Reclaim Land for Wildlife Habitat

By Jason Herbert
Published on June 12, 2018
article image
Flickr/Carlos Eduardo Joos

To reclaim land for wildlife habitat for recreational enjoyment or hunting purposes, learn how to create the right conditions for cover, food, and water.

When my wife and I made the decision to move our family of six back to the farm, my dad gave me 2 acres upon which to build our dream house. We were able to dream it, build it, and are now raising our kids there. But the past 20 years or so have brought change to the area. In the good old days, all the neighbors allowed me to hunt whatever animals I wanted on their farm property. Since then, newcomers have bought up those old farms and either don’t allow hunting, or they allow hunting for a price by leasing their land. Regardless, my dad and I decided to return some of our tillable ground to a more native habitat setting to ensure that my children and their children have a place to hunt.

Reclaiming tillable ground isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not a quick process. Technically, we started our project 20 years ago, setting aside about 5 acres of the family property. Ten years later, dad set aside another 5, and finally, when I moved to the farm we decided to pull the trigger and set aside another 20. For this latest portion, I reached out to the local habitat specialist through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Ken Kesson, who became an advocate and consultant on our project. Ken and I had a few phone conversations, exchanged emails, and he even did a walking tour of our property to ensure we were on the same page.

Ken did a ton of research and came up with some great ideas for our property. The idea of reclaiming our land was thrilling enough, but we were also fortunate enough to find that grant money was available to help pay for the project. Be sure to touch base with your local agricultural departments and extension offices, and they’ll be able to provide you with not only instruction, but possibly some monetary aid as well. Here is a solid plan that you can follow based on what I learned from Ken and my own experiences.

Two Deer Standing In Fall Fields

Create the Right Cover

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