2015 Habitat projects

Id put a row of cedars on top and one row at the base, and seed the rest of the berm with WSG with varying heights. LBS, SWG, IG, BBS.

Or, you could always leave it, and let the kochia take over. Then you'd have about a million pheasants lounging there..:D
 
I can see a growth of chest high Barnyard Grass. :)
 
Wrote the first check on the project---$2283.00 for the pond clean out. Not as bad as I thought it would be.:D
 
Jim,

What is the rough size of the pond? It does not look very big from the pictures but it is hard to tell. Looks like you have/will have some great habitat on your property, keep up the good work and keep posting pictures.:thumbsup:
 
Madison COunty said:
Jim,

What is the rough size of the pond? It does not look very big from the pictures but it is hard to tell. Looks like you have/will have some great habitat on your property, keep up the good work and keep posting pictures.:thumbsup:
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Sorry I missed your question but the size is 150 ft by 50 ft and 12 ft deep :D
 
The Dirt Monster returns

Well it didn't take long----just 9 years---I've been wanting to restore a dugout that was inside a CRP planting and was told no you can't because it is in the planting----requested and got a new map of that project and noticed that the dugout was 1.14 acres of NOT CRP---being older and somewhat smarter on these matters I asked why can't I do a clean out on it, after all they were not paying me rent on that 1.14 acres---so a trip next door to the NRCS office and they said sure no problem as long as you don't pile the dirt on to the CRP plot--so







The Dirt Monster Awaits--for dawn--look straight ahead and the tops of the tress around the dugout are visable--about a 1000 ft ahead

A summer picture of the dugout area and the CRP around it--there are 35 total acres and this will be a stable water source--lots of deer in this area also



Another angle



At work





Half Done

 
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Pictures added to post :D

The end result--this is 2 dugout clean-outs this fall--I only planed one but the chance to improve another area was just to great-expensive-- but great.

 
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SDJIM said:
I'm going to try and get the people who farm the rest of my place to come in and do the beans rent free with them harvesting the crop for their trouble--might even let them do it for 2 years to really clean it up--we will see.:)

If not I'll just do it somehow.
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Talked to the renter today and offered him 34 acres rent free for one year if he planted round-up ready beans --no problem he didn't even think about it.
So step two is a go and it's looking good. :thumbsup:

Now it's the wait--think I'll do a fall planting if that's ok with the SDGF&P folks.
 
Looking good Jim!:10sign:
 
Just got the bill for the second dug out clean out--$1943.00--not to bad and money well spent. :thumbsup:
 
SDJIM said:
Your right on--no crop history at all so no CRP. What I'm going to do is go thru the SDGF&P and use their program that will copay up to 100% the cost of the seed and planting
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What program is this? They told me I'm all on my own and have no cost share programs. SDJIM feel free to PM me I would love to talk to you about your progress. I'm trying to redo 240 acres of horribly abused pasture ( by the previous owner) for ten plus years... we might be able to help eachother.
 
go to the SD GFP web site.
go to tab "Wildlife & Habitat"--hover your cursor over that heading and a drop down box will open
Click on Land owner Programs and read.

The dugouts were cleaned by Wagner supply and construction. They were on the approved list from the NRCS office in Lake Andes. Cost was based on transportation of the excavator and amount of time spent doing the actual work--I an very pleased with the results.
 
Awesome Jim. I got rid of my 30 year old brome and canary doing just that. Roundup. Did a kill heavy, 3.5oz to a gallon. Then rolled her over. I like your bean plan that sounds genius. I did keep mine black for the first year though and killed it the following summer a couple times. Did the seeding in the next spring. Your plan sounds like it will work just fine and dandy. I don't have a sprig of brome in it now. But I did 2 years of kill in the spring the next 2 seasons as well. After cold season germination, and before warm germination. Really made sure the new stuff took over and got rid of Canada rye 100%. Now the flowers and stuff will start popping. Tossed in some here and there. Other then just maintenance, and some odds and ends I am done with my small piece. My dug out I may have polished up some. It washed in with a 4" gully washer rain the day after it was done LOL. So I need to have them come back and dig a bit deeper. Other then that, just some food plants I will toss in here and there. I have red doisure, red twig dogwood, june berry, American plum, crab apple, 5 varieties of apple trees, and like 5 other berry bushes I cant remember LOL. Going to broadcast in some areas some wild sunflower, and did a spread of tasty raspberries in the far back now. Had my first nesting Mallards and pheasants using it now this past spring.:thumbsup: And I have little bambies each year too. Makes you feel good. And you can do wonders with small locations. 40 acres is big in my book :). I love your ideas and also am going to be waiting for more pics. Great job, and I respect you as a land owner to make the call to do things like this. You are a blessed man in Gods country.:thumbsup:
 
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PS. For your dug out tops, I have seen some mounds planted with schrubs that were awesome. There is some Lilac ones by me that the birds absolutely love. But they grow slow. Maybe some type of honey suckle would work. They grow fast. Gives them some woody cover to run around and hide in. And keeps the soil in place. That might work
 
Phase two

Well phase two started today---they came and treated the ground and will plant soy beans next week. :D. Note the berm of the dugout over the spray boom on the drivers left.

:thumbsup:
 
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