What the he!@ is going on here

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JMichal":38trfa4w said:
I see huge patch of Ragweed as beneficial, You all see it as weeds. Ragweed seed has the highest protein of all quail feed, and is most beneficial to winter survival.

We should have had a bumper crop of quail this winter because we had a bumper crop of ragweed and broomweed last spring. :p I haven't seen many quail around here in years. No one seems to hunt them any more and the on again and off again droughts have been tough on them.
 
Frankie":3pobicxw said:
JMichal":3pobicxw said:
I see huge patch of Ragweed as beneficial, You all see it as weeds. Ragweed seed has the highest protein of all quail feed, and is most beneficial to winter survival.

We should have had a bumper crop of quail this winter because we had a bumper crop of ragweed and broomweed last spring. :p I haven't seen many quail around here in years. No one seems to hunt them any more and the on again and off again droughts have been tough on them.

You need winter and spring rain, it produces broadleefs which produce insects for the chicks. Have you ever seen chicks the size bumblebee going after insects. They run like rockets.

What part of OK are you in?
 
JMichal":2erbzaof said:
dun":2erbzaof said:
JMichal":2erbzaof said:
Too bad they didn't start a program way earlier for Quail. They are gone in most areas, not to be returned. So is part of the tradition of birdhunting. Something I grew up with, and am very saddened to see gone here.

You might be surprised. This farm and the last one with just a little quail habitat improvement and management we've gone from occasioanlly hearing a quail to having several coveys. If there are any birds in the area and you make the habitat hospitable, they'll come. You could also join your local Quail Forever chapter.

I have spent over $10,000 and about 960 hours in the last 2.5 years on Quail habitat. I have a 600 acre farm and have been woking on approximatly 80 Acres thus far with a biologist. We have planted 15 thickets, each having 77 shrubs. American Plum, Roughleaf Dogwood, False Indigo, and Hazel nut. We have converted 20 acres to NWSG anf Forbs in Patches. We winter disc varios patches. I spent 1 whole year edge feathering the timber areas. We hope we will get some birds, haven't seen any yet. I run Pointers and Setters in Field Trials so habitat management has become an addiction. I wish everyone with 40 acres would renovate for Quail habitat. We then again may have a sustainable poulation. It takes biodiversity. I see huge patch of Ragweed as beneficial, You all see it as weeds. Ragweed seed has the highest protein of all quail feed, and is most beneficial to winter survival.

It takes time. The other farm took about 3 years before we saw any improvement, this one is going on 5 and we're just started seeing actual brood coveys last year. The old farm had just been neglected and had grown up into too much scrub. This farm was badly abused for about 20 years before we got it. Something that has helped here is that some of the dairys have gone out of business and city folks are buying the land and just letting the pastures grow up in weeds. That will be a help for a few years, but before long the trees will start encroaching on the fields and it will be downhill again. Disposing of a half dozen feral cats has probably helped around hre too, only 3-4 more that I see regularly left to go. Farm may not be pretty and well manicured, but the birds sure seem to like it.
 
dun":2lp2mhwc said:
It takes time. The other farm took about 3 years before we saw any improvement, this one is going on 5 and we're just started seeing actual brood coveys last year. The old farm had just been neglected and had grown up into too much scrub. This farm was badly abused for about 20 years before we got it. Something that has helped here is that some of the dairys have gone out of business and city folks are buying the land and just letting the pastures grow up in weeds. That will be a help for a few years, but before long the trees will start encroaching on the fields and it will be downhill again. Disposing of a half dozen feral cats has probably helped around hre too, only 3-4 more that I see regularly left to go. Farm may not be pretty and well manicured, but the birds sure seem to like it.

Too bad more of us "Land Stewards" and grass farmers don't see things this way.
 
Angus/Brangus":2q7dp2c0 said:
Even after fertilizer and baling costs, this guy would come out way ahead of $400 government free ride dollars per year.
only if your time is worth nothing
 
I have 18 ac in crp, wildlife hab and erosion control.. I signed up fo 15 years ,into 16.5 ac. of trees and 1.5 ac of NWSG .. I was given a sign up bonas of 3300 $ which I used to buy 5000 trees , and planting them and spraying them the frist year. The Gov. gave me back 90% of my cost..I recieve about 127 $ per ac. per year for 15 years..2100 $ a year. I can not do anything wit the Crp although in this years drought ,if in grass , I beleive for a fee you could cut the hay.. I also get money fo 55 ac. of cotton that I do not raise, and money for winter wheat that I do not plant..In total about 6,000$ per year on ave. since1999 when I quit share croping and start working the system. I raise cattle on my set aside land, short of fencing my cost are min. I run 20 cows , lease a Bull, feed little grain, give salt ,min., and vac/ivem. Feed hay through the winter.It is a lossing venture,that I use as a Tax wright off..My 80 ac. took 20 years of working to pay for it,IT IS PAID FOR. So my cost are min... I hear a lot of cring about fuel prices, corn prices, etc. But as I see Hummers,gaint suv,large dully trucks pass on the road, maybe just maybe A law that states all auto must get 40 mpg would save corn, oil for fer. and so on.Of all the B.S. I hear on this fouum, may a Cattleman as president vers a oil Men(Bush/chaney) might be the solution. I PERSONALLY THINK THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP OIL PRICES AND THE MEN WHOM ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS COUNTRY...

On a more positive note took 6 last years heifers to sale barn last week,325 to 385 lbs. , they brought 1.05 to1.09 $ a pound. They were Black Angus 3/4 plus Watched steers bring .10 to .15 per pound more then the girls...
 

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