Habitat Management Report

Objectives

The majority of this WMA is either alder/willow swamp, wet meadow, and medium/tall grass prairie, and mesic brush prairie. The forested habitat on the WMA is dominated by Aspen and Jack Pine. There are small patches of mesic and dry oak savanna. Management of these habitats will be focused toward providing some or all of the habitat needs of prairie species (e.g. prairie chicken), forest game, furbearers and waterfowl. This management will also benefit many non-game species.

Wetland-grassland complexes on the unit will be maintained for duck and goose nesting cover, loafing grounds, and feeding and resting areas.

Strategies

Prairie habitat is managed to benefit prairie chicken, sandhill crane, various waterfowl species, and a multitude of songbirds. Prairie chickens are dependent on grassland habitat for all aspects of their life history. They use open areas for booming grounds, and prairie vegetation is utilized for food, cover, and nest building materials. Prairie habitat on the WMA is managed through the use of prescribed fire and brush management. Prescribed fire is timed to reduce the density of brush species and to reduce competition of cool season grasses on warm season grasses. Mechanical brush management is also utilized to reduce densities of alder and willow on resident prairie habitats. Winter brush shearing or mowing may also be utilized to reduce the density of woody vegetation.

A significant acreage of lowland brush types can be found on this unit. Many stands contain red-osier dogwood and other shrubs that provide quality winter browse for deer next to winter thermal cover areas. Other stands also provide cover or browse adjacent to upland openings or aspen stands for grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hares. Lowland brush will be periodically mechanically treated to provide quality browse, dense brush cover, or to enlarge the open grassland areas.

Upland grassy openings, old fields and forest access/walking trails will be maintained to provide spring and fall forage for deer and turkeys, berry producing shrubs for bear and song birds, and display and roosting areas for wood cock. These open areas will be maintained by through mechanical treatments and/or prescribed fire.

Aspen/birch forest types will be managed for ruffed grouse winter forage, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, woodcock nesting and brood rearing habitat, young forest songbird habitat, and deer habitat. A variety of age classes will be a goal, with harvest or treatment occurring in small patch sizes at normal rotation age. Some stands within deer wintering areas may be left standing to an older than normal rotation age to retain the jack pine and balsam fir component of the stand for winter cover. Stands adjacent to openings or lowland brush may be harvested prior to rotation age to provide high stem density cover for grouse, snowshoe hare and woodcock. The oak component of some aspen stands will be encouraged to expand through prescribed fire and selective harvest to provide mast for deer, bear, and wood ducks. The red Oak forest type will be managed to provide mast for deer, bear and wood ducks, retaining den trees and snags. When commercial timber sales are utilized for habitat management, treetops and some unmerchantable trees will be left on the forest floor for coarse woody debris to provide habitat for small mammals, an important prey item for many furbearers.

Additional Comments

A remnant Greater Prairie Chicken population has been present on this unit. At this time, hunting of this remnant population on this unit is prohibited.

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