Northern Bobwhite Equip Program... check it out

Turkey Creek

5 year old buck +
Met with my local private lands biologist today to discuss funding options for habitat projects I have in mind. With quail as my intended recipient of some habitat work. I enjoy watching, listening to and hunting them. I felt like my property could be managed for them as well as for deer and turkeys. What I learned today is that the Northern Bobwhite Quail EQIP Program could be a big boon to someone in the areas that are participating. If you live in an area that was formerly known for having good quail numbers, you should check out the program map or call your local NRCS office. Many of the habitat methods covered under the program will also help with a lot of deer habitat projects indirectly. If everything shakes out my upland improvements, native warm season grass seeding- heavy on the forbs, shrub planting, small grains food plots and even TSI will be fully covered under the program.
 
Link?
 
The pheasant/quail CRP program pays me $290 an acre for 15 years in Western IA
 
I have had almost every program thats been available.I was lucky and had a USDA rep that had common sense.Now the ones I have dealt with don't know the difference between johnson grass and big blue.They say i have to spend more on forbs seed for a wetland that floods every couple years than what I get paid then I would have to reseed if flooded and drown them out, and then charged me over 100.00 to get out of contract after 3 days.Then there was the time they had me plant NWSG,a row of shrubs then a row of trees and after 3 years i was supposed to burn,all while I was doing the states test for tree survival in tree tubes.We don't have anyone that really gives a hoot anymore let alone knows enough I would believe.
 
I was actually planning on making a thread about this. I am in the process of purchasing a farm in Northern MO, which is prime quail habitat and fits the description for what the program is intended towards. Next month I will be sitting down with the local NRCS agents to discuss this program. I know I likely won't be able to enroll anything for at least 12 months, but if you find anything out or learn things you wish you'd known, please share them. I will likely be right behind you throughout the process.
 
I have had almost every program thats been available.I was lucky and had a USDA rep that had common sense.Now the ones I have dealt with don't know the difference between johnson grass and big blue.They say i have to spend more on forbs seed for a wetland that floods every couple years than what I get paid then I would have to reseed if flooded and drown them out, and then charged me over 100.00 to get out of contract after 3 days.Then there was the time they had me plant NWSG,a row of shrubs then a row of trees and after 3 years i was supposed to burn,all while I was doing the states test for tree survival in tree tubes.We don't have anyone that really gives a hoot anymore let alone knows enough I would believe.

I agree with the education, rational and logic expressed with most govt. employees in this day and age. I have the added benefit of having worked for USDA for 15 years back in my younger days. I also have a degree in wildlife biology earned in the early 90s when things were still based on scientific data and not just politically correct feel good BS. I told my wife last night that when I 1st met the private lands biologist yesterday that he was kind of rubbing me the wrong way, however by the end of the day we were on the same page and discussing all sorts of habitat, tree growing things. I realized he is basically the same age as me and I think his initial approach to the meeting is one he has developed after meeting with 100s of uneducated, "brainwashed" people who think they want to do habitat work. Once he knew I had a legitimate handle on science he was going out of the way to help me get my plans rolling.
 
The pheasant/quail CRP program pays me $290 an acre for 15 years in Western IA
No doubt CRP has some good payments in the right location. The good thing is Equip programs arent based on previous crop history to be eligible. Also many of the best management practices under this program can be applied to non crop acres.
 
I understand … I put marginal crop acres into the CRP plan… also did a nice .76 acre tree planting . More for deer/turkey!

Doing the work myself I actually made $$ on the cost share !
 
We have used EQIP money to create and improve habitat for the Golden Winged warbler on our club forested lands.
GWW habitat just so happens to benefit woodcock and ruffed grouse and a plethora of other early successional dependent species.
It's been a real win-win for us working with NRCS. Good luck with your project.
 
I have had almost every program thats been available.I was lucky and had a USDA rep that had common sense.Now the ones I have dealt with don't know the difference between johnson grass and big blue.They say i have to spend more on forbs seed for a wetland that floods every couple years than what I get paid then I would have to reseed if flooded and drown them out, and then charged me over 100.00 to get out of contract after 3 days.Then there was the time they had me plant NWSG,a row of shrubs then a row of trees and after 3 years i was supposed to burn,all while I was doing the states test for tree survival in tree tubes.We don't have anyone that really gives a hoot anymore let alone knows enough I would believe.
Unfortunately my experience with the local USDA office went very similar to yours. They were so inept that I chose to pay money to voluntarily remove myself from the program, fund it myself, and maintain it myself just so they wouldn't be able to booger it up.
I have several stories of their incompetence but the one that broke the deal was one of their "agents" walking around my land during hunting season unannounced. This was after I chewed their other "agents" ass for driving on my newly seeded switchgrass, again unannounced. They were driving on the complete opposite side of my property from where the CRP was going to be, about 600 yards away. Crazy stuff.
 
I don’t care what they are paying, I’m never enrolling my property in some program where they can control what I do in areas and when they can come. If I can’t afford it on my own I’ll just do something different. Same reason I won’t sign a contract with my farmer. I’m not giving up rights on my place.

All that said, I’m happy for people who can make it work. Would probably offset some costs if I wasn’t so stubborn!
 
The county my farm is in had a great lady when I did my original CRP and I tested several different things including tree tubes for the USDA.They would call and I would open the gate so big wigs could look at different programs as I had most of them.I then moved my farm to a different county next door so my farmer could have them all under one county. The equip program I did was through wildlife and parks and the CP33 was through the USDA.
 
I don’t care what they are paying, I’m never enrolling my property in some program where they can control what I do in areas and when they can come. If I can’t afford it on my own I’ll just do something different. Same reason I won’t sign a contract with my farmer. I’m not giving up rights on my place.

All that said, I’m happy for people who can make it work. Would probably offset some costs if I wasn’t so stubborn!
I am only advocating using programs that are inline with your intended goals. Lots of programs that I wouldnt use because of the restrictions that come along with them. I more than likely wont implement TSI through Govt programs on all my timbered acres, as they dont match my objectives and I havent seen the flexibility yet that would allow that.
 
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Post some pics if you go this route. Used to have a bobwhite tower to train my griffon at my old house. Never seen a wild bobwhite before, all farm raised in NY except for one small spot not far from NYC.
 
I was actually planning on making a thread about this. I am in the process of purchasing a farm in Northern MO, which is prime quail habitat and fits the description for what the program is intended towards. Next month I will be sitting down with the local NRCS agents to discuss this program. I know I likely won't be able to enroll anything for at least 12 months, but if you find anything out or learn things you wish you'd known, please share them. I will likely be right behind you throughout the process.
I think with EQIP you can enroll the day you close. CSP and CRP have an ownership minimum. Better to check with local NRCS than to take my word. What part of N MO? I've been window shopping(dreaming) of that are for over 5 years now. When I can get out of hellish winters in 19 years I'd like to go somewhere with moderate winters and not always shitty.
 
I think with EQIP you can enroll the day you close. CSP and CRP have an ownership minimum. Better to check with local NRCS than to take my word. What part of N MO? I've been window shopping(dreaming) of that are for over 5 years now. When I can get out of hellish winters in 19 years I'd like to go somewhere with moderate winters and not always shitty.
Yea EQIP programs are act now money. You don't have to have ownership for any specified length of time.
 
charged me over 100.00 to get out of contract after 3 days.
Yeah, explain that to me. I Had to pay $1600 to get out of an EQUOP contract that I never got a single penny for. They said it was because or resources used in my contract. Bull honkey.

Reaffirmed my belief that you don’t want anything from the government. If I want to clear land, or create habitat, I’ll pay for it myself.
 
Yeah, explain that to me. I Had to pay $1600 to get out of an EQUOP contract that I never got a single penny for. They said it was because or resources used in my contract. Bull honkey.

Reaffirmed my belief that you don’t want anything from the government. If I want to clear land, or create habitat, I’ll pay for it myself.
AMEN
 
The tiber management company my club rents from is lyme timber management. Used to be international paper years ago.

One of their bigger money makers is habatit restoration. You ruin an acre of wetlands building your walmart in the city, you have to offset it with 3 acres of wetland production elsewhere. So, they charge bob the billionaire a good penny for some unutilized land in the middle of nowhere. Wonder if anyone can get on that game. Someone who knows environmental laws and real estate law.

I can do wildlife management just fine with my 870. Gotta protect the woods from the wood ducks.
 
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