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wildlife habitat. Selection can be
made for a diversity of food
types for plants that mature
at different times or for those
that retain their fruits well into
winter.
If you can not plant trees or
shrubs on your property,
establish a year-round feeding
and watering station and offer
your wildlife sunflower seeds,
thistle seeds, and perhaps
some grains such as cracked
corn or grain sorghum.
Weather impacts mightily on
food sources for wildlife. Early
heavy spring rains and early
frosts can curtail food
production. An early snow can
cover all the fruit and seeds
that have fallen to the ground.
Sleet and ice storms make it
impossible for wildlife to find
food.
Plant species also vary in
production from one year to
another. Sometimes acorns or
walnuts are almost non-
existent and in other years
there is an abundant crop.
Cover
Cover is right behind food in
importance. It is needed for
wildlife to survive and to have
protection from weather and
predators. Cover is critically
important for nesting and
raising of young. It is also
necessary when wildlife sleeps
or rests.
Cover provides protection
through concealment and
impenetrability to predators.
And cover provides protection
from rain, snow, sleet, wind,
heat, and cold. Many plants
provide both cover and food.
There are many different kinds
of cover. It can be trees, shrubs,
grasses, flowers, rock piles,
brush piles, field crops such as
corn, grain sorghum and
soybeans, cut banks, hollow
trees, bird houses, burrows,
bridges, abandoned buildings,
fence rows, and hedgerows.
It is important for cover to be
close to food and water. The
more exposed wildlife is, the
higher the mortality rate from
predators.
Hedgerows are one of the
most valuable types of cover, as
they also provide food in a
protected environment.
Common hedgerow plants that
establish themselves naturally
are dogwood, honeysuckle, red
bud, wild cherry, and,
unfortunately for the property
owner, poison ivy.
Water
Water is also essential for all
wildlife species. They must have
it to survive. Usually a pond or
stream serves the purpose,
along with rain collected in the
hollows at the base of tree
limbs, or puddles left after a
rain.
Plants also provide water.
Rabbits and rodents obtain it
by eating leaves. Mammals
sometimes get it from dew on
grass. And a large source
comes from fruits and all types
of berries which have a high
water content.
One of your biggest challenges
is to preserve and manage the
water in your habitat where it
exists and, if absent, add new
sources such as ponds,
fountains, or baths. Many hours
of enjoyment can result from
watching songbirds take a bath
in your pond or bird bath.
Space
Each wildlife species has
specific needs as far as
territory or amount of space to
roam in and to breed. A ruffed
grouse or quail pair need about
10 acres, while others, such as
wild turkey, may need 100 acres
of woodland.
Wood ducks and purple
martins do not defend territory
around their nests. But,
bluebirds need at least 300
feet between houses and about
five acres for each pair.
