One item for the birds

Our pf group had a great relationship with nrcs. As I stated elsewhere we have bought them a couple grass drills. We help fund a nrcs open house/conservation seminar they have. They also have toured our members land projects to see firsthand what it is all about.
 
GetTothePoint said:
Having more insight/involvement than most do you ever hear talks of any farmer outreach campaigns? Explaining to them the benefits of land husbandry and simple things like leaving those waterways and edges alone as they're worth far more to them as a huntable asset than a few poor quality hay bales? Maybe reminding them of nrcs and usda programs for that underproducing ground? Maybe re-teaching the new-day farmer about being stewards again? Big Ag has brainwashed them and might be time we start getting some different information in front of them.
Click to expand...

One of the actions our chapters here take is help pay for a farm bill biologist. Each biologist generally covers a couple counties and they work with the farmers who are interested in implementing conservation practices on their land.
 
Jack L said:
One of the actions our chapters here take is help pay for a farm bill biologist. Each biologist generally covers a couple counties and they work with the farmers who are interested in implementing conservation practices on their land.
Click to expand...
Are these farmers who have sought out PF or does PF have someone actively trying to procure new land?
 
As a landowner in SD, I see periodic literature from FSA/NRCS alerting landowners to various conservation opportunities…tree planting, CRP, the equipment that is available for rent (drills, disks, etc). I’m kind of in shock knowing that an 89 year old land baron in my area who owns 10k+ acres put a bunch of small chunks of marginal ground into CRP in the past few years…just because of the $! This guy burns sloughs, rips out fence, eradicates tree belts, etc…someone got through to him! A veritable miracle! And my farmer buddy got to lease some of that land last year, which I hunted a lot. So this does happen, even with the most unlikely landowners…👍
 
birddude said:
Q.U. sure left a bad taste in my mouth. I quit P.H., N.R.A. W.T.F. Once most organizations reach x amount seems like some sort of scandal or corruption happens.
Click to expand...
Dude, You mentioned QU. I remember about 3-4 years before QU went out. I smelled a rat and it was confirmed by a board member. What a corrupt guy he was.
 
benelli-banger said:
If I lived in or around decent hunting I’d get involved in a chapter…I’m in Duluth. It would be cool to be directly involved in a project if that’s possible, I assume it is. I help a farmer in SD with his operation…he’s been putting more land in CRP, and he helps an old farmer with some CRP programs that target small chunks of marginal farm ground…that guy owns over 10k acres, but those small sloughs, etc that are in CRP are terrific for the wildlife, the landowner, and the hunters. I run a decent # of guys through the “farmhouse” (we pay a decent amount to stay there, which includes land access)…evidently what we do, plus what the other hunters he has generate, is meaningful enough for my farmer buddy to make this a side biz for him…his properties produce and hold good #’s of birds. One way to help the habitat…yes, pay to hunt. Without demand, supply is limited…Econ 101. But again, whatever works…doing something is better than nothing. Even identifying the owner of WIA land…send a card thanking them…or knock on their door with some modest gift of appreciation. Wish I was out there now! 50’s again out there several days this week…☀️
Click to expand...
BB, I don't know if you hunt Grouse or not. If u do RGS cut trails and makes a series of GEMS in Michigan. They probably do that in Minnesota. Walking trail in woods with different fruit trees to attract the birds. GEMS work. If you don't hunt Grouse you should. You have to be close to good Grouse country. Remember Ruffs are the King of Upland Birds.
 
Birdman2 said:
BB, I don't know if you hunt Grouse or not. If u do RGS cut trails and makes a series of GEMS in Michigan. They probably do that in Minnesota. Walking trail in woods with different fruit trees to attract the birds. GEMS work. If you don't hunt Grouse you should. You have to be close to good Grouse country. Remember Ruffs are the King of Upland Birds.
Click to expand...
GEMS were created in areas with large blocks of aspen being actively managed by the michigan dnr. RGS has provided funding for kiosks at the gems but their funds had nothing to do with the gems establishment. They do provide some funding for planting of soft mast trees in our wildlife openings. I have worked with our wildlife staff to help create hunter walking trails following a timber harvest, we restore skid trails and haul routes with a clover mix, often RGS helps with buying the seed and fertilizer. As far as creating habitat for grouse on public lands that is done by forest management activities. Like many groups very little money from banquets goes to local projects, however, their Drummer Fund does and is a very good program. The area I oversee we have several unofficial grouse management blocks where we harvest 20 acre blocks to provide diverse age classes in the same area. We do use RGS to help manipulate habitat that is either to small or not commercially viable for timber harvest.
 
I have questioned this model since day one. My concern is how much acreage does RGS own where they can accomplish this model. They could work with private landowners just like a consulting forester, but at best they might get 20% of the timber revenue, which in this example would be 28K at the most. I'm not sure many landowners are going to be willing to give up that kind of revenue to support RGS. They have mentioned doing this on public ownership. They could be used as contractors to help set up timber for sale, but they wouldn't share in any revenue generated as that would stay with the state. Likewise on Federal lands with Good Neighbor Authority they could work as contractors but the revenue generated would be to the feds. I hope this works, but i'm very skeptical and will be interested in seeing the annual reports of how many acres of timber have been setup, sold, revenue generated and how much stayed with RGS. I like the thinking outside the box but do have concerns.
 
Weimdogman said:
Curious does 140,000.00 seem reasonable for 200 acres of timber?
Click to expand...
Any competitive bidding process is not always a rational process and other factors can play into the sale price, like road weight limit and are those restricted in the spring when frost comes out of the ground, location to mill and contract restrictions. As an example i had a sale that was 600 acres of jack pine that told for 160k and across the road had 300 acres of red pine and it sold for 950K. I think $700 per acre is good average, if the 200 is nice quality timber you should be north of $1000 per acre. Aspen brings much lower prices 120 acres brought $52K. They area i manage in 2021 we harvested 5650 acres and brought in $6.3 million dollars, this averages roughly $1100 per acre. In Michigan average size of private ownership for private forest is 44 acres.
 
Miforester said:
Any competitive bidding process is not always a rational process and other factors can play into the sale price, like road weight limit and are those restricted in the spring when frost comes out of the ground, location to mill and contract restrictions. As an example i had a sale that was 600 acres of jack pine that told for 160k and across the road had 300 acres of red pine and it sold for 950K. I think $700 per acre is good average, if the 200 is nice quality timber you should be north of $1000 per acre. Aspen brings much lower prices 120 acres brought $52K. They area i manage in 2021 we harvested 5650 acres and brought in $6.3 million dollars, this averages roughly $1100 per acre. In Michigan average size of private ownership for private forest is 44 acres.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that informed answer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top