Tour offered for Cape landowners on managing land for wildlife habitat

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- To help landowners improve or maintain wildlife habitat on their farms, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Cape Girardeau County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and the Natural Resources Conservation Services will host a wildlife field tour at MDC's Maintz Conservation Area and on private land with the cooperation of wildlife habitat cooperator Jim Wills. The tour is scheduled for Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wildlife populations require the right habitat in the right place, according to MDC Private Lands Conservationist Brad Pobst. Pobst said whether landowners manage for whitetail deer, turkey, quail, rabbits or better fishing in a pond, the habitat on a farm dictates the type of wildlife populations that will be there.

“This tour will focus on practices farmers or landowners can do to benefit wildlife with emphases on quail and other small game, deer and turkey,” Pobst said.

He said the tour will cover CRP grass management, edge feathering, burning, disking, food plots (grain and green browse), timber stand improvement (TSI) wildlife watering facilities, tree and shrub establishment and ponds.

To get to Maintz CA, take Highway B from Millersville to County Road 472, go 1.5 miles west to County Road 471 turn left and the parking lot will be on the left.

Lunch will be provided and registration is required by calling the Cape County SWCD by March 20 at 573-243-1467 ext. 3.