DESIGNING AND PLANTING A SHELTERBELT ON YOUR HUNTING PROPERTY: PART 1

by Your Lifestyle. Our Mission.- Pam

Designing and planting shelterbelts on your hunting property should be in your top three of the “things I have to do” list. Shelterbelts provide wildlife with four basic needs: a place to nest and raise their young, an area that provides food and allows them to safely eat it, protection from the weather, and an escape from predators. In addition, if you have your home on your hunting property, shelterbelts around your home will prove beneficial as well.

GETTING STARTED

My first suggestion for getting started would be for you to apply for the Shelterbelt Program CP 16A. The outstanding economic advantages of participating in the CP 16-A program would be well worth the time spent filling out the application. According to the FSA, CP-16A participants are guaranteed:

10-15 years of annual rental payments
Payments covering up to 90% of the eligible costs of establishing the practice
50% from a Cost-Share Payment and
40% from a Practice Incentive Payment (PIP)
Sign-up Incentive Payment (SIP) up to $100/ac
Mid-Contract Management Cost-Share
Maintenance Rate Incentive

Upon approval, you’ll work with a conservationist to design your shelterbelt for its intent as well as aesthetics. Planting and maintenance to follow, along with a few program requirements and obligations which include:

Noxious weeds and other undesirable plants, insects, and pests shall be controlled
Practice shall be maintained without additional cost-share payments
No harvesting or grazing of the practice area
Work with USDA-approved conservationist to develop a conservation plan
Perform periodic management activities according to the conservation plan
Complete planting of the practice within 12 months of the effective date of the contract

However, should you decided the CP-16A program isn’t for you, this article will help you design and plant your own shelterbelt. I have included some great articles to read, pdf’s, videos to watch, and basic guidance on how to design and build your own shelterbelt.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Image by NickyPe from Pixabay

Your first assignment is to watch the three videos linked below. Our shelterbelt purpose is for hunting. These videos focus primarily on shelterbelts for crops, but the principle is the same, just different intents.

Next, I wanted to provide you with a detailed 28 page pdf “handbook” (it seriously could be a textbook!) for reading and reference. The Canadian Government did an excellent job in presenting information on:

Planning
Design Considerations
How Shelterbelts work
Sketch pad
Various Different Shelterbelts

LOCATION, LOCATION

The first step in designing a shelterbelt is to state your hunting objectives and decide where your shelterbelt will be most effective in meeting those objectives. This can easily be achieved by walking/riding through your property. Bring with you your camera, soil sample bags, sharpie, pen, and a notebook.

As you travel your property take note of areas you want to design shelterbelts in. With your objective in mind, some questions to keep in the forefront would be:

How would a shelterbelt improve this area?
Are there issues that would limit the shelterbelt’s effectiveness?
If I place a shelterbelt here, how would it affect the landscape surrounding it?

In addition to answering the above questions, take pictures of each area you’d like to see shelterbelts developed. Noting any issues and concerns, as well as grabbing a soil sample.

SHELTERBELT 101

Armed with the knowledge of the direction of prevailing winds (North, North West) pictures of a potential site, notes, and soil sample results, you can make your decision as to where you’d like to see your first shelterbelt planted.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing an effective shelterbelt:

height- determines distance it protects
length- the longer the shelterbelt the more effective it becomes a general rule of thumb is 10 x the height
density- proper placement of shrubs, evergreens, and trees- AVOID GAPS
location- against a prevailing wind
number of rows- density of shelterbelt
species- placement of suitable shrubs and trees, varying heights, the density of foliage

We will continue developing our shelterbelt in my next article. Stay tuned for the next edition of “Designing and Planting A Shelterbelt On Your Hunting Property”. We will tackle:

Cost
Site prep
Shrub and Tree choices
Placement/Density
Planting method
Shelterbelt maintenance and care

RESOURCES:

DESIGNING AND PLANTING A SHELTERBELT ON YOUR HUNTING PROPERTY: PART 1

by Your Lifestyle. Our Mission.- Pam

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