Restoring a field to native habitat

DRG3

5 year old buck +
I have a 5 acre field in the center of my farm that I have created about an acres worth of small food plots. The other 4 acres remain a mix of fescue and sericia (sp) lespedeza that is just thick and nasty.
I’m thinking if I can restore these parts back to native it will improve my deer and Turkey habitat in this area.
1) is that true?
2) what is the best way. I’ve thought of burning or herbicide. But I’m open.
3) I considered burning or spraying only portions at a time over a couple years so I can keep some cover but I could do it all at once. Which is better?
4) what about the seed banks from these undesirable species?

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Turkey will not go through stuff too tall. Burning isnt allowed in my state, so cant comment too much on that.

I hunted a place where a large open field starting to go back to wooded lot with tall shrubs and young trees. He brush hoged it 1/3 at a time in a year. He'd brush hog two rwos next to each other, then leave the 20ft alone. The next year he'd either move a 1/2 row in one direction, or move completly to the next 2 rows. He didn't mow low either. Maybe 8 to 10 inches high. IT went to tall weeds and young brush. Deer loved it.......

You could do something similar, but permenantly make a few paths in and out. Heck, make a 2nd plot in another spot if the deer bust your treestand or the wind isn't the usual way.

If you burned it pretty much now and disced it up in the early summer, the weed seeds in the soil would pop out. Clethodim kills grasses, but leaves broadleafplants mostly alone. Hows the soil's pH? Might want to get some lime in there maybe.

What do you consder native? How wild do you want to go? Clean up a spot and plant some young conifer trees, you'll have a nice nearby bedding area for them.

 
Burning won't kill either one. Fescue can be killed with Gly, but Sericea requires something stronger. I have not had to kill Sericia, but I'm told that PastureGard (triclopyr and fluroxypyr), and Garlon (triclopyr) will both work. You will get some of both returning from the seed bank, but you should be able to spot spray for a few years and take care of most of the fescue. The Sericia could be a continuing problem, depending on what other strong species comes out of the seed bank to compete with it. I have a little Sericia in my prairie, but the other plants are strong enough to hold it in check.
 
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I have a 5 acre field in the center of my farm that I have created about an acres worth of small food plots. The other 4 acres remain a mix of fescue and sericia (sp) lespedeza that is just thick and nasty.
I’m thinking if I can restore these parts back to native it will improve my deer and Turkey habitat in this area.
1) is that true?
2) what is the best way. I’ve thought of burning or herbicide. But I’m open.
3) I considered burning or spraying only portions at a time over a couple years so I can keep some cover but I could do it all at once. Which is better?
4) what about the seed banks from these undesirable species?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Fescue is not a good wildlife plant. Not much eats it and, unlike bunch grasses, it flops over. This makes it difficult for turkey poults or quail chicks to move through it. Returning this will improve habitat for deer, turkey, and other wildlife. Keep in mind that for deer scale is a factor. Don't expect herd improvement as a result of improving a few acres, but it will make your place more attractive to deer and turkey both.

I think there are a number of threads on here discussing how to best kill fescue. I believe timing is key and it may take several well timed applications over time and fire may also be part of the equation.

As for "undesirable species" in the seed bank, I would not worry about it for now. You already have a field of undesirable species. Many weeds are great deer food as well as good cover. If some invasive species begins to dominate, you can address it specifically, but nature heals itself pretty well.

Thanks,

Jack
 
I would have to make the other 4 acres into more foodplot. I have an addiction.
 
I have a 320 acres old farm that I'm converting to natural plants and some to pollinator mix . Missouri conservation helps some with the cost. The fescue has to be glyed out . I spray in fall after the first winter freeze has shut down warm season grasses then burn in January or February . Then I spray again after green to kill new cool season grasses like fescue but before the warm season plants germinate ( around mid April ) .If you have serica you should spray to eleminate it the summer before . Doing this every couple of years will help your wildlife more than any food plots you can plant .

Sent from my LM-K920 using Tapatalk
 
Do you have bermuda grass( native or coastal)?

If not,be blessed

bill
 
Sericia can be tough to get rid of I’d spray the field this late spring early summer with Glysophate killing the fescue and Sericia, plant it in native grass mix a couple weeks latter and then spend the next several years spraying the Sericia as it comes up with Remedy Ultra with surfactant added to the tank.

 
I have a 5 acre field in the center of my farm that I have created about an acres worth of small food plots. The other 4 acres remain a mix of fescue and sericia (sp) lespedeza that is just thick and nasty.
I’m thinking if I can restore these parts back to native it will improve my deer and Turkey habitat in this area.
1) is that true?
2) what is the best way. I’ve thought of burning or herbicide. But I’m open.
3) I considered burning or spraying only portions at a time over a couple years so I can keep some cover but I could do it all at once. Which is better?
4) what about the seed banks from these undesirable species?

Thanks in advance for the help.

1) Yes! Absolutely. It will astound you all the species that are suppressed due to both of these plants, once they are released. Our main 5 acre field gets MUCH more use than when it was a fescue / red clover hay field.

2) Fescue is tough to kill. You need a stout dose of Gly to kill it. Clethodim (selective grass herbicide) also works. Best time to kill is fall because 1) Spring is the most active growing season being a cool season grass and 2) IF you spray in the fall after a couple of frosts, the native species will be dormant and won't be harmed. **As others have mentioned, burning alone will not kill fescue. I've burned fescue fields over the winter and this stimulates them in spring. Trust me, the stand will be more "spectacular" than ever before. This is common on beef cattle and hay field operations (as on my family farms for generations) to get rid of the thatch layer and set back any woody succesional growth.

3 & 4) Burning and spraying is a potent combination for Sericia. Burning first stimulates germination from the seed bank. Sericia emits a very hard seed that stays viable for years. Burning assists in germination for these seeds years old in the seed bank. Gly (in heavy doses) will kill Sericia, but around here (Including MDC) all use PastureGuard. MDC recommends spraying once plants reach 12" tall. You can also spray in late summer (July/August) as the plants are putting all their energy into seed development and are most susceptible to herbicide.

FWIW - We also do a mix of native habitat, screening and food plots on our 5 acre field. It's a great size as it is small enough to be manageable for a weekend guy and routinely see daylight activity. Yet large enough to grow most anything you want for us in Ag country.

Lifeless Fescue Field:

Fescue.jpg

Post Conversion - Native edges, food plot and cover strips.

After.jpg

Went from seeing the occasional doe or two to creating a wildlife haven, routinely seeing 10-15 deer per night.

RCNX0893.JPG

Good luck and enjoy the process!
 
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