Bringing Back the Glory Days: Wildlife Habitat on Working Lands in Adair County

In 1973, Field & Stream published an article about the high abundance of pheasants in Iowa, specifically in Adair County and the neighboring counties. Although I was not around during the

'Glory Days', I've heard many stories from others about how this part of the state was the hot spot for pheasants! While the current number of upland birds are not where they were back then, there has been a tremendous amount of people reporting this year that they are seeing way more pheasants and quail compared to recent years. Personally, I have witnessed more pheasants and quail this year than I have ever seen in my lifetime! The 2018 Iowa August Roadside Survey by the Iowa DNR also reflects this abundance in bird numbers reported.

Why has there been a recent increase in pheasants and quail? There are two main factors that determine the abundance of upland game populations in Iowa and those are weather and habitat. Without habitat, the birds would not have the resources they need to persist. Given that information, we can thank landowners and producers who are implementing habitat projects on their land for these increases! With 97% of our land in Iowa being privately owned, conservation practices implemented on private lands have a significant impact on our wildlife populations. By continuing our efforts to create and improve habitat, the community will benefit in multiple ways: recreationally by having more birds for hunters to harvest, economically by more hunters coming to the area to hunt and then spending money on food, gas, hotels, etc., and environmentally by improving water quality, soil health and wildlife habitat!

Large tracts of habitat are great for wildlife, but keep in mind that small pieces of habitat can also be useful for wildlife as they provide contiguous resources across the landscape. Whether it is unprofitable cropland acres, idle ground that is underutilized or odd areas that are hard to farm, those targeted areas can be great places to implement filter strips, field borders, native plantings, establish trees and shrubs, plant windbreaks, and more.

Luckily, there are several financial assistance options available for landowners and producers wanting to implement the conservation practices mentioned above through federal and/or state programs. If you are interested in learning more about conservation practices or financial assistance options, come stop by the Adair County NRCS/SWCD Office, 705 NE 6th Street, Greenfield, Iowa or call us at (641) 343-7033. If you are specifically interested in seeing what wildlife habitat opportunities exist on your property, feel free to reach out to me, Kelsey Fleming, through the Adair County field office or by email: kfleming@pheasantsforever.org.

I personally want to take this opportunity to thank the Adair County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Adair County Pheasants Forever (PF) Chapter as well as the other funding partners (USDA-NRCS, IDALS, Madison and Ringgold County PF, Madison, Union and Ringgold SWCDs, and High Lakes Outdoor Alliance) for making my position possible!