Farm Creek Improvements Support Local Wildlife, Benefit Hunters

The opening day of upland hunting is like Christmas morning for me. The night before is always light on sleep from the excitement.

This year we traveled in the predawn hours in hopes of getting to Farm Creek Public Wildlife Area before the other hunters. We arrived to five of the six parking lots already full. Full parking lots may not be everyone’s thought of a perfect opening day, but it was mine. Having spent hours this summer scouring the prairies at Farm Creek helping to control invasive Canada thistle I knew this is where I wanted to be on opening day.

I was lucky enough to be joined by my mom, dad, uncle, two younger brothers, and our rag-tag group of bird dogs. Three bird dogs to be exact: my 8-year-old Brittany with bad knees but the drive to be ready for opening day, the ever-faithful husky/black lab mix who thinks it is hot outside until its 20 degrees, and the yellow lab, Shep, the big (yellow) peanut loving poochie. You may have to rewatch George of the Jungle to get that reference.

We had a great opening morning, and many other groups did as well, at least judging by the number of shots we heard. 

There is a saying many of you may know: “If you build it, they will come”. If the full parking lots on opening morning are any indication, there must be some truth to this.  

Since acquiring the property in 2001, Pottawattamie Conservation has progressively restored the farm fields at Farm Creek to diverse native grassland. This has been a boom for wildlife in the area. In the past few years, we have tried to further improve those acres by edge-feathering taller trees along the drainages. This is done to benefit bobwhite quail and other wildlife that use shrubby habitats, such as the Bell’s Vireo. Quail do not like trees over 12 feet tall as this is where avian predators like to perch. By edge feathering, or cutting down larger trees and letting them rest where they fall, we take a predator perch and make instant, shrub-like cover. The downed trees also attract songbirds who will deposit shrub seeds leading to natural shrub cover once the downed trees rot away or burn during our next prescribed fire.

We are also adding wildlife and dog-friendly fencing along a neighboring fence line that was in disrepair. The fence will be dog friendly by installing a barbless bottom wire. This will not only make it easier for wildlife to go under the fence, but it will reduce the risk of cuts to our trusty bird dogs. The spacing between wires may also look a little different as the top two wires will be farther apart which will reduce the risk of a deer getting their legs caught as they jump the fence. 

But hunting isn't the only activity available at Farm Creek. There are also two ponds, Riepe and Young Pond, which are stocked with bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. Birdwatching is a popular activity as well.

There are no maintained trails, but if you explore the property, you may find areas we have hayed in the summer. This is done to help feed the bison and elk herds at Botna Bend Park in Hancock. The namesake Farm Creek bisects the property, a stream that is unique to Iowa as it has never been channelized or straightened. 

So, whether you’re a bird hunter looking forward to the next opening day, a bird watcher excited to catch a glimpse of the Bell’s Vireo, or just out for a day of fishing, we encourage you to explore Farm Creek.

We will continue to find ways to improve this area and build our field of dreams.