Tag: wildlife management

Providing Supplemental Food for Wildlife Valuation

Most wildlife environments have some natural food, but in many cases additonal food can benefit native wildlife populations. An owner supplies supplemental food by providing food or nutrition in addition to the level naturally produced on the land. Grazing Management, Prescribed Burning and Range Improvement can be used to provide supplemental food. Other ways to provide supplemental food to meet wildlife exemption requirements include:

  • food plots
  • feeder and mineral supplements
  • managing tame pasture, old fields and croplands

Food plots are one way to establish locally adapted forage to provide supplemental foods and cover during critical periods of the year. Livestock should be generally excluded from small food plots. The shape, size, location and percentage of total land area devoted to food plots should be based on the requirements of the targeted species.

Feeders and mineral supplements also can help dispense additional food to selected wildlife species during critical periods. Feeders should not be used except to control excessive numbers of deer and/or exotic ungulates as defined within a comprehensive wildlife management plan with a targeted harvest quota that is regularly measured. Harmful aflatoxin in feed should not exceed 20 parts per billion.

Mineral supplements also may be supplied to wildlife in several ways, however, this practice must be a part of an overall habitat management plan that addresses all animal groups and considers the habitat’s carrying capacity.

Managing tame pasture, old fields and croplands can increase plant diversity, provide supplemental food and forage and gradually help convert the land to native vegetation. Recommended practices may include:

  • overseeding or planting cool season and/or warm season legumes (for example, clovers, vetches and peas) and/or small grains in pastures or rangeland
  • using plants and planting methods appropriate to the county
  • shallow tillage (discing) that encourages habitat diversity, the production of native grasses and forbs or increases bare ground feeding habitat for selected species
  • no till or minimum till agricultural practices that leave waste grain and stubble on the soil surface until the next planting season—which provide supplemental food or cover, control erosion and improve soil tilth

Legumes should be planted annually until all pastures are shifted to native vegetation.

Providing Supplemental Water for Wildlife Valuation

Natural water exists in all wildlife environments. However, supplemental water is provided when the owner actively provides water in addition to the natural sources. This category of wildlife management activity includes providing supplemental water in habitats where water is limited or redesigning water sources to increase its availability to wildlife. For the purposed of wildlife valuation, wildlife water developments are in addition to those sources already available to livestock and may require protection from livestock. Some examples of recommended practices include:

  • marsh or wetland restoration or development
  • managing well, trough and windmill overflow
  • spring development and/or improvements

Marsh or wetland restoration or development can provide supplemental water in the form of shallow wetlands for wetland-dependent wildlife, even in areas where inadequate water does not limit wildlife. Owners may include seasonally available water such as:

  • greentree reservoirs
  • specific shallow roost pond development
  • seasonally flooded crops and other areas
  • moist soil management
  • cienega (desert marsh) restoration, development and protection
  • maintaining water in playa lakes

Based on the wildlife’s needs and the suitability of the property, managing water levels annually is desirable. To be effective, a minimum of at least one marsh/wetland should be restored or developed every five years.

Managing well, trough and windmill overflow can provide supplemental water for wildlife and provide habitat for wetland plants. Owners also may drill wells if necessary and/or build pipelines to distribute water. Building devices—known as wildlife water guzzlers—to collect rainfall and/or runoff for wildlife in areas where water is limited also helps protect wildlife, but these devices must be a part of an overall habitat management program.

Spring development and/or improvements can be designed to protect the immediate area surrounding a spring. Excluding and/or controlling livestock around springs may help to maintain native plants and animal diversity. Other ways to protect areas include moving water through a pipe to a low trough or a shallow wildlife water overflow, making water available to livestock and wildlife while preventing degradation of the spring area from trampling.

Improvements also could include restoring a degraded spring by selectively removing appropriate brush and revegetating the area with plants and maintaining the restored spring as a source of wildlife water. Maintaining critical habitat, nesting and roosting areas for wildlife and preventing soil erosion must be considered when planning and implementing brush removal. This practice should be planned and implemented gradually and selectively over a period of time.

What is Wildlife and Habitat Management

Wildlife and habitat management 

Wildlife have four basic needs; food, water, cover, and space. The arrangement of these elements is often equally important. Each species of wildlife has its own specific habitat needs for reproduction and survival. If one of these components is missing, that is the limiting factor for that species.

It is the availability, arrangement, and ratio of these habitat elements on the landscape and influence of proper management that will determine the amount of wildlife (number of species and population of each species) on the property.

This is referred to as the carrying capacity. Since many wildlife species often share habitat types, most common habitat management practices will benefit a number of wildlife species.

Fallow Disking to Improve Wildlife Habitat

Results of fallow disking 

Fallow disking refers to disking the soil in the winter months after the first freeze, but prior to the first green up of spring. This promotes the germination and growth of grass, weed and wildflower seeds already present in the soil. Many seeds lie dormant in soil, are commonly referred to as the soil seed bank, and can spring into action with the right amount of stimulation — disturbance and sunlight.

Some of these seeds may have been dormant for years, but with a little disking to expose them, and hopefull a little rainfall, they should grow vigorously. Of course, the application of this management practice will depend upon the soil found on your ranch property.

These natural weeds and wildflowers are very important to wildlife and are preferred over most introduced “wildlife plants.” Lower succession plants are preferred to climax plant communities, and fallow disking provides low successional plants.

Managing for Wildlife on Your Property

First, it is important to learn about the ecology of wildlife species found in the area. All wildlife have a minimum size of area they need to live and reproduce. This is their home range. Some animals such as small reptiles and amphibians have small home ranges of only a few hundred yards.

Others, however, like white-tailed deer or wild turkeys, have home ranges of a square mile or more. Wildlife species to be considered for management are those in which a landowner’s property supports and encompasses their habitat and home range or at least a significant part of it.

Second, what species of wildlife are already living on and around the property to be managed and which would benefit most from some type of management. Finally, what type of wildlife management practices would be most economically and environmentally feasible to meet the goals and objectives of the landowner.