I've noticed at many state wildlife areas that farmers who lease lands on these properties are basically given carte blanche when it comes to their agricultural practices. The first thing I notice is the fact that they are allowed to grow soybeans, which are--as we all know--completely worthless to both species and habitat of pretty much everything from the animals we hunt to the insects and fauna that these animals depend on for sustenance. Another thing I have noticed, is that these farmers are apparently, from what I have noticed, able to use whatever amendments, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers as they choose. I hope I am wrong about the pesticides at least, but I have seen many tanks sitting in these properties with who knows what inside of them. Has anyone else noticed this, or have any knowledge about what they allowed to do? I have emailed DNR to get info myself but haven't heard back from them yet. I want to know what they are allowed to do, as well as how much the state/DNR receives money-wise from these farmers to lease the land. This should be public information. To me, the logical course when it comes to farmers leasing land in state wildlife areas, would be that there should be strict guidelines to follow, NO pesticides allowed whatsoever, NO soybeans allowed whatsoever, and I'm quite sure the fertilizers and other amendments have an impact on the wildlife as well. I have to say...fellow Ohioans...I've lived in many places, and I've not seen so little community interaction when it comes to habitat protection than I've seen in this state. What gives guys? People need to stop being hyper-individualists and start thinking about one of the most important things in the world...which is biodiversity. Am I wrong?
Does DNR cater more to farmers than hunters/fishermen?
- Thread starter Wingman
- Start date
oakswamper
Member
I wish the deer on my farm thought soybeans were worthless, as soon as they come up they come with their bibs on and pick a row lol
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A neighbor used to lease part of the paint creek wildlife area. The section north of the lake can become a lake in a hurry as it is flood control reservoir. No consideration is given to crops If you've just put 100k worth of seed in the ground and the Corp of Engineers close the gates of the dam, well you just lost 100k worth of seed plus the wasted time, fuel, etc. They are required to leave a certain amount standing too. If I were a farmer, I'd stay the heck away from any WA!
Wow. I don't even know where to begin with this...
Soybeans aren't useful for wildlife? Are you smoking crack, man? Tell that to the herds of deer that pound any remaining standing soybeans up this way. Oh, and I suppose the velvet bucks in August are just hanging out in the soybean fields because they enjoy the green scenery. C'mon man!
The leased farming practices on state land are well-regulated through contracts that have been looked over with a microscope in most cases. Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are part of the game... Plain and simple. The farmers lease the ground and are doing what is necessary to turn a profit. Would you rather the ground wasn't farmed at all? Would you rather these FOOD PLOTS are done away with in state lands? If so, I personally think you're nuts. I sure hope you don't take advantage of any of the great dove field action the state of Ohio has to offer... Those are planted to useless sunflowers and useless winter wheat, using those evil pesticides and fertilizers too.
Soybeans aren't useful for wildlife? Are you smoking crack, man? Tell that to the herds of deer that pound any remaining standing soybeans up this way. Oh, and I suppose the velvet bucks in August are just hanging out in the soybean fields because they enjoy the green scenery. C'mon man!
The leased farming practices on state land are well-regulated through contracts that have been looked over with a microscope in most cases. Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are part of the game... Plain and simple. The farmers lease the ground and are doing what is necessary to turn a profit. Would you rather the ground wasn't farmed at all? Would you rather these FOOD PLOTS are done away with in state lands? If so, I personally think you're nuts. I sure hope you don't take advantage of any of the great dove field action the state of Ohio has to offer... Those are planted to useless sunflowers and useless winter wheat, using those evil pesticides and fertilizers too.
I don't know who told you soybeans aren't nutritious, they contain anywhere from 20-30% protein. I'd say that helps antler development lol
It would most certainly be beneficial to have standing beans late in the season. It would also be a dream come true to actually finding any still standing.
This can go so many directions. I hope it does not become a silly. I will keep it simple: Beans provide nutritional value. They ARE the magical fruit. The more the deer eat. . . .The more they toot. With their digestive system, it is important for deer to toot. The deer which don't toot turn into mosquitoes. THe mosquitoes are killed by the pesticides. The pesticides are suggested by the DNR. The DNR has a step brother named GNR. We are all still waiting on GNR to reunite and go on tour again.
I must admit, I am not a wildlife biologist. If I were, I could have provided some information I didn't make up. Just trying to keep it light.
I must admit, I am not a wildlife biologist. If I were, I could have provided some information I didn't make up. Just trying to keep it light.
OO2
Well-Known Member
I enjoy an occasional soybean or two after a long day in the summer hanging stands. Nutritious and delicious 
Well first off, I had assumed that most animals didn't eat the soybeans...but since I don't really pay any attention to deer, maybe I missed that, my bad...and like GoetsTalon said, who the heck would want to eat any animal that consumed that Monsanto crap exclusively anyways? You know the cafeteria at Monsanto is all organic food, right? They won't even eat their own poison! I sure try not to eat any of that in my food at home, but it seems to make its way into more and more foods as time goes by now. And I definitely am not knocking any of the other crops like corn, wheat, sunflowers, and all the other prairie seed type grasses/millet, etc. Although...the way they manage even those prairie-type plants is pretty pathetic. The sunflowers should be burned, and the ground disced clean...but they never are, for instance. No dove wants to land on 6 inch tall grass and fish its way through it to find a sunflower seed that isn't very easy to open, all the while trying to keep an eye out for hawks and other predators that have become overpopulated. I guess it all boils down to the fact that more lands in wildlife areas are not planted with the best available crops, or managed in the best possible way because DNR does not have the funding that they need to do that properly, so they lease land to farmers to try to make up a portion of it....but obviously don't get enough. I still think farmers should pay some kind of ecological tax (cue the Conservative's screaming.)
Ohiosam
*Supporting Member*
I was a crop insurance adjuster for a few years about 15 years ago. I did a couple claims for farms that rented some State owned land. One near Hillsboro and one near Canton. Don't remember all the details but they were required leave a certain part of the crop Unharvested.
Huckleberry Finn
Senior Member
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Soybeans are great for wildlife and also as a rotational crop between corn. Even the Indians knew that...
oakswamper
Member
:smiley_baby: I talked to 3 doves the other day and I can confirm they prefer short grass
Wingman, I believe you mean well but you are incredibly misinformed about wildlife I'm afraid. How are you going to burn sunflowers prior to dove season??? Have you ever seen sunflowers that are dry enough to burn by September 1st? Not me. Hell, most of the time a lot of the heads haven't even fully matured by then. Also, yes doves do like clean bare ground, but they also don't mind landing/feeding in heavy cover either. If you've dove hunted enough, you've surely seen doves fly up out of standing sunflowers and standing corn. In fact, one of the largest concentrations of doves I've ever seen on private ground was in a 10 acre vacant lot that was overgrown with barnyard millet... I'm talking waist to chest high grass, and thick as you can imagine, and hundreds upon hundreds of doves erupted from it. They were right down in the stuff.
Lol, that was exactly my thoughts! Is this dude just having fun or what? "I didn't know wildlife ate soy beans"...that's like saying "I didn't know beer made you drunk"
Maybe if DNR coincided sunflower maturity with the hunting dates, it would be more effective? Maybe that's why there are so few resident doves in Ohio anymore...at least where I live...because the dates are all wrong. And, yes...I've seen doves fly out of standing sunflowers and corn, but the ground beneath it was always mostly bare, unlike the sunflower fields I've seen here. I've lived in Missouri...in Oregon...In North and South Dakota...and most of those states never had issues like Ohio does, and were much more adaptable to season dates based on climate and crop maturity. I may not know a lot about how wildlife in Ohio I guess...you're right...but I know plenty about it in other places...and in my opinion, Ohio is one of the worst managed states that I've ever seen. Surprisingly...Oregon is almost as bad, yet neighboring Washington state is very good. People like to talk about smaller government and states rights, as we've seen in the news with the ranchers in Oregon lately...but it doesn't always work out when states like Ohio don't have enough money to do what is right. The farmers and gas industries who are making millions off of energy should be supporting things like this in my opinion. DNR should be more adaptable...and this year/season is a perfect example of why with the weird climate patterns we've been experiencing. How many resident species populations have been seriously damaged by the fact that DNR kept seasons open that should have probably been cut in half? When I fished the Columbia River Basin in the northwest...seasons fluctuated mid-season all the time based on changing patterns, that never seems to happen here. One day you could be fishing for salmon, the next day you were cut off, and you had to be aware of these regulation changes all the time. They didn't care if the gun/ammo/fishing industry took a hit, it was all about the species and habitat, not money in a few peoples wallets. When you become a person, you have lost.