It all comes down to habitat. This picture layout is just one snapshot of part of one day in the life of the Association staff shown here as a means of informing current and future members some of what they have to look forward to. An area on the dryer side of the year to date rainfall fringe region that encompasses some of the Association's best pheasant hunting lease land.
Soybeans, a moisture loving crop is not as widely planted in this region as lower water requiring western varieties of corn, wheat or milo. When such crops are planted they exist primarily where existing irrigation capabilities are installed. The widely known pivot steer systems.
The water left behind, especially as most irrigation is during hours of darkness, leaves manmade dew drops some feel is necessary for bird consumption. Finally the irrigation areas create a better environment for bug production. The recognized primary protein source for chicks.
Having the broad leaf weeds makes for more bugs as well that just the corn or harvested wheat. Why is all the above important to us is shown below. A large lease in CRP surrounded by the above. Where does anyone think the roosters will be once the crops are harvested? It is all about habitat, and habitat in the right place. I'm sure most will recognize the yellow sign.
While not a perfect year for rain in all areas, while not all crops serve the hunter more than the farmer, this is as good as it gets. And, we have it.
And, a lot of it.
Even with a panoramic camera we cannot show all of the field in three pictures. many hunters from many states around the country do not have a feel, until they actually get on the ground, for just how big our hunting areas are. In this case it is not just the cover habitat of the CRP planted in the newer wildlife blend. The surrounding crop fields make for the ideal combination of food and cover. |
A Mule Deer common to this area, in this case a doe, allows us to show the height and the greenness of the grass and weed vegetation of a fallow farm. The all important cover habitat that served well for spring nesting as well as providing summer time predation protection.
There is a lot to this picture. The first is the obvious habitat and later food source creation that is pretty much guaranteed by irrigation. 
The second is the near ground area of plowed under wheat that was harvested in late June and the ground being prepared for fall wheat planting. This rotation of a variety of crops in relatively small areas sustains the seasonal and year round food, cover and open ground for brooding.
Some western variety corn as high as it will get with tassels by July. A weed strip separating the harvested wheat field next to it that has not been plowed leaving waste grain that will be followed by the waste grain in the corn field after harvest later this fall.
