Habitat, Crops Cover for Pheasants.

Mi28Ga.

Mi28Ga.

Member
Looking both, at small acreage and large what plant life would give Pheasants the habitat they need to live in the area being planted.

Corn I know would be got, but what else.
Cover crops:?
What is the best nesting situation for Pheasants, or what d and where do they prefer to nest
 
When you say "Cover crops" are you trying to refer to a food source plant in addition or different than corn? Or what does that mean, guessing not actual "cover crop". PF offers some mixes the could be broadcast seeded or maybe planted with corn plates/units in a row crop planter. Grain sorghum is a nice food plot grain, maybe not the over-head cover that corn produces, but it is very easy for the birds to access.

Not knowing where you are, for nesting cover, get a native grass mix that maybe also has a big selection of native forbs. The down side of adding forbs is controlling the weeds (can't use area spraying effectively). The benefit of adding forbs to the mix is that they attract the insects that the chicks need to survive early in their lives.

For the grasses try to avoid having the "wild rye" types, due to the "mean seed" they produce. Switch, Indian, bluestem, prairie drop seed are all good candidates for the nesting areas.

Go to a local Pheasants forever banquet and talk to their habitat guys for ideas and suggestions. Good luck with the project.
 
remy3424 said:
When you say "Cover crops" are you trying to refer to a food source plant in addition or different than corn? Or what does that mean, guessing not actual "cover crop". PF offers some mixes the could be broadcast seeded or maybe planted with corn plates/units in a row crop planter. Grain sorghum is a nice food plot grain, maybe not the over-head cover that corn produces, but it is very easy for the birds to access.

Not knowing where you are, for nesting cover, get a native grass mix that maybe also has a big selection of native forbs. The down side of adding forbs is controlling the weeds (can't use area spraying effectively). The benefit of adding forbs to the mix is that they attract the insects that the chicks need to survive early in their lives.

For the grasses try to avoid having the "wild rye" types, due to the "mean seed" they produce. Switch, Indian, bluestem, prairie drop seed are all good candidates for the nesting areas.

Go to a local Pheasants forever banquet and talk to their habitat guys for ideas and suggestions. Good luck with the project.
Click to expand...
Yes Remy my bad, food and cover habitat is what I'm talking about. What does the FE have in this regard?. Is it chemical free?.
I'm in Michigan Between Harrison and Houghton lake.
 
Chemical free? Well, you will want to use herbicide if you have much weed pressure. A few weeds are fine, but remember, you are trying grow a crop for the birds. Talk with a local elevator agronomist regarding herbicide and fertilizer.

See if these links work for PF offerings for grass mixes and food plot seed:

Michigan CRP Seed Mixes for Sale | Pheasants Forever

See the Pheasants Forever selection of 2025 Michigan CRP Seed Mixes for Sale. Quality CRP and Other Habitat Seed designed for Wildlife.
www.pfhabitatstore.com www.pfhabitatstore.com

Food Plot CRP Seed Mixes for Sale | Pheasants Forever

See the Pheasants Forever selection of 2025 Food Plot CRP Seed Mixes for Sale. Quality CRP and Other Habitat Seed designed for Wildlife.
www.pfhabitatstore.com www.pfhabitatstore.com

And here is a link to find you local PF chapter:

 
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If you just google Pheasants Forever and poke around their site, you can find a lot of info.
 
Hey folks, I'm really not interested in joining another organization.
I just want to talk to someone, or folks who know the answer to the question I posted.

I have belonged to these organization years ago, not a fan of them to political amongst other things.
Appreciate the input.
 
Look for undisturbed grasslands. Bluestem, Indian grass and switchgrass are good. Brome is the least desirable, but still used when nothing else is available.
 
Grasses and forbs and legumes are a good mix for overall upland bird propagation. I call fescue, lawn grass, it will provide a solid nearly impassible ground movement of birds. Big and little bluestem, switchgrass, and Indian grass are what I call clump grasses. These grasses after a few years will have the appearance of a solid stand at ground level, but will actually be solid thatch at ground level. A burn will reveal that it is really clumps of grasses and now there is much open bare ground. After a burn, habitat can be greatly improved by interseeding forbs and legumes with a no till drill. I like alfalfa in the mix for the interseed. Grasses are not an insect producer, but forbs and legumes are and that is what chicks need for survival. Forbs and legumes provide another benefit in that they provide a closed overstory for protection from avian predators and an open understory for travel. So in the end you have tall grasses that provide good nesting cover and forbs and legumes that provide insects and allow for ground travel. The forb component that the NRCS recommends for your area will have forbs that flower throughout the growing season. Lacking in the forb mixture is an early season flowering forb. That is where early season shrubs can benefit. I my area American plums is my go to and I have planted thousands in shrub rows.
 
M. R. Byrd said:
Grasses and forbs and legumes are a good mix for overall upland bird propagation. I call fescue, lawn grass, it will provide a solid nearly impassible ground movement of birds. Big and little bluestem, switchgrass, and Indian grass are what I call clump grasses. These grasses after a few years will have the appearance of a solid stand at ground level, but will actually be solid thatch at ground level. A burn will reveal that it is really clumps of grasses and now there is much open bare ground. After a burn, habitat can be greatly improved by interseeding forbs and legumes with a no till drill. I like alfalfa in the mix for the interseed. Grasses are not an insect producer, but forbs and legumes are and that is what chicks need for survival. Forbs and legumes provide another benefit in that they provide a closed overstory for protection from avian predators and an open understory for travel. So in the end you have tall grasses that provide good nesting cover and forbs and legumes that provide insects and allow for ground travel. The forb component that the NRCS recommends for your area will have forbs that flower throughout the growing season. Lacking in the forb mixture is an early season flowering forb. That is where early season shrubs can benefit. I my area American plums is my go to and I have planted thousands in shrub rows.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much Admiral Byrd, this is the information i was looking for. Much appreciated.
 
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