Wildlife Management on Farmlands

All wildlife species need food, cover water, and some amount of space to survive. Wildlife — or lack thereof — found on farms are no different. To manage any property for wildlife a landowner must provide what wildlife species need. Many farms do attract wildlife, but may not think much about wildlife management. If food is present then animals will frequent farms, but farm owners can not expect their neighbors to provide the rest IF farm owners are interested in wildlife.

The recreational value of rural land in is high, and in some cases higher than the yearly agricultural revenue on a per acre basis. This is especially true with hunting, where hunters are limited by the short-supply of lands available to hunt. The majority of the human population lives in urban areas, but many people look to pursue wildlife (deer hunting, hog hunting, dove hunting, etc.) on in rural areas, where animals are found. Continue reading Wildlife Management on Farmlands

Prairie Habitat Management: Prescribed Fire

Habitat management is the key to successful wildlife management. No wild animal can survive in the absence of its much-needed habitat. One tallgrass prairie study found that burning was much better for grasslands than simply long-term shredding. It had been reported in the past that shredding could maintain a native prairie, but fire seems to be even better and that there are important implications for prairie management and restoration.

The project involved using historical data, but that information reflected a degraded system brought on by decades of mowing. Mowing actually decreased species diversity. However, this latest research found that prescribed fires reversed this degradation and returned native grass. These findings are particularly relevant for habitat management as mowing is increasingly promoted as a fire substitute for prairie management. Continue reading Prairie Habitat Management: Prescribed Fire