| Hunting the edges and corners has always been very productive for upland bird hunting. The edge is the zone between different types of cover. It is the blending together of two habitats. This border region creates protective cover and provides an area of new forage and forbs, which, naturally attracts many species of game animals. Old home-sites offer much in the way of these types of coverts. Plants such as grains, grasses, clovers and berries along with fruit, nut and mast producing trees are found in these environments or ecotones. The great diversity in cover and food sources in these environments also plays a role in how much game is present. Many factors account for the quality and quantity of game in a particular area, but the one constant remains; if you don’t have the food sources and the cover, you won’t have the game.
 Working the edges and corners of crop fields can really produce birds. The edge is the blending together of two different habitats. The Author’s springers "Bess & Flo", with a rooster pheasant taken along the edge of an overgrown hedgerow. Photo by: Author
Wetland’s restoration and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are helping to boost quail, pheasant and waterfowl populations, especially in the Midwest. Under the CRP program, farmers are paid to set aside a percentage of their land for wildlife habitat. Long-term cover crops like grasses and trees are planted, some crops are left unharvested, or the land is left in its natural state. These wildlife conservation programs have been extremely successful the last few years, but are heavily dependent on congressional funding, private landowner and farmer cooperation. Other cost-sharing assistant programs are available through The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) that is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) and the Farm Services Agency (FSA). Other agencies including state Wildlife Conservation/Management Agencies can provide technical consultations, free seed programs and other cost sharing opportunities.
The edge element is a key factor in upland hunting. Hedgerows, like old home-sites offer a variety of cover and food sources. Hedgerows vary greatly in size and width, but they all create a large amount of edge. Hedgerows are usually unkept fence lines between adjoining fields. The fencerows, over time, have grown into thickly covered tree lines, which act like magnets for game birds such as pheasant and quail. These wooded corridors offer game birds easy access to fields for feeding, dusting and mating, while still providing refuge from predators. The old adage about "cause and affect," is fitting. Part of the decline in wild game bird populations throughout North America can be attributed directly to the increasing predator population. Coyote, fox, bobcat, skunk, opossum, raccoon and feral cats all feed on wild game birds, their poults and eggs. Nest perdition is now considered the greatest threat to game bird populations. The increase in predator numbers is due in part to the anti-fur/ anti-hunting movement so popular in Hollywood, the media and the "politically correct" crowd. Their trendy campaigns have resulted in a low market value for furs due to a lack of demand for fur products. Their political endeavors, spurred on by the animal rights activists, have resulted in the elimination of trapping certain species in some states and extremely restrictive trapping regulations throughout most of the continental United States. Less trapping has lead to predator numbers being kept unchecked, and a marked decrease in the wild game bird populations nationally.
 Old home-sites and abandoned farm buildings can be magnets for upland game birds. Many of the Author’s days afield are spent concentrating around these areas. The cover near this old house held several grouse. Photo by: Author | |
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