The ABCs of wildlife: It's the habitat

Whether enrolled in a hunter education course or engaged in Project WILD activities at their local school, youngsters learn early that all wildlife species have the same basic requirements for survival: food, water, shelter and space.

Together these four elements comprise wildlife habitat. Without even one of these requirements, wildlife cannot exist, and no excess of one element will make up for the lack of another.

As a habitat biologist, wildlife habitat is my business. I spend a good portion of my time meeting with private landowners interested in creating or improving wildlife habitat on their property, and I'm often surprised that people don't recognize these four basic wildlife habitat requirements.

For example, I recently met with a landowner near Homedale who said he once had lots of valley quail on his land but that foxes had moved in and eaten them all. As we traversed his property, he pointed out where he had removed the black greasewood from his land and was in the process of burying a large pipe so he could fill in the drainage ditch that crossed his property.

Plans also called for the installation of an irrigation system and the planting of pasture for his livestock. He wanted to plant a row of Rocky Mountain juniper trees to attract quail while at the same time removing the cover, water and food that these same birds needed to survive on his land.

I explained to him that planting a row or two of junipers would not replace the quail habitat already removed and that - despite the junipers - quail would continue to be absent.

It is not uncommon to hear people blame predators of one kind or another for the decline or disappearance of other wildlife on their lands and on public lands, and I try to explain to them that predators are rarely, if ever, the cause of wildlife population declines. Nature relies on predators to keep prey populations, such as mice, rabbits, and even quail and mule deer, at a healthy balance with the available habitat. Where quality habitat exists, healthy populations of prey species will also exist. They will exhibit better body condition, which translates into the ability to elude predators better and to reproduce more successfully to replace animals lost to predators.

In the example cited above, predators now have an easier time catching quail because the landowner removed the quail escape cover - the black greasewood - and filled in the drain ditch, eliminating the annual weeds, a food source for quail. Removing the annual weeds forced the quail to range farther for food, increasing their vulnerability to predators. Eventually, the quail that remained moved to more suitable habitat, and the foxes took the blame.

It can be a tough sell informing people that their actions resulted in the disappearance of wildlife. In most instances, people don't like to hear that message, but unfortunately it is often the case.

With that thought in mind, the "spring cleaning" season is almost upon us. Take a moment to consider the effects that burning ditches and removing shrub cover and weeds have on wildlife. Those of us who want our property neat and clean are sacrificing the pleasure that comes with seeing valley quail and a variety of nongame birds, species that require weed seeds and escape cover to survive.

Fish and Game has several brochures available that provide general descriptions of how to establish wildlife habitat. Habitat biologists - including me - are available to provide personal advice to improve your property's usefulness for wildlife. If the idea sounds intriguing, give me a call at the Fish and Game Southwest Region office - (208) 465-8465.

Andy Ogden is the Idaho Fish and Game wildlife habitat biologist in the Southwest Region.