Let's Bring Back The Bobwhite
Minnesota
The Conservationist Farmer
Although many small landowners and Quail Forever members have helped improve habitat quality in recent years, we would not have the pheasant or quail populations we do today without the conservationist farmer. Farmers are folks that love the outdoors and appreciate nature like so many of the rest of us.
If you’re a farmer that would like to get more involved and further improve some habitat on your property, you can easily join Quail Forever to have easy access to a variety of resources. In addition to the numerous governmental programs available, many conservation enthusiasts will be available to help answer questions and provide some unique, but simple, ideas.
Here are some very simple ways you can help improve habitat on your property without much effort:
A. Consider leaving a few strips of crops adjacent to woodland edges (where shade may affect yield)
B. Let some of those fence rows have some width and grow into a bramble for nesting. Let the sumac and wild plum take over within the fence row and plant a few raspberry and blackberry plants.
C. Let a small low area be a small low area that stays wet so upland creatures have access to water
D. Along those woodland edges that don’t produce well, do some edge feathering and put in some feeders approximately 50-75 ft. apart.
E. Put out two or more corn feeders within a small area close to brushy cover within 50-75 ft. apart.
F. Use your snowmobile or tractor to tramp down or reduce deep snow near to those feeders or woodland edges or fence rows.
G. There are many programs within Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever where you may obtain inexpensive seed or feed to keep those upland birds healthy during the tough winter months. Click here for more information.
H. Seeing and hearing wildlife is very entertaining.