November 2015 habitat photos

sdviking

sdviking

Active member
Just wanted to share the outcome of this years food plot work.

Photo one is what sorghum looks like planted in 21 inch rows. This is the first year we have planted at this width we normally planted at 14 inches. Pheasants I think liked the wider rows, definitely easier for the hunter to walk through. Sorghum grew to about 3 foot tall with 4-8 inch seed heads on top.

Photo two about 20 feet prairie hay grass strip between the two patches of sorghum. Prairie Hay was about 2 foot tall and thicker than normal thanks to timely rains this year. Plan is to keep a 16 foot border of prairie hay on the fence row and combine both sorghum strips next year.

Photo three this one shows the corn strips to the right of the sorghum after another strip of prairie hay.

This plot is a 1/4 mile off the road with soybeans planted on one side, alfalfa on one side slough/soybeans on one side and prairie hay with slough on the other side.

Early season birds were in the crops and not here. Late season, success!

SDViking
 
Second habitat area

First photo is the high ground next to sorghum strip next to slough with standing water. Hope to plant new bushes with a few cedars on top of the hill for winter cover. A couple of old lilacs and two apples trees here now but they are on their last years of life.

Second one is inside the old barn yard sorghum planted late due to it was first planted to corn but the pheasants ate the corn immediately after planting. Classical L shape tree belt is old and needs some cedars and new bushes planted. Too many transitioning hawks take a toll on the birds. We did plant Pheasant Forever western plot mix that did well in this sandy soil.

Last photo is some of the ornamental grass in my neighborhood. Would like to plant a thick stand of this stuff at strategic places to hold birds. At this time the plot has youth hunting only CRP to the south and once the birds get a little pressure they head to the CRP without giving you a chance. Does anyone have any feedback on the ornamental grass being good or bad?

As you can tell our plots work best after the crops are harvested and once there is a little snow on the ground.

SDViking
 
SD Viking,

My apologies upfront for a stupid question... The prairie hay grass you refer too is this planted or just native grass (like brome grass). I'm guessing you will leave it for nesting cover for next year. I am in the process of converting some of my crop ground to grass land (for nesting and hunting) and I'm curious if what you have is planted.

Thanks!
 
Drake

It's native grass, some blue stem and other native SD grass. It use to be mowed for hay but that was 10 or so years ago. The grass has thinned out some and could really use a good control burn but with the land around ours I would be scared to do it in fear it would take off. This year it provided good nesting cover but normal years it gets pretty thin..
 
sdviking said:
It's native grass, some blue stem and other native SD grass. It use to be mowed for hay but that was 10 or so years ago. The grass has thinned out some and could really use a good control burn but with the land around ours I would be scared to do it in fear it would take off. This year it provided good nesting cover but normal years it gets pretty thin..
Click to expand...

I don't know if you can graze it but if you could put a lot of cattle on it for a short period of time it would do wonders.
 
grazing

We would have to put up fence, which we don't currently have the time to do so. Might have to try some large mowing... to generate new growth.. But a great idea if the fence was still functional. viking
 
Not sure if this is white or red sorghum, but white sorghum is dessert for pheasants. Alfalfa has drastically improved my nesting success in low success areas.
 
Alfalfa

So do you let the alfalfa go or do you bale it. We do have some space available on 13 acres of thin prairie hay that could be planted with alfalfa.

Here's a picture taken this weekend in the back yard. Love seeing them in the lilacs
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top