The Crowing Post:  01/07/07

PF/QF Habitat Projects Prove Beneficial During Winter Storm

Earlier this month, Nebraska experienced a heavy ice storm causing power outages to thousands of homes and businesses across central Nebraska.   Storms like these can also be detrimental to wildlife without quality winter habitat.  PF and QF habitat projects are helping pheasants, quail, and all wildlife escape these harsh winter conditions.  Unlike waterfowl, pheasants and quail are year-round residents and can’t avoid winter by flying south to better climates.  PF and QF chapter habitat projects planted last spring or even several years ago are now providing important thermal cover and food for pheasants and quail during this tough time. 

Winter Food/Cover Plots: 

In a typical Nebraska winter relatively few birds probably starve to death.  In almost every location where you find birds, crop fields are not hard to find.  However, if the birds don’t have a place to hunker down and get out of the wind and cold, they may freeze to death.  If food isn’t located near some good thermal cover, the birds are also more exposed to predators.  For this reason PF has developed some of the best food/cover plot mixes around.  These food/cover plots provide the thermal cover needed and reduce exposure to predators by placing the food and cover together.

Shrub Plantings: 

PF chapters have also planned for extreme winter conditions by planting shrubs for dense thermal cover.  These shrub plantings block the wind and knock down the snow while providing a very well protected area for the birds.  A five to seven row windbreak or a block of shrubs can provide excellent thermal cover during periods when there is a lot of snow and extremely cold temperatures.

Well planned winter habitat is an important part of any wildlife management program.  Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters across Nebraska are doing their best to make sure pheasants, quail, and all wildlife can handle anything “Old Man Winter” can throw at them, even 5 inches of ice!  If you are interested in planting winter cover, please contact your local PF chapter today!

 habitat today….pheasants forever!