Private Lands Wildlife Management Manual and for Granting Us Permission to Adopt and Modify Their Manual to Conditions in Kansas
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
P RIVATE LANDS INTRODUCTION Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas All educational programs and materials available without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT A Technical Manual & Correspondence Course Table of Contents Foreward ............................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................. v How to Use This Manual ...................................................................................................................................... vii About the Authors .................................................................................................................................................. ix Section I Understanding How the System Works Chapter 1. Introduction: What Are Wildlife and Wildlife Management? .............................................................................................. 3 2. Where Are We Now and How Did We Get There? A Lesson from History and Wildlife Legislation .............................. 11 3. Understanding How the System Works: Basic Ecological Principles ............................................................................... 21 4. Food, Water, Cover, and Space: What Wildlife Require .................................................................................................... 31 5. Animals Everywhere: The Basics of Population Dynamics ............................................................................................... 41 6. Inventory, Goals, and Guidelines: The Process of Managing Wildlife .............................................................................. 49 7. Aerial Photographs, Maps, and Habitat: Creating a Planning Document ........................................................................... 57 8. How Many Wildlife Are on My Property ........................................................................................................................... 63 9. An Introduction to Pesticides and Their Effects ................................................................................................................. 69 Section II Wetlands/Waterfowl 10. Wetland Ecology and Value ................................................................................................................................................ 79 11. Wetland Management ......................................................................................................................................................... 91 12. Waterfowl Management ....................................................................................................................................................103 13. Wood Duck ....................................................................................................................................................................... 115 14. Mallard .............................................................................................................................................................................. 121 15. Geese ................................................................................................................................................................................. 127 Section III Habitats 16. Management of Native Grasslands ................................................................................................................................... 135 17. Rangeland Management for Wildlife ................................................................................................................................ 157 18. Woodland Management for Wildlife ................................................................................................................................ 163 19. Wildlife Management on Croplands ................................................................................................................................. 173 20. Habitat Improvement Practices and Guidelines ................................................................................................................179 21. Backyard Wildlife Habitat Management........................................................................................................................... 197 i Section IV Economics 22. Economic Returns of Wildlife to the Landowner ............................................................................................................. 211 23. Private Property: Rights and Liabilities ............................................................................................................................ 221 24. Assessing the Farm/Ranch Recreation Potential ............................................................................................................... 233 25. Marketing Farm/Ranch Recreation ................................................................................................................................... 257 Section V Fish 26. Producing Fish and Wildlife from Kansas Ponds ............................................................................................................. 265 Section VI Wildlife 27. Ring-Necked Pheasant Management ................................................................................................................................ 293 28. Bobwhite Quail Management............................................................................................................................................ 299 29. Greater Prairie Chicken Management ............................................................................................................................... 311 30. Mourning Dove Management ........................................................................................................................................... 317 31. Wild Turkey Management ................................................................................................................................................ 323 32. Attracting Songbirds to Your Yard ................................................................................................................................... 329 33. Big Game Management ..................................................................................................................................................... 337 34. Tree Squirrel Management ................................................................................................................................................ 347 35. Cottontail Rabbit Management ......................................................................................................................................... 353 36. Furbearer Management ..................................................................................................................................................... 357 37. Predators ............................................................................................................................................................................ 377 38. Mussels, Madtoms, Bats, and Darters: Kansas’ Endangered Species ............................................................................... 381 Appendix Agencies ................................................................................................................................................................................... 395 ii Foreward Our state boasts a surprising mixture of wildlife. That diversity depends upon our vigilance. As pressure continues to build on an ever-dwindling natural environment in Kansas, it is vital that we, as property owners, become more than just good stewards of the land. We must become proactive stewards, willing to dedicate our own time and resources to take measures that anticipate environmental changes. This manual was developed by wildlife professionals and members of our Company’s Environmental Task Force in an effort to inspire our employees to include wildlife habitat management in their daily routine of managing thousands of acres our Company owns and impacts. We also hope it becomes a useful guide in how all Kansans approach land management in the future. To leave this land in better shape than when you found it is a creed ingrained in the Kansas character. However, a new generation of Kansans won’t necessarily learn the basics of good land stewardship at a young age on the seat of a tractor. That responsibility falls to every Kansas resident. Western Resources is proud to sponsor this manual because our past and future is rooted in this unique prairie ecosystem. This is your native land; it is yours to lose, preserve, or enhance for the next generation of Kansans. John E. Hayes, Jr. Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Western Resources iii iv Acknowledgments We owe Dr. Tom Barnes and his colleagues in Kentucky a debt of gratitude for their original work in developing the first Private Lands Wildlife Management Manual and for granting us permission to adopt and modify their manual to conditions in Kansas. In some cases, entirely new material for Kansas was written. For this, we owe the “new” authors our sincere thanks for taking extra