Is there a willing Mentor in the Bismarck, ND area?

[Caroline]

My neighbor's sister-in-law has seen my Purple Martin pole system, gourds, and birds. She wants Purple Martins at her home, too. So does two of her neighbors! These women want to be serious PM landlords.

She already kills house sparrows and starlings, and traps raccoons. She loves all her native birds, and wants to put up a pole - with a winch - and eight Super Gourds- so she can host martins. She already has the gourds, but called me this week for more information.

She asked today if I knew of any martin people that could look at her place - five acres with open flyways - to see if the area she wants to put the pole is suitable. The same info is needed for her two near neighbors.

They want general martin info. I pointed them to the Download Center's info sheets on the main PMCA page. I asked that they read, and re-read, all the links there. I told them I would have saved 14 of my first PM chicks, plus time, effort, tears, and cash had I known about this info before my first year of having martins.

Does anyone here live in the area and have a couple hours to look at these folks' sites and point them in a good direction to set their poles?

They will probably need help setting up the pole(s). They want the name of a reliable handy-man they could hire to set the poles, string the winches, and wire on the gourds. They have given me permission to give their names and phone numbers to any possible mentors.

I am 3 1/2 hours away and with my upcoming jaw surgery, this is not something I can do this season.

[Perry D. Vogel]

We can mentor most anywhere in the Dakotas. Most times it doesn't require a site visit to help folks with any concerns they may encounter. Have your fiends use our Registration page and write a Comment that they want a mentor. We will then have a location for their site and will do our best to help.