spring burning

[blackcloud27]

well its that time of year again. the marsh is full of drake mallards and ganders. the tom turkeys are getting lonely because the hens are on the nest. the rooster pheasants have fewer hens in the morning also. life looks good for our birds. so what happens now? they burn the sloughs and grasslands i'm for burning to help our grasslands but why do it now when they are nesting? i feel it should be done before nesting. farmers burn ditches early and grass is already tall and can hide nesting birds. when grasslands are burned this late we force birds into nesting in smaller less desirable areas such ditches and fencelines where it easier for predators to find nest. i have seen many burned nest while turkey hunting in the spring. if we burn to improve nesting habitat it must have been good habitat already if they nesting there now. marsh will be full of hens tommorow and the roosters will have hens again. farmers are asked to not mow ditches and cut hay late but its ok to burn nest every time hen has to renest she is exposed to more danger of being killed on nest. i have seen burning done as late as June 10th in north iowa on public hunting lands although most of it is done in early to mid may. way to late in my opinion. let our birds reproduce early so the young are in better shape for winter or the fall migration.

 

[Hockeybob]

I agree completely. Here in Illinois I saw a Mallard Hen yesterday with 7 chicks that had just been born. Very early this year with the warm Spring.

 

[captaincoot]

I look at it this way. Birds in the spring look for the best spots to nest AKA marriot. Burn them of the nest they move to the motel 6 Which is better for raising a family

 

[Prairie Drifter]

BC27, burning is never about right now, it's always about the future. Habitat will not stay good habitat if left alone. Native grasslands evolved over eons to be adapted to and invogorated by fire and grazing. The timing of a burn should be based on the condition of that stand now and the trend of where it is headed. Sometimes, that means the timing may be unfavorable to birds trying to nest now. The goal though is to improve or maintain the habitat so that it provides that niche for years to come. Land managers need to evaluate their habitat continuously and use proper methods and timing to maximize the benefits to the habitat. The fact that it may appear to be a hazard to the birds may not mean that it isn't the best management practice for that time and condition. Try to not be too knee jerk reactive. You need to know the before, during, and after to know whether the practice was properly applied.

 

[blackcloud27]

just saw a hen mallard with 10 ducklings this afternoon. geese on the marsh were VERY territrial today should see some goslings tomorrow. lots of confused hens on the burnt marsh's. 30 years ago when i worked with the YCC we would put up wood duck houses and moniter them on the federal refuge. over 200 duck houses. now almost all are gone. even cut down the tree's that held them up. we would cut down trees that were not wanted in the marsh. had lots of ducks and pheasants. now we burn to control invasive woody plants. alot less ducks on the marsh and fewer phesants. i know some burning needs to be done but dont burn the whole marsh when only a few trees need to be controled. wish they would leave some of the thickets for winter pheasant cover. last years burnt areas had no birds on them in winter. the grasslands that had thickets didnt blow completly full of snow and held birds. there use to be an area that had 7 rows of dogwood and honeysuckle 3/4 of a mile long and 3 rows of evergreens 1/4 mile long. area was full of pheasants regardless of how bad winter was. snow would drift by thickets and protect the grassy areas. was full of deer also. bulldozer took care of that. not near the birds any more. blows full of snow in winter. coyotes dont even hang out there anymore. seems like burning is the easy way out. feds use to hire kids in summer to control the problem areas now they just call a burn master in from out of state to host the bird bbq. a few retired farmers could sit on the tailgate of a truck, lick thier finger ,hold it up in the air,figure out wind direction, and decide where to burn a small area today. tired of roads being closed due to smoke blowing over the highway. yes i know i sound very cranky because i am. they burned the areas i have been turkey scouting and i was planning on hunting there sat. well i gave my 2 cents worth let the comments begin!

 

[captaincoot]

I want to be the guy from CO they pay 5000 dollars to throw the match Gotta go just started newspaper rack on fire (darn match didn't land right) Better keep my day job.

 

[Prairie Drifter]

BC27, we live in different areas I guess. My coverts are seeing the exact opposite. Prairie I've hunted for decades is being over run by Eastern Redcedar, Roughleafed Dogwood, Siberian Elm, Honey Locust, fescue, Smooth Brome, and Downy Brome. Woodlands I've hunted are canopied and grow no cover near the ground where wildlife live. The places where turkey used to roost now have understory cedars so thick that the turkey can't fly through it to find a limb to light on. Wetlands have completely closed up with cattails. CRP that I've had 800 flush days are now so thick with thatch that you can hardly walk in it. How could a quail or pheasant chick survive there. We see the other side some too. Our prairie chickens are a shadow of their former self because the ag schools have so fully convinced the ranchers in the flint hills that they need to burn every year to make the most money.

It's all about doing the right thing for the wildlife that can benefit the most. There is no sense in dozing timber to benefit ducks. There is no reason to burn shelter belts to protect pheasants from the snow. All of the habitat management techniques we have discussed need to be used in the right place at the right time in order to benefit the target species. Don't be cranky about them burning your turkey spot. Change to black camo and hunt it anyway. The birds will leave in front of the fire and return before the ground cools. Trust me on this one thing, if the turkey were using it before the burn, they will use it more in the next 3 weeks. They will search for the dead and injured things to eat first, then switch to the new sprouts that will soon come. Have a good hunt Saturday!!!

 

[blackcloud27]

sorry i sounded so cranky. i know the birds like burned areas. they burned 2 miles of cover moved birds away from area i hunt. thats fine i have other places to go to. i better go to bed now only 4hours and 58 minutes till legal light.

 

[onpoint]

We really have no spring burning season in northcentral/eastern Minnesota. As soon as the snow is gone, a burning ban follows until fields become far to green to burn. Instead of manning our fire towers. They stand empty. Instead electing to fly numerous aircraft at several $100.00 per hour. They go over our place all day, everyday. until green up.