In the Weeds: July 2007

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters annually complete over 23,000 habitat projects. "In the Weeds" takes a closer look at these chapter projects. This month, we profile a large grassland restoration project in South Dakota.

The Players

• Heartland Region Chapter of Pheasants Forever
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Ducks Unlimited
• Beadle County Sportsmen Club

The Plan
A large grassland restoration project on the Ingle Waterfowl Production Area (WPA), located nine miles south of Cavour, South Dakota, in southeastern Beadle County.

The Project
The original owner of the property, Bob Ingle, voluntarily sold the property to the Fish & Wildlife Service in 2002. The entire WPA consists of over 600 acres of grasslands divided by the South Fork of Pearl Creek. The area also includes 126 acres of excellent wetlands throughout.

The project, underway since 2004, involved restoring 270 acres of former cropland back to grassland habitat. The Heartland Region chapter and the other conservation partners provided the funding for the restoration, which included a number of species of native prairie grasses and forbs.

The Payoff
The area now provides excellent habitat for pheasants, waterfowl, white-tailed deer, songbirds and other wildlife. And like all WPAs, it is open to public hunting, fishing, and trapping in accordance with state and federal laws.

As Shawn Schweigert, president of the Heartland Region Chapter of PF, told the Plainsman newspaper in Huron, S.D. "Future generations of hunters will see proof of the good investment as roosters flush against a blue October sky. I expect that a number of young hunters will bag their first pheasant on this property."

PHOTO CAPTION
Bob Breen, USFWS, and Shawn Schweigert, Heartland Region Chapter of Pheasants Forever, prepared a drill for the Ingle WPA wildlife habitat restoration project.

If you have story ideas, dog photos, pre-1980 hunting photos and requests for future On The Wing consideration, please send correspondence to ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.

"On The Wing" Archive

• On the Wing: June 2009
• On the Wing: May 2009
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• On the Wing: February 2009
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• On the Wing: August 2008
• On the Wing: July 2008
• On the Wing: June 2008
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• On the Wing: April 2008
• On the Wing: March 2008
• On the Wing: February 2008
• On the Wing: January 2008
• On the Wing: December 2007
• On The Wing: November 2007
• On The Wing: October 2007
• On The Wing: September 2007
• On The Wing: August 2007
• On The Wing: July 2007
• On The Wing: June 2007
• On The Wing: May 2007