Cattle in Plots

[ndlongshot]

Plots isnt a habitat program. Its an access program. Period.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I will say this: My all time favorite sharptail hunting spot is a WPA that's grazed annually. Has almost zero "habitat" that anyone would consider huntable from the road. But if you walk in past the first set of barbwire, it's pretty dynamite. Little hidden thicket of Russian olive that sometimes keeps a few deer feeling safe. Plenty of sharpies. Hungarian partridge. And a little gem of a cattail slough that is set up as a perfect sneak setup. I even once snuck a coyote on a super windy day while sharptail hunting. Shot him at about 10 paces with a full load of 12 guage No. 6's.

While I agree most grazed stuff seems like garbage, it seems to be OK in doses depending on what you're after.

Besides, the sharpies and prairie chickens did ok with a few million buffalo. Wonder if there's something to it?

 

[1bigfokker]

Secret spots hiding in the open.

 

[zoops]

Plots isnt a habitat program. Its an access program. Period.

Thought I've read that they will work with landowners to develop habitat, e.g. tree rows etc. If you look at some of the PLOTS signs closely they say 'Coverlocks' - that might be a separate pot of money though.

To the O.P., I've seen lots of PLOTS with cattle in them. Eastern Burleigh, Kidder, etc. there's several of them. My understanding is that not all PLOTS payments are the same - a nice piece of grass/sloughs is going to pay more than a grazed out pasture. I've heard around $5/acre for avg. crp-type land but I think they have some sort of formula.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Just speaking from my experiences and thoughts on the cattle grazing and helping wildlife. I have a quarter of pasture land mostly draws and native grassland that I was trying to establish more trees on. I was just hand planting clusters and wanted to give the trees a chance for the roots to take hold before I grazed it any. The first few years the pasture looked great, new grasses and forbs seemed to come back that I hadn't seen before. About the 4th year of no grazing the dead grass became to much. It was still good for wildlife as the cover was still there but presented a serious fire hazard. With the drought in 2017 I decided it was best to graze it before it burned and I lost everything. I had a family member bring in cattle late in about july and graze it heavy until November. The pasture looked tough afterwards, the brush was thin and there wasn't much tall grass to be found. This year it looked better than it did for the last 3 years. the trees did better not having to compete with the tall grass and without the thick dead mat of grass new growth did better this year. I'm going to try to implement about a 3 year grazing rotation.

As for PLOTS land the payments are not really that great, probably why you don't see much in prime habitat in PLOTS other than people who really don't care about hunting, but I think we will see less and less of that as hunting ground gets harder to find and more people offering to lease up good ground.

Well said

 

[3Roosters]

Thanks Obama

 

[pointer]

Have seen one plots land in McIntosh county that the farmer actually brought cattle in on one end as the combine was finishing up on the other end. This was corn and has been for several years, so it is basically worthless. But on the bright side, he has one of the few standing tree tree rows in the entire county

 

[Kurtr]

Deer eat corn along with the cows

 

[eyexer]

That's going to piss off the ag commissioner.

hopefully. maybe they'll think long and hard before doing that knowing we will just circumvent them

 

[Kurtr]

What affect would a No Trespass bill have on the PLOTS program?

For our stuff if there is a walk in sign which is what our plots thing is called it has no affect you just hunt it but don’t drive anywhere on the land

 

[Migrator Man]

What affect would a No Trespass bill have on the PLOTS program?

I would say the PLOTS land would decrease dramatically due to a lack of funding because of reduced license sales. The G and F is self funding right now and if their income source is disrupted then they would have to ask the legislature for funding. I don’t see the legislator wanted to spend money on plots with all the cuts they have had to make recently.

I think plots is a great program that should be funded more. Landowners and hunters mutually benefit. Most plots stubble fields are open to vehicles so that waterfowlers can use them. Not many parcels I have seen were barren without wildlife.

 

[Shed hunter]

I have noticed some properties that were in the plot book that are posted. The book and all my maps still show in PLOTS.

 

[zoops]

I have noticed some properties that were in the plot book that are posted. The book and all my maps still show in PLOTS.

Can't say I've seen that one but have seen the opposite, where PLOTS signs are still up but it's not in the book or on the app. Wonder if they ask the landowner to take them down if it comes out of the program. I know of one spot that's been out of PLOTS for a good five years and still has the signs up - just hunted it this weekend actually (I asked permission on it; I'm not treating it as if it's PLOTS still).

 

[Uncle Jimbo]

I have noticed some properties that were in the plot book that are posted. The book and all my maps still show in PLOTS.

I noticed this on two parcels this year. 2018 PLOTS book and OnX both indicate the property is enrolled in PLOTS but there were posted signs there as well. I didn’t hunt it. I was going to call the G&F and inquire about them but forgot about them until I read this post.