CRP and why we make it so darn hard

O

oldandnew

Active member
I realize that CRP is a water and soil issue as much or more than a wildlife issue, but why in the world don't we just follow the old soil bank protocol. In soil bank we just let it go! If it was tilled it just grew up in annual weeds, no spraying, no sod forming monoculture, no rank grasses of little value, had fewer acres enrolled and much more successful for quail and pheasant. Reduced input and maintenence would reduce cost and encourage enrollment, get more bang for our buck. Let nature fix it, our mistake is thinking we can do better. Grow more ragweed, eat more quail! should be our new motto.
 
Common sense tells us soil bank would be an solution to so many wildlife and land/water issues we face today.

Soil bank was law right? Law for a good reason. Obviously not anymore. Or at least it's not widely followed/practiced.

As you know at this point in time there's just so much $ against soil bank I fear there's just no way of bringing it back until a wide spread catastrophe hits us with a heavy handed knock out punch to the face.

It seems like the system in place (CRP and such) is tremendously cumbersome and costly. As you stated, just let nature do her thing. For now, it's CRP CRP CRP. That's the light at the end of a very dark and grim tunnel.

We need to become a louder voice guys. Loud and active. We can change this course we're on. Otherwise our content will destroy us.;)
 
Oldandandnew. Nothing like a good patch of weeds for game bird habitat. Where I hunt there are usually low spots that are planted around. [Gumbo] Several acres sometimes. these areas dry out and all these wonderful weeds grow thick and tall. What a place for pheasants! weed patches in the wheat stubble.:thumbsup:
 
Oldand new for president:10sign: You are 100% right it would be the best way. I had to cut mine for weed control:mad: That first cutting pheasant,rabbit, partridge 40-50 of them they love running around in them weeds:thumbsup: Second time I cut it really nothing in there. Best ways mother natures way:)
 
I finally got some time to hunt wild pheasants this morning. Bagged a couple birds within the first hour. My hunt went by too quick so I put the gun away and headed for a housing development that never made it.

There's small sections of 1 to 2 acres of over grown weeds. My dog flushed 7 wild pheasants back there this morning. Beautiful, tough, long tailed, wild birds!

Not far from this same area a friend (last year) was mowing for the sake of mowing and bumped into a clutch of pheasant chicks. This was two lots from his house. He couldn't believe it. Why not? The weeds were there, so the hens nested.

The more weeds the better! Let them grow where ever possible.;)
 
Last year (2010) my farmer took prevent plant on a 40 acre patch of ground on my farm. Left her go fallow. They made us go in and spray roundup on it late summer but the hunters said that was the best piece on the whole farm. Big ole patch O weeds.
 
Seems as if weeds need a PR makeover. If we didn't call them weeds, we might have more success. Maybe designated nesting and brood cover. Nebraska's state flower is goldenrod, Kansas is common sunflower maybe something there to build on!
 
lol........You may be asking a bit much here O&N. My simple mind tends to resort to simple terms/names.


Let's try a "multicultural array of warm-season grasses integrated with an assortment wild flowers"?:thumbsup:
 
I like the native grasses. Pheasants do very well in Alfalfa, Smooth Brome, Sweetclover, mix in CRP.:thumbsup:
Weeds too. :)
 
mnmthunting said:
I like the native grasses. Pheasants do very well in Alfalfa, Smooth Brome, Sweetclover, mix in CRP.:thumbsup:
Weeds too. :)
Click to expand...

It sure seems that way doesn't it MNM? Fields with a mixture of warm seasons and cool seasons with sweet-clover and others in the mix really seem to attract the birds.
 
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