Mowing: Protecting & Enjoying Wildlife

Mid-field fire break

Most wildlife habitat projects will require some mowing to support their growth. Limited mowing done at favorable times during the year can help your habitat mature. However, over-mowing will eliminate habitat and harm wildlife populations. Some basic knowledge and advice can turn mowing tasks into works of habitat art, and bring hours of enjoyment to you, your family and friends.

Mowing sections of a habitat project serves several purposes: It inhibits or curtails weed development while invigorating the growth of native vegetation; it creates safety breaks for managed burning; and it can create access paths for recreational use.

Field road mowed for access to wildlife food plot.

Dennis Haaland, a resident of Yellow Medicine County Minnesota turned a tract of cropland into wildlife habitat and restored a 26-acre wetland. Haaland, who suffers from diabetes and heart disease, mowed a narrow walking path around the wetland. He uses the pathway to exercise daily to manage his health. “The walking paths allow me to enjoy the habitat while I exercise,” he said. “I enjoy seeing the geese, pheasants and other birds more than walking the road or exercising inside. I call this walking with a purpose.”

The first thing to consider for a mowing project is equipment. For small to mid-range mowing projects, a 50 to 75-horsepower tractor, such as, New Holland’s BoomerTM or TN-A Series, is very effective. Mid-range tractors are affordable, comfortable, have flexible performance capabilities and carry resale value. It is the perfect size tractor for mowing projects.

Three kinds of mowers work well for managing wildlife habitat: A mid-mount, or “belly” rotary mower; a three-point hitch mounted rotary mower; and a flail mower.

Belly mowers offer maneuverability and are suitable for mowing small acreage and around obstacles, for example around trees and nesting box poles. Mowers mounted on the three-point hitch of mid-range tractors also provide maneuverability, and offer adjustable height mechanisms for uneven ground, denser vegetation and larger acreage.

Mowing provides weed control, safety breaks and access.

Flail mowers mulch the vegetation they cut. In addition, they offset, or extend beyond one side of the tractor, making mowing along edges and among trees and shrubs easier.

Mowing for weed control

With a tractor and mower, you’re ready to begin. The most common application of mowing is for weed control. Mowing weeds during the first years of growth gives native grasses and shelterbelt seedlings a competitive advantage.

“I mowed the grassland part of my habitat for weed control the first year,” said Haaland, who used a flail mower for the project. “It allowed more sunlight and moisture to reach the new grasses to help them compete with the existing weeds.”

Weed control techniques vary according to regional and local habitat conditions. Resident habitat professionals will have the inside scoop on best practices, and Pheasants Forever has established Habitat Teams in many states and regions to assist landowners in managing their habitat.

Mowing firebreaks

Controlled burning is a management tool used every few years to inhibit weed growth and invigorate the growth of native vegetation. Mowed firebreaks help to contain the fire in the burn zone. Firebreaks mowed in the fall to prepare for a spring burn are preferred.

Fire break mowed in fall.

All controlled fires must comply with a burn plan written specifically for your habitat project. All firebreaks should conform to the burn plan. A certified controlled-fire professional will help you develop a burn plan and instruct you in mowing techniques and other project requirements.

Finally, if you establish a food plot, it may require annual mowing to prepare for the year’s new seeding. A flail mower is designed for just such work.

Fire break to protect shelterbelt.

“Planned mowing at certain times during the year can be good for a habitat project,” Haaland said. “It doesn’t take much equipment to accomplish the various mowing projects. Besides, mowing walking paths may be the only way some seniors, children and people with health issues can get out and enjoy the outdoors.”

With a few pieces of equipment and some professional advice you can begin mowing to manage your wildlife habitat and expand the land’s recreational use. For more information about mowing, contact your local government’s natural resources agency, local sportsman’s groups, or Pheasants Forever (877-773-2070, www.pheasantsforever.org).

Father-daughter hunters walk a utility field road.

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Check out these Living the Country Life articles for more information from the Living With Wildlife series:

Fire: Wildlife Habitat's Best Friend Few experiences stir the heart like a wind-driven wildfire racing across an open prairie. Native Americans and early settlers feared wildfires because nothing but a wide river or soaking rain could stop them. Uncontrolled fires were awesome, yet biologically necessary.

Establishing wildlife habitat in your little slice of heaven Whether you farm, live a country lifestyle or are a landowning outdoor enthusiast, creating and managing wildlife habitat on your acreage can be a labor of love and a year-round source of satisfaction and enjoyment.

Managing Weeds In A Grassland Habitat Project "Weed control the first few years gives the native grasses a competitive advantage, It's important to knock down the weeds until the prairie takes over."

Creating Habitat Making a master plan for your new wildlife habitat is a good investment, but at some point, the real work with shovels and dirt begins.