Planting season is nearly upon us and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wants to help fund food plots around the state to support game bird populations in upcoming winters.
Incentive options are available for people willing to plant food plots or have already done so, according to a FWP news release.
Existing food plots qualify for $150 per acre to offset the cost of planting. Folks who wish to plant new plots can receive free bags of diverse seed bags and still receive the $150 incentive payment per acre.
From the news release:
FWP encourages landowners to try out the new free seed mixes. They are designed to provide critical brood-rearing cover for game bird chicks in summer, and they contain tall, stiff plants like sorghum and sunflowers that can stand up to snow and provide easily accessible food all winter long.
Whether planting one of the new mixes or leaving standing grain, all plots need to be located within ¼ mile of dense winter cover such as a brushy draw, shelterbelts, or a cattail wetland. In return for seed and payments, landowners must sign a written agreement to leave the plots standing until the following spring, and to allow some public access for upland game bird hunting in the fall. If you are interested in planting food plots for wildlife this spring, please contact Region 6 FWP Game Bird Specialist Ken Plourde at 406-474-2244 before May 1.
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