OutdoorNebraska

44 TABLE B1. PHEASANT HABITAT MANAGEMENT - CLEAR CREEK WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage/Winter cover Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Clear Creek WMA - 6,118 acres Future Desired Condi on 500 ac. (28%) 500 ac. (28%) 800 ac. (44%) 500.0 1,000.0 3,000.0 Current Condi on 273 ac. (16%) 465 ac. (27%) 1150 ac. (57%) 320.0 1,000.0 3,000.0 DEFINITIONS Early Seral Stage: The disturbance year and 1 -3 years following disturbance, i.e. burning, grazing, spraying, disking, lling. Cover is also provided by second year idle crop ground and forb/legume interseeding. Dominated by early successional forbs/legumes. Mid Seral Stage: 4 - 6 years following disturbance. Not dominated by one vegeta on type. Reduced early successional forbs/legumes are present. Late Seral Stage: > 6 years following disturbance. Dominated by grass or later succession plants. Few forbs/legumes in the stand. Cool season grasses dominate. Includes hay ground for goose browse. FUTURE DESIRED CONDITION Major decreases in areas managed for goose browse/late seral stage grass are needed to increase pheasant management. Reduce from a current of 900 acres down to 500 acres (44% or 400 acre decrease) or to a point above where goose use on Clear Creek is not affected. This conversion will increase the number of Early Seral grassland and food/crop/early successional acres (brood rearing cover) acres by 70% (400 acres). This will also allow a transi on to some Mid Seral grassland (nes ng cover) acres to food and early successional habitat where that habitat is sparse and while s ll allowing a small increase in nes ng cover (8% or 35 acres) where currently there is limited or poor quality nes ng habitat (historic goose browse). An addi onal 250 acres of winter cover (or Late Seral stage) is present in shrub plan ngs and wetlands and will be increased by 20% (50 acres) over the next 5 years. ANNUAL WORK PLAN Vegeta on Control – Currently spraying and disking 100+ acres annually, and will increase that to 150+ acres, an annual increase of 33% (50 acres). Desired condi on is a variety of habitats in successive stages of treatment to maintain the goal of 500+ acres in the early seral stage. Prescribed burning will be a major tool in trea ng re red goose browse areas. Once converted, grasslands will be treated on a 5 year rota on. Fire will be used to treat difficult to burn woodland areas while the lake is high. This is consistent with historic burning on Clear Creek, but will strive to increase annual burning by 500% (220 acres) over recent years. Grazing – Grazing has been used with limited success on the area in the past. Lack of infrastructure is the main limi ng factor. Plan to increase the use of grazing in the future (140 acres per year), but this is con ngent on infrastructure. Food Plots/crops – Currently present are 287 acres of food plots/crops. A empt to increase 16% annually (50 acres) to a total 500 acres over the next 5 years. Food plots will consist of milo, milo/sunflowers and corn. Crops will be corn, alfalfa and milo.

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