What are you all doing for spring projects?

UGUIDE said:
You have to own is for a year before new owner can enroll in CRP. Most current programs require last 4 of 6 years cropped. Isn't that ground being cropped now and has been in the past too?
Click to expand...


Always been croped for who knows how many years, over a hundred in our family. But we just took our part over a couple weeks ago.
 
I've got 8 guys coming tomorrow to help start burning. I've got 5 units of about 60-90 acres to burn to start the patch burn/patch grazing system. I hope to get one more burned before April is out, but the disk decided to turn 1 shaft into 2 pieces and I'm waiting for parts. I also have 2 additional burns that we could jump on if we get through the first 5. North northwest winds 8-13 should be perfect. A little prayer for the fire to stay inside the firebreaks couldn't hurt! I hope to be doing two burns at one time. Haven't done that before. One more guy would be a blessing. FC, unfortunately I have to share this paradise with all of humanity, and a good slug of them live within 45 miles:)
 
I am the Wildlife Area Manager for Byron Walker Wildlife Area. Essentially that is a public land biologist!
 
I helped a guy burn a chunk of his 1/4 last year. That is some scary stuff the first time doing it. At first we back burned into the wind and it was rather uneventful. I was wondering why I got out of bed for it. Then we started to burn with the wind and holy ?!@#!. If a burn gets away from you I have no idea how you would ever stop it. It was very impressive.
 
Prairie Drifter said:
I am the Wildlife Area Manager for Byron Walker Wildlife Area. Essentially that is a public land biologist!
Click to expand...

PD, can you explain to us how burning grasslands are good for the game birds?
 
IM guessing to rid of weeds and grow NEW grass. every year a grass grows to a mature age and doesnt get eaten or mowed will die and mat the ground and be hard for a NEW grass to grow if dead matted grass is blocking sunlight...


maybe im wrong.
 
FC, If this gets to be a book, wait for the movie:) From a quail perspecive, quail are a low successional species. What does that mean? It means that they thrive in the habitat that follows some kind of disturbance. Historically, that would mean a burn followed by thousands of bison grazing an area. These days, it is burning, disking, agriculture associated with perennial vegetation, grazing, etc. What does fire do? First, it sets back woody vegetation. If you haven't noticed, habitat left idle over long periods of time degrades. You cannot maintain NWSG grasslands without the use of fire. Look at a grassland. It is composed of grasses, forbs, and woody plants. The grasses are grazed by herbivores, but they don't eat everything. The herbivores tend to graze in a mosaic pattern. This is due to them eating the same plants over and over because the ones that they didn't eat the first time have now got thatch mixed in and it is low in nutrients. Over time, the plants that are not grazed get more and more filled with thatch and begin to decline. These plants don't harvest much sunlight due to the shading of their own thatch, and therefore, don't grow as much new green leaves. Since insects feed on the plants(forbs, grasses, and woody plants), the insect population decreases. As hunters we should realize that insects are essential for broods and laying hens that need the high protein they provide for growth and reproduction. The hatchlings have to also be mobile and able to catch insects and this thatch decreases their ability to hunt. As the grass and thatch becomes more dominant, the forbs tend to decrease. Since the forbs are the major food for the insects and are also the primary source for seed that is the food source for the adult birds, we want to make sure to have a healthy forb population. So, second, the fire removes the thatch, invigorates the forbs, and exposes bare ground where broodlings can hunt, stay dry, and feed on seeds later in the year that are exposed on the bare soil. The plants all grow post burn, harvesting 100% sunlight making the post-fire habitat the most vigorous and productive. A third aspect that has been shown to improve habitat for quail from fire involves rodents and their predators. Most predators are opportunists. They go where the food is the most plentiful. As a grassland gets further from fire, the thatch becomes a significant habitat for rodents. Predators move in to harvest the rodents and incidental nest predation increases as well. Here's your homework. Go out where you have found quail in a grassland habitat in the past. Lay on your stomach with your chin on the ground. You now are just a bit taller than a quail. Look at the habitat from their perspective. Imagine you are a chick 2 inches tall. Is the thatch going to impede your movement? Can you keep up with momma? Can you see/find insects? Now, move over to an area dominated by forbs and ask the same questions. It's important for hunters to understand and recognize good habitat and good management. If you are going to lease a piece of property, wouldn't you want the most for your money? You have to understand the habitat and how it is manipulated in order to know what to pay for it and what to expect from it. I wouldn't trust the landowner to tell me what the productivity of the land is. Learning the components of habitat and how they work together is important. That knowledge may get you to the point where you won't even slow the truck down for some sites because you can tell at 55 mile per hour that the birds won't be there. Questions?
 
Prairie Drifter said:
FC, If this gets to be a book, wait for the movie:) From a quail perspecive, quail are a low successional species. What does that mean? It means that they thrive in the habitat that follows some kind of disturbance. Historically, that would mean a burn followed by thousands of bison grazing an area. These days, it is burning, disking, agriculture associated with perennial vegetation, grazing, etc. What does fire do? First, it sets back woody vegetation. If you haven't noticed, habitat left idle over long periods of time degrades. You cannot maintain NWSG grasslands without the use of fire. Look at a grassland. It is composed of grasses, forbs, and woody plants. The grasses are grazed by herbivores, but they don't eat everything. The herbivores tend to graze in a mosaic pattern. This is due to them eating the same plants over and over because the ones that they didn't eat the first time have now got thatch mixed in and it is low in nutrients. Over time, the plants that are not grazed get more and more filled with thatch and begin to decline. These plants don't harvest much sunlight due to the shading of their own thatch, and therefore, don't grow as much new green leaves. Since insects feed on the plants(forbs, grasses, and woody plants), the insect population decreases. As hunters we should realize that insects are essential for broods and laying hens that need the high protein they provide for growth and reproduction. The hatchlings have to also be mobile and able to catch insects and this thatch decreases their ability to hunt. As the grass and thatch becomes more dominant, the forbs tend to decrease. Since the forbs are the major food for the insects and are also the primary source for seed that is the food source for the adult birds, we want to make sure to have a healthy forb population. So, second, the fire removes the thatch, invigorates the forbs, and exposes bare ground where broodlings can hunt, stay dry, and feed on seeds later in the year that are exposed on the bare soil. The plants all grow post burn, harvesting 100% sunlight making the post-fire habitat the most vigorous and productive. A third aspect that has been shown to improve habitat for quail from fire involves rodents and their predators. Most predators are opportunists. They go where the food is the most plentiful. As a grassland gets further from fire, the thatch becomes a significant habitat for rodents. Predators move in to harvest the rodents and incidental nest predation increases as well. Here's your homework. Go out where you have found quail in a grassland habitat in the past. Lay on your stomach with your chin on the ground. You now are just a bit taller than a quail. Look at the habitat from their perspective. Imagine you are a chick 2 inches tall. Is the thatch going to impede your movement? Can you keep up with momma? Can you see/find insects? Now, move over to an area dominated by forbs and ask the same questions. It's important for hunters to understand and recognize good habitat and good management. If you are going to lease a piece of property, wouldn't you want the most for your money? You have to understand the habitat and how it is manipulated in order to know what to pay for it and what to expect from it. I wouldn't trust the landowner to tell me what the productivity of the land is. Learning the components of habitat and how they work together is important. That knowledge may get you to the point where you won't even slow the truck down for some sites because you can tell at 55 mile per hour that the birds won't be there. Questions?
Click to expand...


so basically what i just said, just a ... dang shorter verison, right?
 
I wish I could burn mine, can't because of my brush and schrubs, pines etc. It would make it easier. I don't think it was me that asked but I agree, where they have perscribed burns here, the bird pop. is up and the cover is great.
 
You the man prairie drifter. Is timing of the burn important? Last year the wildlife people around here In my opinion burned to late june:mad: Lots of hen mallards and pheasant standing on the roads by the burnt areas.
 
Every different date selects for and against something. The growth points for native grass are below ground level, so are protected from fire. If you want to set back the grass, you either have to burn early or late. By burning early, you give the forbs that green up first a head start. By burning late, you set the grass back by hurting it after it has used some of it's root reserves to put up a top. From another angle, the late burn is different in that it is not as hot or fast, but the heat stays longer in 1 place. That is more destructive to brush. It too has used root reserves to leaf out and by killing that part of the plant, it weaken the plant. By heating the bark/cambium, you can totally kill some woody plants. What I am starting this year with the patch burn/patch graze system is following the burn with high intensity grazing. That make additional stress to the over dominant sod and gives the forbs the competitive advantage. The increased animal impact (trampling/grazing) also puts stress on both grass and brush. It's good to shake up the long term systems that have been in place for a long time.
 
I like the idea of spot burning. I don't like the large areas of burns. Say, if you have a quarter of grassland, I would take certain areas, burn and rotate with another spot next year.

I can't see a burned area as being nesting cover. Pheasants and Mallards and most other ground nesters are reliant on old growth. Most would be nesting well before the new grass and forbes grow enough to provide nesting cover.

Large burn areas would also concentrate pray/predator populations.
 
Last edited:
Unfortunately, in government work, you have to take care of habitat within your abilities. With the next full time employee 35 miles away, you have to call together the troops and get as much done as possible in the limited time available. With it's time to burn, everyone needs to burn. Unfortunately, it's also walleye spawning season, campground opening season, goose nesting survey season, budgeting season....... I can burn 550 acres in one chunk almost as fast and with the same crew as I can 200 acres less in 3-4 chunks. Sometimes, after a burn ban year or blizzard year or whatever, it is best to just get a number of acres invigorated even if you lose a year of nesting on those acres. In this neck of the woods, the "woods" can become a problem. Frequency of fire is very important in maintaining grasslands. Generally, after the third year past fire, things are headed downhill quickly.
 
My plan is to get the thistles under control again after the last couple wet falls and springs wse have had. The thistle have kinda taken over some spots. Gonna put in 3 new water holes and try and get a plum thicket going in my sanctuary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top