Sunday Pic of the Day

[Nick87]

The dust bowl all over again, there used to be wind rows out here that helped prevent this. Now everything has been cut down, logged, and sprayed that has made this land less productive.

Used to be all swamp before my time with huge trees.

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Yup a fence line or tree line is a thing of the past here.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Last Sunday. Next Level Hunters Course. 10 kids & nothing but fun.

 

[INMT]

Yup a fence line or tree line is a thing of the past here.

Why do you think that is? Are they really gaining anything production wise? I grew up in North Central Indiana farm country. Wonder if it’s looking the same.

 

[Nick87]

Why do you think that is? Are they really gaining anything production wise? I grew up in North Central Indiana farm country. Wonder if it’s looking the same.

One tree line probably not. Do that over a few thousand acres. Probably adds up.

 

[BenP]

Why do you think that is? Are they really gaining anything production wise? I grew up in North Central Indiana farm country. Wonder if it’s looking the same.

Tree lines do make the adjacent field lose yield for maybe 25' along the trees from shade and roots but probably the biggest thing is maintenance from trees falling and limbs that takes time to clean up.

But it has destroyed the quail population here, every ditch is mowed now and sprayed so no cover for anything anymore. Farmers used to leave a buffer next to ditches to help prevent erosion and runoff. Not anymore and now they complain about the bridges washing out.

My dad said before they logged out the dismal swamp for that farmland in those picks that the rainfall was more predictive, and also cooler around here. Now there are more droughts here but the areas that still have swamps north and south get more consistent rain.

 

[Wild Bill]

Why do you think that is? Are they really gaining anything production wise? I grew up in North Central Indiana farm country. Wonder if it’s looking the same.

I've shot piles of pheasants and plenty of deer out of tree belts anywhere from 50' to 50 yards wide. 50' don't seem like much until you step back and look at the big picture and see 30+ of them in a township (36 sq miles) with them running 1/4, 1/2 or even a full mile long. That's a good bit of habitat in prime farm country. They serve as arteries of connectivity between sloughs and the few woodlots we have, especially after crops are out.

As valuable as it is as habitat, it's more valuable to the landowners for production, sadly.

It's a sad deal. Seems like a couple or three generations pass and you lose perspective on things.

Sometimes things need to get worse before they get better, I hope.

 

[Nick87]

I've shot piles of pheasants and plenty of deer out of tree belts anywhere from 50' to 50 yards wide. 50' don't seem like much until you step back and look at the big picture and see 30+ of them in a township (36 sq miles) with them running 1/4, 1/2 or even a full mile long. That's a good bit of habitat in prime farm country. They serve as arteries of connectivity between sloughs and the few woodlots we have, especially after crops are out

Same type of country here. Same experiences as well.