Hey guys looking for some advice. Me my dad and my brother have some ground we own by a river and a creek running through it. We have been trying to get pheasant mainly and maybe some partridge and quail going. we live in northwest iowa about a half hour from sd border. There is a great number of pheasants around but we want to develop our privet ground better. We had pheasants like crazy last year but it didn't seem like they got a very good hatch while all we had is brome and corn. they got flooded this spring and we are right back where we started. We have a lot of brome grass and are going to put in some switch grass. we also have some millet sunflower and corn food plots. Any advice on other habitat or how much to put in to get these birds really going?
pheasant partridge and quail habitat
- Thread starter jordan
- Start date
pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
Sounds like you are on the right track. You can NOT do anything about the poor hatch. Habitat is the key. Switchgrass will provide cover for nesting and protection in the winter. Already seems like you have plenty of food in the area. NOTE: make the Switchgrass field as large and wide as possible. Narrow stripes just help the predators find the birds.
good luck to all
the dog
good luck to all
the dog
ardrhi
Member
You might try some brood strips to provide places for chicks to get insects. Use big leafy forbs - beats, beans, peas, or a whitetail antler growth mix. Food plots can be narrow strips, but I agree with the larger strips of switchgrass. Thin strips of cover give predators an edge.
The switchgrass or any warm season tall prairie type grass would make for some great cover. Brome, I'm assuming smooth brome, is okay, but doesn't provide near the amount of cover that other warm season grass species would. I also wouldn't plant a straight mono of switchgrass. Think prairie mix with some other grass species (big or little bluestem, Indiangrass, etc) and forbs. The local DNR biologist or the NRCS office should be able to help you with a seed mix idea and planting suggestions.
What he said ^^^.... and become a coyote and fox hunter!!!
sethkuhl
Well-known member
Shoot all house cats and raccoons you see
captaincoot
New member
Get rid of the brome grass. For my CRP I called pheasant forever they got good stuff service wasn't the best. Guy went on vacation and lost my order. I also went to a seed house and that stuff was awesome he knew his stuff. Think it was a pollinator mix them wild chickens love it
Good luck.
Good luck.ia pf member
a/join pheasants forever if you havent already-we need you.b/have a fire. c/switch grass(i know its cheap)gets to thick eventually and pheasants-esp chicks,cant utilize the cover like it looks like they should be able to.i would try to have a farm bill biologist out-you may have some cost share options avail to you that he-she would know about. come to pheasant fest in dm feb 20-22-there are a lot of good seminars. no i dont work for pheasants forever. i just got back from sd last week.3 days of hunting-3 limits.i have never seen that many pheasants in my whole life in ia.-not even on a preserve. good luck
a/join pheasants forever if you havent already-we need you.b/have a fire. c/switch grass(i know its cheap)gets to thick eventually and pheasants-esp chicks,cant utilize the cover like it looks like they should be able to.i would try to have a farm bill biologist out-you may have some cost share options avail to you that he-she would know about. come to pheasant fest in dm feb 20-22-there are a lot of good seminars. no i dont work for pheasants forever. i just got back from sd last week.3 days of hunting-3 limits.i have never seen that many pheasants in my whole life in ia.-not even on a preserve. good luck
