What habitat plans you got for 2011

New CRP

I am going to look into the possibility of another planting of native grass (Farmed Wetland Practice) about 30 acres of a 93 acre field. Will have to check with the FAS office and seek aid of the Pheasants Forever Rep that works with the SD GF&P. As they keep changing the rules.

I am also looking forward to seeing how the new 18.5 acres installed last spring does in its second yr. It ties together a 5 acre Quail Buffer a 17.5 Acre Farmed Wetlands that are on my place and a 320 acre CRP field that is on the the place next door. All together they will make one heck of a block of Habitat.

Then there are the food plots to do. The GF&P will do 5 acres, the local Pheasants Forever group will do 5 more acres and some of my hunters will help on the cost of the 12 acre plot I do each year. I'm going to try and add about another 10 acres if I can swing the cost.
 
SDJIM said:
I am going to look into the possibility of another planting of native grass (Farmed Wetland Practice) about 30 acres of a 93 acre field. Will have to check with the FAS office and seek aid of the Pheasants Forever Rep that works with the SD GF&P. As they keep changing the rules.

I am also looking forward to seeing how the new 18.5 acres installed last spring does in its second yr. It ties together a 5 acre Quail Buffer a 17.5 Acre Farmed Wetlands that are on my place and a 320 acre CRP field that is on the the place next door. All together they will make one heck of a block of Habitat.

Then there are the food plots to do. The GF&P will do 5 acres, the local Pheasants Forever group will do 5 more acres and some of my hunters will help on the cost of the 12 acre plot I do each year. I'm going to try and add about another 10 acres if I can swing the cost.
Click to expand...

Sounds like I great plan! The only potential weakness I see is "the 320 acre CRP next door"...How secure is that piece?
 
SDJIM, check with some of your larger seed companies. They often have batches of seed that don't have the % germination to sell any more that they will give you. All you need to do is plant it a bit heavier and you'll still get the stand you want. That'd save you the seed cost. A few calls to feed lots or ranchers might get you a couple of manure spreader loads of fertilizer as well. I don't know if you have any QU clubs close, but they have a seed program as well.
 
safari said:
Sounds like I great plan! The only potential weakness I see is "the 320 acre CRP next door"...How secure is that piece?
Click to expand...

All I know is that it is part of a LARGE pay to hunt group and that it is a least 8 yrs old---it harbours thousands of birds.
 
Prairie Drifter said:
SDJIM, check with some of your larger seed companies. They often have batches of seed that don't have the % germination to sell any more that they will give you. All you need to do is plant it a bit heavier and you'll still get the stand you want. That'd save you the seed cost. A few calls to feed lots or ranchers might get you a couple of manure spreader loads of fertilizer as well. I don't know if you have any QU clubs close, but they have a seed program as well.
Click to expand...

Great idea Thanks TROY
 
SDJIM said:
All I know is that it is part of a LARGE pay to hunt group and that it is a least 8 yrs old---it harbours thousands of birds.
Click to expand...

That is great as long as it stays that way. I have even seen some pay to hunt places sucumb to lure of high cash rents obviously to the detriment of the birds. You had better keep adding as much habitat as you can to hedge against that happening. Good luck.

What part of SD may I ask?
 
safari said:
That is great as long as it stays that way. I have even seen some pay to hunt places sucumb to lure of high cash rents obviously to the detriment of the birds. You had better keep adding as much habitat as you can to hedge against that happening. Good luck.

What part of SD may I ask?
Click to expand...

Charles Mix Co. near the town of Platte. I'm working hard on adding habitat to that area. I now seem to hold quite a few birds and this new 18.5 acres will really help with that. there is an old homestead (about 12 acres) on this properity also and it should hold birds all the time but it just doesn't. Although there is an old hosue and barn I've checked after there is snow on the ground and can see no evidence of anything living there. Last year I planted several acres of food plot around the old house and barn and although it grew well it just never had any birds in it.

Not sure what to do this year?
 
SDJIM said:
Charles Mix Co. near the town of Platte. I'm working hard on adding habitat to that area. I now seem to hold quite a few birds and this new 18.5 acres will really help with that. there is an old homestead (about 12 acres) on this properity also and it should hold birds all the time but it just doesn't. Although there is an old hosue and barn I've checked after there is snow on the ground and can see no evidence of anything living there. Last year I planted several acres of food plot around the old house and barn and although it grew well it just never had any birds in it.

Not sure what to do this year?
Click to expand...

Any interest in putting some acres into the General Signup? There is one starting on March 14 thru April 15. Other than that I would stay the course
with the additional 30 acre Farmed Wetland practice.

Again the biggest threat I see to your bird population/hunting is the potential for the neigboring 320 to go back into production.
 
Well lets see. I've got 125 or so seedlings to plant for some covey headquarters. Plus I've gotta burn off my 5 acre field of big blue/indian grass thats going into its fourth year, and I also need to burn off a few other smaller areas for future food plots, and then there's some edge feathering that needs to be done down along the creek bottom and then this coming fall I need to hit some more areas with RU to kill out fescue to make room for some more covey headquarters. Not to mention the never ending saga of getting rid of the sericia lespedeza thats trying to get a toe hold. I hate that stuff!!!! And I'm sure I can find something else to burn.:cheers: I love burning!!:D:cheers::cheers:
 
jaytee said:
Well lets see. I've got 125 or so seedlings to plant for some covey headquarters. Plus I've gotta burn off my 5 acre field of big blue/indian grass thats going into its fourth year, and I also need to burn off a few other smaller areas for future food plots, and then there's some edge feathering that needs to be done down along the creek bottom and then this coming fall I need to hit some more areas with RU to kill out fescue to make room for some more covey headquarters. Not to mention the never ending saga of getting rid of the sericia lespedeza thats trying to get a toe hold. I hate that stuff!!!! And I'm sure I can find something else to burn.:cheers: I love burning!!:D:cheers::cheers:
Click to expand...

best habitat tool you'll ever need is a book of matches!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top