New Hampshire's Cheshire County Farm
and Alabama's Bankhead National Forest
NWTF habitat enhancement projects improve public-land hunting opportunities in the Heart of Dixie and the Granite State
Access to prime hunting locations used to not be so difficult; all hunters had to do was ask permission. However, many of today's hunters are locked out of areas by posted signs, expensive hunting leases
and outfitters.
The NWTF and its partners are working diligently to increase, improve and enhance areas like Cheshire County Farm and Bankhead National Forest, making them prime, accessible hunting hot spots.
 |
New Hampshire's Cheshire County Farm
|
New Hampshire's
Cheshire County Farm
Cheshire County Farm provides hunters with some top-notch turkey hunting every season. Expect to find open hardwoods, farmland and small pockets of wetlands along the Connecticut River. The river bottom farmland has some of the most productive soils in the country, generating high crop yields annually. With its diverse habitat, the entire area also sustains a wide variety of plant and wildlife species.
The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game believes this region typically offers some of the best wild turkey hunting in the entire state. Imagine what the Cheshire County Farm will be like after the completion of several habitat enhancement projects spearheaded by the NWTF.
The NWTF was awarded a special grant through the State Conservation Committee to enhance successional habitat on the Cheshire County Farm in Westmoreland. Funding for this project is provided through the New Hampshire Conservation License Plate Program. Residents have an option of purchasing the "Moose License Plate" for an additional $30 annual fee. The money is used for the promotion, protection and investment in New Hampshire's natural resources.
According to NWTF Regional Biologist Grant Mecozzi, this funding will help maintain and enhance early-successional habitat that will provide persistent winter food sources for wildlife.
"The habitat improvement plan includes field mowing, brush-hogging and replanting with clover and grass mixes," he said. "Crabapple trees will be planted this May to provide turkeys and other wildlife species with consistent late-season forage. Without question, these much needed projects will enable this entire area to attract and hold more turkeys."
 |
Alabama's Bankhead National Forest
|
Alabama's Bankhead National Forest
Bankhead National Forest encompasses more than 180,000 acres that provide hunters with excellent public land hunting opportunities. Terrain varies from mountainous steep slopes to gently rolling hills traversed by rivers, creeks and waterfalls. A solid number of turkeys inhabit the area, but several NWTF-initiated projects are expected to significantly increase the population. The primary goal is to improve early-successional habitat that will provide additional food sources and brood rearing habitat.
According to NWTF Regional Biologist Luke Lewis, the NWTF Stewardship Contracting Program allows some timber harvest in the Bankhead National Forest.
"The money from timber sales is used to fund a variety of habitat improvement projects," Lewis said. "For example, prescribed burnings, native warm season grass plantings, invasive plant species eradication and construction of wildlife openings will ultimately increase the carrying capacity of this forested area. These projects also benefit other species of wildlife, while creating jobs and additional income for the local community. Undoubtedly, the stewardship agreements between the NWTF and USDA Forest Service will have a profound impact on both the wildlife and habitat that make up this area."
With each passing season, it's becoming more difficult for the average hunter to gain access to private tracts of land. For most of us, habitat improvement projects like these are desperately needed to make public land hunting opportunities even better. — Travis Faulkner