GOING NATIVE

[DEERSKINNER]

I AM A DEER HUNTER BUT I LIKE TO GROUSE HUNT SOMETIMES. BUT ANYTIME YOU DO WILDLIFE IMPROVEMENTS ON YOUR PROPERTY IT DOES MATTER IF IT IS FOR DEER OR BIRDS. WE HAVE HAD THE FAMILY FARM FOR 26 YEARS. I NEVER SEEN A QUAIL OR GROUSE ON THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY. 2 YEARS AGO I PLANTED 20 ACRES OF NATIVE GRASSES. BIG BLUE STEM, LITTLE BLUE. INDIAN, SWITCH,SIDE GAMA OATS AND BUDDLE FLOWERS. I KNOW HAVE 2 COVEYS OF QUAIL, JUMPED 2 GROUSE AND 3 TURKEY HENS WITH LITTLE ONES. I BELIEVE IF YOU PLANT IT THEY WILL COME.

BEFORE FIELD WAS SPRAYED



AFTER FIELD WAS SPRAYED AND PLANTED



PICTURE OF FIELD NOW



THIS WAS THE BEST THING I HAVE DONE SO FAR FOR THE WILDLIFE. IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT AT HEART. I SPRAYED THE FIELD 5 TIMES OVER A 2 YEAR SPAN. IT TAKE AT LEAST 3 YEARS TO ESTABLISH ITSELF. BUT IN THE END IT WILL BE WORTH IT. AFTER I BURN THE FIELD IN MARCH I AM GOING TO DRILL IN SOME NATIVE LEGUMES (WILDFLOWERS) TO SPICE THING UP A LITTLE.

[Jim Scott]

Deerskinner

You are 100% correct. It does matter. I'm not sure about grouse, but there are some small things you can do the help the quail on your property. Make your habitat changes in stages. In other words, do not change the entire property at once. If you have areas in different stages of growth, it will help the bird population a lot. The 3 basic stages are fallow, old field, and brushy. Fallow normally describes brooding and feeding cover. Worked soil, left undesterbed allows native forbs and grasses, (or planted forbs and grasses) to grow and this also gives the quail "open" ground. Open ground is having plants that allow the birds to move at ground level, while still having cover overhead. (this is why Fescue is not good for small game...it's too heavy and compact at ground level) The old field stage contains grasses, perennial weeds, small trees, brambels and vines. (aprox 2 to 3 years following fallow stage) Quail will use this stage more often during the year that any other stage. Brushy is when woody vegetation begins to take over. This can take years to accomplish, but birds will come early in the process, as you talked about in your posting.

It will also help if you burn in patches...don't burn the entire field at once. If you eliminate all of the native grasses at one time, you will eliminate the birds as well. They will move to another area. Even very small changes can force a covey to move off of your property. The legumes will help a lot as well. Great food source.