2011 Habitat Photos

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1GB

New member
Seems like this section has been slow lately - anyone working on habitat projects? If so, feel free to share some photos here.

Despite a ridiculously rainy spring delaying planting ...
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and then a long drought that was much earlier than we typically see in MI, my pheasant food source might actually end up decent this year. I swear it's put on 3'-4' in the last 3 weeks since it actually started raining again. this photo is from ~5' looking dead on at my egyptian wheat:
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Due to my newfound fear of getting stuck I didn't get to plant as much as I wanted, being that I had to plant ASAP due to the shorter growing season in the north for my sorghum. (I highly prefer planting sorghum simply due to deer/raccoon damage to corn). I ended up with ~1 acre, alternating 3 rows of sorghum/EW and 3 rows of quicker-bearing millet/buckwheat.
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I also try to avoid spraying as much as possible - don't think it's good for the environment despite what some studies might imply. So I get weedy plots, but birds and bugs love good forbs ("weeds")! And birds love bugs - double win! So I've got a mixed primarily of buckwheat, a little millet, and lambsquarter, not to mention other various forbs:
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Inside the taller rows I've also got WGF sorghum and volunteer buckwheat:
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I primarily focus on trying to help the birds since they honestly need more help than the deer, but I did carve out a little spot to throw down some rye in a few weeks to encourage deer movement too:
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I've also got another spot where I threw down what little buckwheat seed I had left from last year. As a a result of tilling I got an amazing amount of foxtail as well (at least 2 different types). Most people aren't a fan, but I don't think the birds will mind the additional food source:
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Overall things are shaping up despite the weather. :)
 
There ought to be some birds in there somewhere! Good job. Maybe we can reclaim habitat a few feet or acres at a time. I always get foxtail somewhere too!
 
oldandnew said:
There ought to be some birds in there somewhere! Good job. Maybe we can reclaim habitat a few feet or acres at a time. I always get foxtail somewhere too!
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I've resisted "checking" to see if my dog and I can flush anything just yet, but I do see the trails in the dew from time to time, so I know there are a few. Hopefully this fall I can have the pleasure of taking 1 or 2 roosters (not many birds in my area like they were 20 years ago). The plots are meant for conservation as much as hunting, helping to provide a safe food supply near escape cover so the birds aren't exposed to predators/adverse conditions through the winter.
 
kansasbrittany said:
Truly awesome 1GB! Sure wish that was in KS and we were best friends;)
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Thanks and me too! There'd be more birds and from photos you've posted I've seen that you've got some beautiful brits to hunt behind!

This is also my 2nd/3rd year of trying to get a stand of switchgrass going and it's finally starting to fill in! I didn't have suitable equipment when I started, but this summer I noticed a big difference after being able to clip the CSGs/early-season forbs that the RU didn't get using a 3pt mower.

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I also started clearing an area of undersirable shrubbery - autumn olive, in order to mow and hopefully encourage the switchgrass I planted here too.

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A shot after a high clipping just above the switchgrass:

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I don't have a lot of acreage, so I'm trying to compliment what is offered on surrounding properties from people who aren't actively managing for wildlife. Primarily adding a secure winter food source to keep them less exposed from predators and adding nesting/brooding cover. (I'm surrounded by a variety of CSG that is OK for nesting, but horrible for brooding, and woody shrubbery for winter/escape cover.)

I've also got a section of "old field". I was originally thinking about trying to turn it into more switchgrass, but last year I observed the birds use this more throughout the entire year with the exception of late december through March, than anything else. Recently having acquired a disc, I'm tempted to just strip disc sections occasionally and let it be otherwise. Right now it's a mixture of orchard grass, timothy, golden rod, queen ann's lace, small switchgrass patches, and other various forbs/wildflowers.

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Lastly I've got a small patch of little blue stem. It's not something I would have picked typically, but my mom had some extra seed and it's pretty to look at. I've been trying to help it spread by using a little RU when it's dormant to kill off the competition:

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Lookin' real good 1GB!! How long did it take to get the tractor out or were you able to crawl it out with the bucket?
 
jaytee said:
Lookin' real good 1GB!! How long did it take to get the tractor out or were you able to crawl it out with the bucket?
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I spent 6 hours on it with a friend and myself digging and sinking objects under it to try and get traction. Then I called a neighbor with a 4x4 tractor that turned out to not be as large as I thought. After he got stuck a second neighbor with an excavator who pulled us both out. The spot I got stuck was never a wet spot in the past, but we got record setting amounts of rain to start the spring - hopefully next year goes better.
 
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Still looking good

Some more photos of the 2011 habatit

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Looks great SDJIM - thanks for sharing!

What type of grass(es)is that in the second to last photo?

What mix is your foodplot(s)?
 
1GB said:
Looks great SDJIM - thanks for sharing!

What type of grass(es)is that in the second to last photo?

What mix is your foodplot(s)?
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The grass is as follows
Big Bluestem 25%
Indiagrass 20%
Switchgrass 30%
Western Wheatgrass 25%

The food plot is 50% Monsanto RU ready corn--no RU used after planting, note how weedy it is, (planted on east half )and 50% food plot mix from Milborn Seeds of Brookings SD---custom mix for my local chapter of PF--heavy on sorgum with millet, dwarf corn, buckweat and sunflowers (planted on the west half) total of 12 acres
 
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