Wide open prairie. It’s hard toimagine that Wisconsin was once

covered with over 2 million acres ofprairie. It’s even harder to imaginethat just 2,500 scattered acres ofprairie remain. Also gone are most of

the wildlife associated withprairies. Bison, elk

and long-billed curlew are completely gonefrom Wisconsin. Wolves, prairie chickens,badgers and sharptail grouse remain only inisolated areas, and in the past 40 years we’veseen declines in more common grasslandwildlife such as bobolinks, meadowlarks andfield sparrows. Whathappened?

The year is 1850. Your carriage bumps along a rutted road on what isnow Interstate 94 between Madison and Milwaukee. Around you, yousee clusters of bur oak trees surrounded by flowing grasses. This is oaksavanna. In other places, you see tall grasses undulating in the breeze.This is the tallgrass prairie. Prairie chickens and savannah sparrowsare common on this sea of colorful grasses and wildflowers. There areno trees. The lyrical calls of the dickcissel and meadowlark can beheard everywhere. Here and there, farms dot the landscape. Wisconsinhas been a state for two years and settlers are discovering the value ofrich prairie soils.

Home on the RangeRestoring and Maintaining Grasslandsfor Wildlife

Wildlife and Your Landa series about managing your land for wildlife

With European settlement and agriculturaldevelopment, some animals adapted to theinitial loss of prairie vegetation, others didnot. Bison and wolves needed huge expansesof land and were pushed west and north.Although prairie chickens were common inthe early 1900’s, changes in agriculturalpractices caused their population to plum-met. Other grassland wildlife, such asbadgers, meadowlarks and songsparrows, adapted to theextensive acreage of grass hay,small grains and permanentpastures.

But after World War II, ruralland-use changed rapidly. Newtechnology prompted farmers toconvert permanent pastures to rowcrops, and to cut alfalfa earlier andmore often than the old grass hay. Thesepractices eliminated habitat and destroyedmany grassland bird nests and chicks beforethey matured. Many fence rows wereremoved to accommodate larger machinery,causing a loss of important wildlife food and

cover. Development for housing and businesshas further reduced grassland habitat.

As a result of all these changes, populationsof Wisconsin’s grassland birds, includingbobolinks, meadowlarks, dickcissels andupland sandpipers, have decreased in somecases by up to 90 percent. Blue-winged teal

and pheasants, which nest in grass-lands near wetlands, have also

declined in number. Prairiechickens survive only in a fewplaces in central and north-western Wisconsin and are listedas a “Threatened Species” by theBureau of EndangeredResources.

But there is good news. Byconverting former croplands into

grasslands, we can bring back grasslandwildlife. Imagine the thrill of seeing yourfirst bobolink or hearing a pheasant crow. Itcan be done. This publication shows youhow. Let’s take a look at the different kindsof grasses you can plant.

2 Wildlife and Your Land

Wisconsin’s NativeGrasslands

Dickcissel

Scrub oak and pine barrens–4 million acres

Oak savannah–6 million acres

Tallgrass prairie–2 million acres

Grasslandcommunitiesca. 1840

Adapted from Curtis, 1959

The Warm and the Cool of It:Two Types of Grasslands

There are two basic types of grasses: cool-season and warm-season. Wildlife thrive inboth.

Most of the grasses you see when drivingWisconsin’s rural roads are cool-seasongrasses. They grow best during the springand fall, when temperatures average in the65–75˚F range. These include smooth bromegrass, timothy, and orchard grass. Alfalfa andclover, though legumes, are often consideredwith the cool-season grasses. None are nativeto Wisconsin.

Warm-season grasses are often referred to asprairie grasses. They are native to our stateand grow best under the heat of a latesummer sun. You will most likely see themmixed with colorful native wildflowers atpublicly owned prairie sites mostly in thewestern and southern part of the state, andoccasionally along roadsides and railroadrights-of-way. In addition, more and moreprivate landowners—like you—are plantingthese native prairie grasses and wildflowers

for their wildlife, aesthetic and agriculturalbenefits. Wisconsin’s common warm-seasongrasses include big and little bluestem,Indian grass, sideoats grama, switch grassand prairie cord grass.

Cool-season stands are valued as wildlifecover because they are easy to establish andprovide cover early in the season. Also, mostlandowners are familiar with these grasses,and advice on planting and equipment is easyto find. The disadvantages of cool-seasongrasses are that stands lose vigor over timeand may need to be replanted. They also tendto matt down under rain, snow and wind.

Warm-season stands make excellent wildlifecover because they hold up better under theelements. Plus, they are aestheticallypleasing to many landowners and can makegood forage. Though warm-season stands cantake three to five years to establish, oncethey take hold, they need little attention andlive indefinitely—a major benefit. The cost ofsome native grass seed is comparable to thenon-natives, though some varieties andwildflowers cost more. Check with local seeddealers for current prices.

Wildlife and Your Land 3

Cool-season grasses Warm-season grasses

alfalfa

bigbluestem

littlebluestem

Indian grass

sideoats

cord grass

switch grass

red clover

brome grass

timothy

orchard grass

1. Know Your Land

The type of seed youplant depends on soiltexture, moisturecontent, slope of theland, and the sur-rounding landscape.You will want toevaluate existingconditions and comparethem to your wildlife goals. Askyourself: what are the food, nesting andwinter cover needs of the wildlife you want toattract and your land’s capacity to providethese habitat components? Your local DNRwildlife manager can help you with thesedecisions. As you make your plans, keep inmind that a grass stand takes a few years toestablish. During the first year, grass shouldbe allowed to establish a good root systemwithout excessive close mowing or grazingstress.

2. Prepare the Seedbed

Two basic methods of seedbed preparationare the clean seedbed method and the no-tillmethod. The kind of seedbed preparation youchoose depends on the terrain, type of seederavailable, soil and the previous crop. Everyfield is different. What follows are generalguidelines.

The clean seedbed method involves plowingand disking the soil so that it’s free of theprevious year’s crop. It works best on flat orgently sloping land where erosion potential isminimal. In general, a sodbound hayfieldmay have to be plowed or disked severaltimes. If the planting follows a row crop orsmall grain, one or two diskings may beadequate. The result should be a firm, well-packed seedbed, free of clods. Schedule

plowing or disking well in advance of seeding.Be careful not to overwork fine soils so thatthey dry out and become crusty. If your soil isa clay loam, plow the field in the fall and letit sit fallow over winter. If your soil is sandyor fine textured, spring plowing will reduceerosion. Before seeding, firm the soil with acultipacker—a cylinder on wheels that youdrag behind a tractor. It is very important tohave good seed-to-soil contact, as air pocketswill kill the new roots.

On steep slopes and sandy soils, the no-tillmethod can reduce erosion. In this method,grass seed is sown directly into the harvestedcrop residue or old hay fields, using aspecialized drill.

4 Wildlife and Your Land

Steps Toward Establishing a Grassland

Know Your LandPrepare SeedbedSeeding MethodsWhen to Plant....

Y

A Word on Herbicidesand Fertilizers

If you must useherbicides to controlweeds, use them onlyduring seedbed prep-aration and then only usea non-residual productsuch as Round-up one

year before planting. Follow-up in springwith light, pre-plant diskings. Chemicalapplications after planting tend to killmore than just weeds and should beavoided in most situations. Contact yourlocal farm co-op for assistance.

If after a soil test, your soil needsadditional fertilizers, apply them beforeplanting, except for nitrogen because itonly enhances weed growth. Nitrogen canbe added later, if necessary, to cool-seasonstands. Native prairie grasses andwildflowers do not need fertilizers. Theywill only hinder the native plants.

HE

R

B I C I D E

3. Seeding Methods

You can choose from a variety of seedingmethods depending on the scale of yourgrassland project. One of them should workfor you. Check with your local co-op or DNRwildlife manager about the availability ofmechanical seeders in your area.

Large-scale plantingsDrills and air seeders

Most grasslands of five acres or more inWisconsin are planted with drills. A varietyof drills are available. Some work best forcool-season grass seed while others arespecially made to handle the fluffy warm-season grass seeds. Make sure you know thedifference, as the warm-season seeds will clogan inappropriate drill. Plant seeds about 1/4inch deep (this may vary slightly with soiland seed type). The newer seeders are

equipped with rollers, but going over the fieldwith a cultipacker after seeding providesextra assurance that your planting will havegood seed-to-soil contact.

Where available, air seeding is a fast andefficient method of seeding large fields. Airseeders blow seed on top of the soil frombooms rigged on a truck. The major ad-vantage to using air seeders is that they canhandle a variety of seed sizes and do not clog.Be sure to cultipack after seeding.

Small-scaleplantings

For small backyardplots and fields, trybroadcast or hand-seeding. Broad-casting is one ofthe oldest, simplestand most con-venient methods of seeding warm-seasongrasses. This method requires a clean-tilledseedbed. Turn the soil with a spade orrototiller to prepare a smooth seedbed free ofclods. Going over the soil several times with arake should do the trick. Use a broadcastseeder with a good mixing system to ensureeasy and uniform flow of chaffy, warm-seasongrass seeds. Although it’s sometimes difficultto get proper seeding rates with this method,and some seedings will be uneven andrequire higher seeding rates, it remains acost-effective, practical method.

To plant seed by hand, you’ll need a cleanseedbed. After the soil has been rakedsmooth, simply spread the seed by hand,attempting for as uniform coverage aspossible. After planting, very lightly rake theseeds into the soil. As always, both broad-casting and handseeding require that youfirmly pack the site with a roller or stamp itwith your feet to provide good seed-to-soilcontact.

Wildlife and Your Land 5

A grassland drill such as this Truax no-till modelis used for planting large fields.

4. When to Plant

In general, spring is the traditional time to plant grasses, legumesand wildflowers. Usually there’s more moisture in the soil than infall, but fall seedings of prairie grasses and wildflowers are also quitecommon if conditions are favorable. The following chart helps takethe guess work out of planting, but as always, weather and soil willbe the final factors determining when you seed. Planting at eitherend of the allowable range is riskier than the middle of the range.

5. Choose the Right Seeds:Plant for diversity

When planting a grassland, think diversity!Never plant just one grass type because itwill be used by few kinds of animals and willbe very vulnerable to disease and damage.Plant a mixture of at least two to six types ofgrasses, legumes and wildflowers. A mixprovides the variety of grass heights anddensity for good nesting habitat, especiallyfor waterfowl, pheasants and other birds.Stiff-stemmed legumes and wildflowersprovide perching sites for meadowlarks andsparrows. In addition, the more wildflowersand legumes you plant, the more insects youwill find. Insects are very important food formany birds and their young.

Literally hundreds ofwildflowers, grassesand legumes andcombinations thereofexist. Sometimes thechoice may beoverwhelming. To helpyou get started, we’velisted the varieties that arethe most easy to grow andbeneficial to wildlife. As with all plantings,choose seed varieties adapted to your land’ssoil type and climate. Also, when using nativegrasses and wildflowers, make sure the seedsoriginate no more than 100 miles south, 100miles north or 250 miles east or west of yourproperty. Otherwise, the seeds may not beadapted to your climate.

6 Wildlife and Your Land

Seeding Dates

Northern Wisconsin

Central Wisconsin

Southern Wisconsin

May 1 – June 15

March 15 – June 1

March 1 – May 15

July 15 – August 10

Cool-season Grasses and Legumes

Spring Late Summer

August 1 – August 21

August 7 – August 29

Northern Wisconsin

Central Wisconsin

Southern Wisconsin

May 15 – June 30

May 1 – June 15

March 1 – June 15

Warm-season Grasses

Spring

Vesper sparrow

Wildlife and Your Land 7

Timothy

Smooth Bromegrass

Alfalfa

1

2 – 31

5

Seed MixturesCool-season Grasses and Legumes

Pounds PLS*/AcreGrass/Legume Type

6.5

pH Minimum

No

Wet Soils

High for game birds

Medium low fornon-game birds

Relative WildlifeNesting Value

Timothy

Orchardgrass

Alfalfa

1

1/22

5

Smooth Bromegrass 1

6.5 No High

Timothy

Orchardgrass

Alfalfa

1

13

5

6.5 No Medium/High

Timothy

Smooth Bromegrass

Red Clover

2

24

5

6

4

Ladino (optional) 1/2

6.2 Yes Medium

Big Bluestem

Switchgrass

4

1

Warm-season Grasses

Pounds PLS*/AcreGrass Type

5.5

pH Minimum

No

Wet Soils

High

Relative WildlifeNesting Value

Big Bluestem

Switchgrass

Little Bluestem (optional)

(For use on sandy, droughty, or excessively drained sites.)

2

1

2

Indian grass 3

5.5 No High

You can add diversity to your cool-season stand and increase its value to wildlife by adding a fewwildflowers and legumes such as bergamot, goldenrod or round-headed bush clover. How much youplant will vary, but never exceed 8 ounces per acre of any one type.

*Pure Live Seed is defined in How Much to Seed on page 9 in this publication.Adapted from NRCS guidelines for CRP lands

Native PlantNurseries

Wisconsin isfortunate to havemany native plantnurseries. Look in

the phone book undernurseries to find one

near you. Otherwise,contact the DNR Bureau

of Endangered Resourcesat (608) 266-7012 for acomplete list of nativenurseries in the state.

Check also Getting theHelp You Need in the Wildlife and YourLand series for more references aboutprairies and how to plant them.

6. The Big Picture: Size and placement ofgrasslands

Whether you have 5 or 100 acres you’d like toconvert to grasslands, there are a few guide-lines to keep in mind if you want to providethe best possible habitat for wildlife.

❀ To increase the value of grasslands,especially small grasslands, place themnear or adjacent to other suitable habitatsuch as pasture, hayfields or set-asidelands. Look around you, grasslands willhelp wildlife the most if the landscapealready has existing grasslands andgrassland wildlife. If you’re unsure, youmay want to talk with your local wildlifemanager.

❀ To reduce predation by edge-lovingwildlife such as raccoons, brown-headedcowbirds, hawks, opossums and skunks,place grasslands at least 50 yards fromhedgerows, woodlots and dead trees. Ofcourse, the best thing you can do if youhave the land and money, is to plant largegrasslands of at least 20 acres in size; 40acres and larger are better. This providesthe best defense against predation.

Species Seed/Acre

Big Bluestem 3 pounds

Indian Grass 2 pounds

Sideoats Grama 3 pounds

Yellow Coneflower 4 ounces

Purple Prairie Clover 4 ounces

Black-eyed Susan

Other suggested wildflowers: Bergamot, Ox-eye, Showy sunflower,Showy goldenrod, White baptisia (wild indigo), and Stiff goldenrod

Other suggested legumes: Canada tick trefoil

2 ounces

Seed MixturesPrairie Grasses and Wildflowers

Soil Type: Well Drained to Somewhat Poorly Drained Sites(all figures reflect Pure Live Seed rates)

Species Seed/Acre

Sideoats Grama 3 pounds

Little Bluestem 3 pounds

Indian Grass 1.5 pounds

Purple Prairie Clover 6 ounces

Blazing Star 4 ounces

Spiderwort

Other suggested wildflowers: Naked-stem sunflower, Stiff goldenrod,Black-eyed susan, Heath aster, Dyer's weed and Thimble weed

Other suggested legumes: White prairie clover, Rounded-headedbush clover and Illinois trefoil

4 ounces

Soil Type: Dry or Shallow Soil Sites Perched on a treebranch, a femalecowbird scans thesurrounding grass-land for nests ofother birds inwhich she can lay

her eggs.

Yellowconeflower

Wild indigo

Blazingstar

8 Wildlife and Your Land

7. How Much to Seed

Seeding rates are based on “pure liveseed” (PLS). Pure live seed refers tothe actual amount of good seed in thebag you’ve purchased. There’s alwayssome weed seed, chaff and “bad” seedmixed in. To calculate PLS for a 100-pound bag of seed, multiplygermination and purity percentages—90 and 80%, respectively—listed onthe seed bag and divide by 100. Forexample 90 X 80 = 7200 divided by100 = 72% PLS. In other words, your100 pound bag of seed actuallycontains 72 pounds of seed that willsprout.

Once you know the PLS rate for eachtype of seed, you can calculate theamount of seed needed for your field.The chart at right provides anexample.

8. Weed Control

Weeds! Runaway weed growth is a frequentcause of seeding failure, especially of nativeplantings which take several years toestablish. If weeds are not controlled duringthe establishment year, development of thegrass stand may be delayed two or threeyears, or the planting may fail completely.

Remember that during the first year of anative grass seeding, most of the growthoccurs below the ground as root development;don’t be disappointed when little appearsabove ground, except weeds. Under favorableconditions, little bluestem develops a two- tothree-inch primary root system before anabove-ground shoot appears. Weeds have alot of room to grow under these conditions.

To control weeds in a newly planted nativegrass stand, mow no less than 10 inches

above the seedlings after July 1 to helpsuppress annual weeds. Be sure to test and measure the blade height before cutting toavoid destroying the planting. Cut again ifneeded. A scythe or weed whip will do the jobon small plots if a mower is not available or ifthe blades cannot be set high enough. Sincemost weeds are annuals, mowing before seedsset destroys the seed crop. It may benecessary to mow the second and third yearsafter planting if weeds are persistent.

The same methods can be applied to cool-season stands. But since cool-season grassesgrow rapidly after planting, they often don’tneed additional weed control.

Wildlife and Your Land 9

Big Bluestem

To calculate seeding rates, use the following formula:

seeding rate/acre X total acres

PLS= Total seed

Switch Grass

72%

72%

3 pounds/acre

1 pound/acre

20

20

83 pounds

28 pounds

PLSGrass Type seeding rate acres seed needed

( 3 X 20)

.80= 83 pounds Big Bluestem

Seeding Rates

9. Maintaining YourGrassland

All grass stands need management to ensuretheir productivity and usefulness to wildlife.If left alone, undesirable plants and trees caninvade and cool-season mixtures can becomematted down and rootbound. What methodyou decide to use depends on your grassstand and what wildlife you are trying toattract. The methods are mowing, burningand grazing.

Mowing

Mowing has long been used to managegrasslands. Mowing keeps out invading treesand discourages the more vigorous bromegrass from out-competing alfalfa. Cutbetween August 1 and September 1 to protectnesting birds and to allow plants to storeenergy before cold weather hits. This isessential for next spring’s growth.

Don’t mow every year! By mowinggrasslands every three to four years, you willallow dead grass to accumulate. Thisprovides important nesting habitat for avariety of early nesters, especially grasslandsongbirds, pheasants, quail and waterfowl.The nesting season normally begins beforenew grass growth is dense or tall enough toprovide good cover, so the previous year’sgrowth becomes very attractive, especially inagricultural areas where hayfields androadsides have been cut late.

Burning

Before European settlement, fire maintainedthe prairie landscape and the wildlifeassociated with it. Today, you can duplicatethese wildfires by conducting a prescribedburn. Burning is an efficient, low-cost meansof managing grasslands. It increases plantdiversity, promotes vigorous plant growth,and suppresses unwanted grasses and woodyplants such as honey locust, black locust, redcedar, aspen, cottonwood and box elder.

The best time to burn is in early spring, butavoid burning your grasslands every year forthe same reasons stated under the mowingsection. Grasslands should be burned in one-third chunks. While some nests will bedestroyed in any prescribed burning, in thelong run, grasslands burned every three orfour years have higher nesting success ratesthan unburned areas.

In Wisconsin, burning is typically associatedwith native grass stands, but it can be doneon cool-season stands as well. Beforeconducting a prescribed burn, carefullyconsider your objectives. Wind direction andspeed, relative humidity, grass moisture andsafety requirements are all important factors.For more specific information on burningtechniques and its benefits contact your DNRwildlife manager.

10 Wildlife and Your Land

Savannahsparrow

Grazing

Livestock can quickly destroy grasslandhabitat. Flat, nearly barren pasturesovergrown with thistle and spotted knapweedare all too common in Wisconsin. Yet whencarefully managed, pastures can be grazedand provide wildlife benefits. The key iscareful management.

If done right, a rotational grazing system canallow you to feed your livestock and stillprovide wildlife cover. Under rotationalgrazing, only one section of pasture is grazedat a time while the remainder of the pasture“rests.” To accomplish this, pastures aresubdivided into smaller areas, calledpaddocks, and livestock are moved from onepaddock to another using a lightweightmovable fencing system. The longer you letsections of your pasture rest, the more timethe grass has to recover and provide wildlifehabitat. The more intensively you graze apasture, the less likely it will benefit wildlife.Beef cattle, dry cows and heifers often do notrequire as intensive grazing systems as dairycattle.

Rotational grazing will benefit wildlife mostwhen you convert existing crop fields intopasture. Grasslands, despite being grazed,provide greater nesting opportunities thancroplands. However, you may reduce wildlifecover if you convert under-grazed pastureinto an intensive rotational system. Refer toWisconsin Pastures for Profit, a UW-Extension publication for a detailed discus-sion of rotational, grazing as referenced inGetting the Help You Need in the Wildlifeand Your Land Series.

The Final Word

Grasslands are a part of Wisconsin’s naturalhistory. Restoring and carefully managinggrasses—whether native or nonnative—forwildlife is a good way to give something backto wildlife and to increase the appearanceand value of your property.

Wildlife and Your Land 11

Cost-Sharing Available

Be sure to check with your County FarmService Agency (FSA) office forinformation about cost-sharing dollarsavailable for grassland restoration onlands enrolled in the ConservationReserve Program.

Wildlife and Your Land Staff: Mary K. Judd, Project Director;Diane Schwartz, Project Assistant; Todd Peterson, Agriculturaland Rural Land Use Specialist. Graphics and layout, KandisElliot. Funding for this project was provided in part through theFederal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act and through the NaturalResources Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc., P.O. Box 129, Madison,WI, 53701. Published by the Bureau of Wildlife Management,Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921,Madison, WI, 53707.

Federal Aid Projectfunded by your purchase of

hunting equipmentPUBL-WM-228