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farm406
mixture of old and new offers a good balance of protein and
dry maer. With its reserve of vegetation, a rested pasture is
money in the bank.
Aer holding their courtship rituals in early spring, hen
sage-grouse disperse one to four miles from their breeding
leks to nest. Residual standing grass provides valuable hiding
and thermal cover for hens incubating their eggs, and later
for the newly-hatched chicks, of which only one third will
survive to adulthood. Residual grass produces shade, another
important element for the young birds; it also supports lots
of insects, a critical food source for growing chicks.
Melissa Foster is a wildlife biologist with the Montana
Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. In 2009, Foster led a
four-year study of sage-grouse in Core Area 13. Researchers
captured 94 hens, fied them with radio collars and logged
their movements throughout the seasons. Foster's research
produced a wealth of data that Rebecca Knapp used as she
worked with Bret Lesh on the conservation plan for his
ranch. Sage-grouse continue to do well in Carter County in
part because ranchers manage their lands for the long-term,
says Foster.
"We have a lot of really well-established families. ey've
been through droughts, they know they have to care for
the land," Foster says. "I hear over and over from ranchers
in the area – they say they've got to leave grass. It's a
wonderful ethic."
Healthy grass is something all ranchers and conservationists
can agree on. Sagebrush is a more difficult topic. Most
producers value sagebrush for the cover and winter feed it
provides and for the diversity it adds to the landscape, but
they want to see a balance of sagebrush and grass. In some
areas, sagebrush reaches a density that negatively impacts the
understory of grasses and forbs. e species here is Wyoming
Big Sagebrush; Core Area 13 represents the eastern extent
of its range. Soil and climatic conditions produce a smaller,
more compact version of the shrub than exists in other
regions. It blankets tens of thousands of acres in a gray-blue
mosaic. Sage-grouse are the only species of wildlife able to
feed exclusively on sagebrush leaves. During the growing
season, the birds consume insects, flowers, buds, and
forbs, along with sagebrush; during winter, they survive on
sagebrush and not much else.
One significant finding in Foster's study involved the
impacts of grazing cows on sage-grouse nesting success. It
was believed that hens would experience a lower success
rate nesting in a pasture with cows moving around. Foster's
research found nest success was actually higher (59%)
in pastures with active grazing than in pastures without
livestock (38%). "It wasn't a statistically strong result and it
could be a nonfactor," says Foster, "but it definitely showed
that livestock grazing is compatible with conservation."
Supporting Montana Agriculture
Since 1893
Fort Benton Realty LLC • (406) 622-3803 • www.fbrealty.com
FBR
Fort Benton Realty, LLC
Home and acreage located
approx 39 miles east of
Brady MT in Chouteau
County. Sale includes an
older 3 bdrm, 1bath home,
garage,large shop/building,
quanset storage building,
several older grain bins,
mature landscaping, Tiber
water to home and yard. All
on 11.4 acres/C.O.S. 200A
Home and acreage located
approx 28 miles east of Brady
MT in Chouteau County. Sale
includes a 4 bdrm, 2 3/4 bath
home, garage, quanset shop/
garage and 4 small grain bins.
Mature landscaping. Tiber
water to home and yard, all
on 3.14 acres/C.O.S. 200B.
Price $174,500
Price $174,500
Price $216,500
Price $216,500
Broker Roger Axtman @ 406-899-4098
For any questions about these two properties please call
