Ditch Mowing

A5 Sweet 16

A5 Sweet 16

Well-known member
We know that in most parts of the state, the amount of CRP type cover has dropped sharply in the last few years, and so have the corresponding pheasant numbers. I've also noticed that ditch mowing continues to become more & more prevalent, especially in the fall. I know the state (& probably the different counties) have restrictions regarding ditch mowing. I believe the earliest you can mow most east-river STATE-owned rights-of-way is July 10. Don't know about counties. I do know that not all land owners wait until July 10 (whether a restriction is in place or not). And it has a significant effect on bird numbers, both real & perceived (since in August, during brood count time, if a ditch lacks cover, pheasants have less reason to be there. Thoughts on this? Guesses as to a quantifiable effect on bird numbers? I'd be interested in knowing ditch conditions along the routes used in the brood count.
 
Ten years ago I emailed SDGFP a very respectful letter in regards to ditch mowing and the fact that it was on the rise and asking what the policies were. I got an email response that blasted me pretty good that I would even question their policies. He stated "You may not have noticed, but South Dakota IS an agricultural state and as such we allow most ditches to be mowed." Maybe, just maybe, if they had had stricter rules, that when all of the CRP started disappearing the nesting ditch grass would have really helped keep the population up. South Dakota is an agricultural AND pheasant hunting state.
 
kuk kuk said:
Ten years ago I emailed SDGFP a very respectful letter in regards to ditch mowing and the fact that it was on the rise and asking what the policies were. I got an email response that blasted me pretty good that I would even question their policies. He stated "You may not have noticed, but South Dakota IS an agricultural state and as such we allow most ditches to be mowed." Maybe, just maybe, if they had had stricter rules, that when all of the CRP started disappearing the nesting ditch grass would have really helped keep the population up. South Dakota is an agricultural AND pheasant hunting state.
Click to expand...

the few bales gotten off a ditch don't amount to much.......the main reason to mow is to keep the snow from drifting up on the roads.
...many guys mow to cut down on road hunting too......it is what it is and roadside ditches don't provide the best brooding areas, too easy for predators to hunt there,
 
I really have no idea whether grassy/weedy ditches make good nesting cover. I've read many times that they do, but I'm not out there walking ditches in May/June, looking for nests & watching to see how the predators handle the nests/broods. What I do know is that they can be great (and completely valid) places for a person or two to hunt. And I'm thinking that if ditches are mowed prior to or during the brood count, pheasants have way less reason to be in those ditches or on the road nearby (unless the ditch runs next to CRP). I'd think they'd find cover further from the road, thereby making themselves MUCH less likely to be seen/counted. Much of the time, data compiled post-season (bird harvest & adjusted preseason population) is significantly different from what the brood count report indicates. I wonder how weather & ditch mowing combine to affect the brood count. What I mean is, if it's quite wet (like this year), I assume fewer ditches get mowed & therefore more pheasants are SEEN on those routes (not necessarily more EXIST). The opposite would be the case when things are quite dry. More ditch mowing. Fewer pheasants SEEN. I could be making more work for the mail delivery people here (isn't that who mostly does the brood count?), but along with broods/birds seen, I'd be interested in seeing the corresponding ditch & moisture conditions. Maybe they already keep that data but just don't put it in the report. Thoughts??
 
Recall hunting in Iowa many years ago and the ditches were prime habitat for pheasants...and for road hunting. Small conifers and thick cover were prevalent...and so were the pheasants.

Somewhere I read that pheasants will return to the ditch, if that area is where there was a hatch. If the adjacent field is plowed and the ditch has adequate cover, they tend to stay especially if it's out of the wind.

In MN the farmers insist on keeping their farms tidy and plow every inch of grass; maybe they use the grass...but it does reduce the cover.

Wasn't there a recent meeting in SD to discuss ideas that pertain to cutting the ditches??
 
Actually, ditch grass is a big deal. Maybe not so much in South Dakota, but it will become a bigger factor as we lose more crp. In Minnesota, 85% of the pheasant nesting is done in a roadside ditch because 99% of the field nesting cover is gone. Its a sad situation that ditches have become such an important factor for bird counts.
 
The current MNDNR 2018 pheasant report talks about ditch mowing - importance to birds, Iowa as a model, and the abuses.

Often I drive from the western side of Minneapolis, west on Hwy. 7. The farms are tidy, no grass or weeds in the ditch. Some farms have large lawns that could be ideal for nesting, but are mowed. And we never see any pheasants for 45 miles west...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top