By Doug Leier
We live in a world of point, click, instant access and information. Patience is a rare commodity, but when it comes to hunting and fishing, it’s not an option. Waiting for the right deer or the hot bite is as important as finding the right lure or spot.
In the same way, maintaining, enhancing and growing wildlife populations like deer and pheasants is a long-term investment. It’s not practical to think simply stocking fish or dumping food for wildlife is much more than a short-term feel good at best — more likely a poor investment of time, money and resources.
Habitat is planned, planted and established. While many farmers, ranchers and landowners enjoy the wildlife, it’s also a little presumptuous to just expect investing time, fuel and equipment to establish food plots.
With that in mind, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering free seed for the 2024 growing season to landowners interested in planting wildlife food plots for pheasants.
Rather than a traditional corn or sunflower food plot, this seed mix increases plant diversity, including flowering plants from spring through fall, which will attract insects, the major diet component of pheasant chicks. Additionally, the mix will provide needed cover during spring and summer, as well as a winter food source. Other wildlife species will also benefit from this mix.
Most Game and Fish food plots are part of the department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program, but this food plot campaign does not require a PLOTS contract, but the department is asking participating landowners to allow reasonable public access, which could simply mean providing access to hunters from time to time, putting up “Ask Before You Enter” signs around the area, or not posting the surrounding land. Also, landowners participating in this promotion cannot charge a fee for hunting.
The goal is to put a small piece of the habitat component on the landscape. Think of this as a small investment spread out across the state as Game and Fish will provide enough seed for a maximum 5-acre planting at no cost. There’s no cap on the number of food plots statewide. Landowners interested in receiving the food plot seed must sign up online by April 5. Seed will be available in April at Game and Fish offices in Bismarck, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Harvey, Dickinson, Williston and Riverdale.
If you’ve never thought about it and are a little hesitant on the technical aspects, Game and Fish private land biologists can provide expert assistance on food plot location and site preparation.
Landowners interested in additional financial incentives may be considered for the PLOTS program as well. More information is available by contacting a private land biologist at any Game and Fish office in the state, or email ndgf@nd.gov.
One last point: Don’t think because you’re not a landowner this doesn’t apply to you. If you hunt or enjoy wildlife and know of a landowner who may not know about the program, it may be well worth your time to drop them a line and let them know.
What’s the worst they can say?
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