3/31/08 Banquet planned for Pontiac Elks Club
Our 2008 banquet will open the doors at 5:00pm. Dinner will begin serving about 6:00pm.
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The Livingston County Chapter in Action
Did you know that the Livingston County Landowners and Operstors have planted and maintained over 7,000 acres of grassed waterways in the last five years? The Livingston County Chapter has been one of the leaders among Illinois Chapters of Pheasants Forever.
Filter strips are grassed lanes along streams, creeks, wetlands, drainage ditches and rivers. They filter sediment, fertilizer, and pesticides from storm runoff water and generally help improve overall water quality and wildlife habitat, either as nesting cover or winter cover in the country.
Most filter strips are 66 to 72 feet wide. They are usually planted with a mixture of Smooth Bromebrass, Alfalfa and Timothy. Warm season grasses also can be placed on filter strips and provede better winter cover. The seed is provided to landowners free of charge from the Livingston County Chapter of Pheasants Forever.
The USDA will pay you cash payments each year for 10 to 15 years for planting filter strips. The strips are also eligible for a reduction in realestate taxes by trimming the assessment to 1/6th of the cropland rate. Contact us at (815) 383-1640 if you have any questions about this program.
Delay mowing
IDNR suggests farmers delay mowing of roadsides and other grassy areas until after Aug. 1.
That's to allow pheasants, quail, rabbits, mallards and grassland songbirds an undisturbed area to give birth and raise their young.
Mowing before that kills the young and adults reluctant to leave their nests. A decade-long study showed nearly three-quarters of the hen pheasants killed by mowers were between June 10 and July 1.
For more information on programs to enhance roadside habitat, phone (217) 782-6384.
Did you know?
1. The pheasant was first imported into the US in 1881.
2. The initial release was made in Willamette Valley, Ore.
3. The averge weight & size of a hen pheaseant is 2 to 2.5 lbs and 20 inches.
4. The average rooster is 3.5 to 4 lbs & is 36".
5.The flight speed of the pheasant is 38 to 48 mph.
6. Their favorite foods are corn, seeds & insects.
7. The preferred habitat is undisturbed grass
8. The major nest predators are fox, raccoon & skunk.
9. The adult predators are man, fox, hawk & owl.
