Thought on scattering wildflower seed?

U

UplandLevi

Member
I have some drought tolerant wild flower seeds, all of which are native to North America, and i was thinking i could scatter them while hunting. I know how important wildflowers are for pheasants (bugs need flowers, pheasant chicks need bugs). So my main question is, if the flowers are native to North America, but not necessarily to the place i'm scattering them, is that okay? Or is there any reason i shouldn't? Will it have a negative affect on habitat?
 
I know some guys who broadcast pasture lespedeza on their own farms as they hunt, gave me a pocket of seed. Did wonders for quail. Lots of guys use native flowers, purple cone flower, clover, chicory, Indian's paintbrush, queen anne's lace, it was positively commented on by the landowner's wife, Call yourself Johnny Appleseed! You don't have to drill these, use "frost seeding", dump it out, at a break, and tromp it around, on barren ground, (not in the agricultural fields!).
 
oldandnew said:
I know some guys who broadcast pasture lespedeza on their own farms as they hunt, gave me a pocket of seed. Did wonders for quail. Lots of guys use native flowers, purple cone flower, clover, chicory, Indian's paintbrush, queen anne's lace, it was positively commented on by the landowner's wife, Call yourself Johnny Appleseed! You don't have to drill these, use "frost seeding", dump it out, at a break, and tromp it around, on barren ground, (not in the agricultural fields!).
Click to expand...

Okay, i'm not alone in this then. I will definitely try it next time i go out then.
 
Personally, I'd be careful about spreading seeds of any kind that are not native to your area. I suggest talking to your local county extension agent, dept of wildlife, or PF biologist about what would be appropriate...those guys know what will help, and what might be a problem.
 
casting seeds

seems to me we have a serious legal question as you are probably doing something to someone else's land without his approval. to me it would be a great way to spread seed and a pack of seeds ought to come with the lic. you purchase but then you come back to just maybe as it is not your land, you are a trouble maker. the ranch i turkey hunt on i have been planting my extra iris i dig up every year and also my gooseberry bushes, keep telling the rancher his land need to get prettied up a bit. but then he knows i am doing it. mostly i think i have been feeding the grasshoppers

cheers
 
Good point. Yeah I would not go free nilly willy on some one else's land either. I would ask and he may or may not be on board. It is a plan of mine here as I got a project off the ground a few years in the making now. I did a patch of natives which include 2 variety's of switch, little and big blue stem, indian grass, side oats and a sprig of a couple others. But because of unwanteds sneaking in, and knowing some established may survive the transition. I elected to spray for 3 to 4 years to kill off some cold season pests. Brome, Canada rye etc. So the grower I bought my seed from suggested to just come back after all that, and buy some flower seed then. He grows all sorts of that too. I will hand pick my color to paint coming up in the next year or so.:thumbsup: It is exactly what the man who grows it for a living told me to do. Sprinkle it in later.. So I am confident it will work.;) I did have sun flower seed about and that grew. I intend to spread a bunch of that this spring for food patches for the wintering birds next year. Just some seed for bird feeders, and it worked. I did it basicly by the yard to see, and yep, it took off. I never stepped on it, raked it nothing. So Next year my edges will be lined with sunflower seed. And my field will have a few brush strokes done to add some color of choice as well. I will pick some verities that are not too invasive. Cause I don't want it over run and weedy looking either.
 
Thanks for all the good ideas and tips. I emailed the Pheasants Forever regional biologist for my area and i'm just waiting for a reply. Also, i will ask the landowners that i'm not sure where they stand on this kind of thing, and all the others while i'm at it i suppose. Thanks guys. :D
 
I know the "ALL NATIVE or NOTHING" Purists are going to gasp at this.:eek:

You will do a LOT more good spreading some Vernal or Ranger Alfalfa seed.
You will have the Flowers, the Food, leaves and seed, Nesting and Brood canopy, Tons of insects like grass hoppers etc. Plus stems that hold up to wind and snow. :cheers:

Important stuff in pheasant cover.
 
I don't know what the craze seems to be with g hoppers etc and flowers? I think flowers are mainly for bees and pollination. I have not one flower in this small project patch. Yet it is full of grass hoppers, and other bugs just the same?
 
quail hound - That's funny, i just saw that a couple days ago. It seems like it might be a good idea.

mnmthunting - Yeah, i know. I almost consider myself a native or nothing kind of person, but i've heard of a lot of plants that have done good for pheasants and other animals that aren't native to a certain area. Also, the pheasant itself isn't native, so if someone's working just for the pheasants, then can't really be totally for just natives. And okay, i'll see if i can get my hands on some of those seeds. Thanks.
 
Levi, those wild native flowers are neat, I really like that stuff on the native grasslands., yards and wherever, plant them.

I try to explain, Ring Necks did not evolve with the American Prairie, no species close to the Ring neck did. The introduced Ring Necks evolved the last 100 years or so in North America along with other introduced species.

Here's Some, Humans first of all, Small grains and corn, Shelter belts, wind breaks, weeds most all kinds, stuff like Sweet Clover, Alfalfa, stack yards, winter cattle feeding, road ditches, Artificial feeding, including food plots.

In short, Ring Necks can not survive on the North American Prairie without the help of Humans and our introduced crops.

American Native Grasslands alone, nowhere, no how will support the Ring Necks on any long term basis.
 
I think that this is one of those extent and extant questions. Broadleaf plants are of significant importance for upland game bird brood-rearing. However, individual plants buried within a CRP type habitat can't be classified as brood-rearing habitat. To achieve the effects you intend, you need to make a significant disturbance. Your time would be better used to help the farmer do disk strips, burn 1/3 of the patch, or break open patches that would be either left fallow or planted to legumes or forbs. From a juxtaposition perspective, several smaller patches spread across the larger field would have more beneficial effects than the same acreage in one larger patch. It takes a SIGNIFICANT change to increase a population. Then, it only works if that habitat type is the/a limiting factor. It falls back to the quail axiom of axe, cow, match plow! Get rough with it!
 
seeds

quite some years ago i used to load up one of my vest pockets with sunflower seeds, stole them from my queen's bird feeder. as i walked through crp. i would take some out and scuff them into the soil. did it quite a few times. don't think i ever noticed any results from it, mostly probably cause i could never remember where i put them. must not have helped, look where we are today. actually, if it were legal and accepted, it seems like a wonderful idea for hunter's to broadcast seeds across the state, kansas could use some color anyway and the birds, and bugs could use boost.

cheers
 
I'm forever stripping heads off of grass and forbs and spreading it. Will even go so far as to kick a bare spot and drop it in place and press it into the surface, depending on how desirable it is.
 
reddog said:
I'm forever stripping heads off of grass and forbs and spreading it. Will even go so far as to kick a bare spot and drop it in place and press it into the surface, depending on how desirable it is.
Click to expand...

Me to reddog--every time I walk the land I do this--created a lot of sunflower patches this way-- and like to think I helped the grass also. :D
 
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