and practice shooting. Three hundred yards from his house, he can go cross-country skiing during the winter months.