# Best Pheasant Cover



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

I was privileged to hear a discussion concerning pheasant cover. It was pointed out that a lot of "old" CRP is virtually worthless for pheasants because it is the wrong plant mix and snows down in the winter. The picture below is switchgrass with a little alfalfa. The legume hosts the insects that chicks need to thrive. The switchgrass provides nesting, loafing, escape, and thermal roosting cover. And it is the most resistant to snowing down. Some of the seed stays on the seed head all winter--looks like small millet seed-- and pheasants will eat it. The bottom picture is a WPA of brome and June grass. The differance is obvious.  Wish ND could get some of these WPAs refurbished with better cover. Hint, hint.

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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

Great pictures! You should forward this to the NDGF dept, they'll tell you they already knew that and that it all takes $$$$. But at least it lets them know people are paying attention to their efforts, or lack there of sometimes. Habitat is key!!


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## bjorn (Jul 23, 2005)

Good topic.

It was only a few years ago that "switchgrass" was not allowed for renewal in CRP because someone in the "know" said it did not stand up in ND winters.

GO FIGURE!!!!!


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Dick, This really frosts me. I had origanly planted all switch grass, it was the best cover there was. When I went to sign up for the next go around they made me destoy all of the switch grass. I went all the way to DC but some nerd biologist said it's not any good for nesting. Only cost 20k to reseed everything and to destroy the best habitat there was. Now they have done surveys that say it the best pheasant nesting there is. I've got volumes of info on this stuff but you could not get this by the idiots in DC.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

I hunted some switch grass cover in December down by you Jim, and I couldn't believe the difference. I kept asking the landowner what it was, because there was nothing like that around the area...Snow did not effect it! TONS OF BIRDS by the way!


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## startown (Nov 14, 2005)

There is no doubt in my mind that switchgrass is the best pheasant cover. I have about 25 acres of it on my farm in Minnesota, and it is loaded with birds. It does help to have a diverse amount of grass out there, but the birds move into the switchgrass in the fall. We planted a native grass mix on some acres, and trees rows (shrubs, spruce and cedars) in other areas and the pheasant population is 10 times what it was when I bought the farm, habitat improvements work!


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

Bonus: after a few snows, a day of hoofing through swithgrass sure beats stumbling (literally) thorough most other crp that's laid over.

IME, however, late season birds are a little wild in switch grass - not much to hold or slow them down - cappers or working the birds towards heavier cover are a big help.

Also, in line with the other topic, with any wind it can be darn tough to keep track of a dog (and vice-versa) in switch grass and it's a good situation to hang a bell.


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