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Reestablishing a mosaic of wildlife habitats takes time, effort, and a good amount of patience. Within limits, plants grow at their own predetermined rates, and we can do only so much to help them along. Plant communities, the basis of all habitats, develop slowly, and thus require patient effort. However, some special features - human - constructed parts of wildlife habitats - can be quickly established and give early results.



These "special features," as they are called, make up some of the structural components of habitats. Wildlife biologists have learned over time that some of these components can be easily built by humans, and that some wildlife species readily use these structures for nesting space or shelter-as long as they somewhat resemble their natural counterparts. The human-created structures most commonly used by Illinois wildlife include brushpiles, rockpiles, nest boxes, nest platforms and islands, perches, old buildings, and bridges.

In addition to producing relatively fast results, many of these special features can be incorporated into almost any habitat management plan. You don't need a particular soil type or a certain- Illinois property size to install a nest box or build a brushpile. These features can be used in conjunction with nearly any Illinois land or wetland project.

It is important to understand, though, that while these special features may seem to offer a "quick fix" for wildlife, they should never take the place of good habitat management. They are to be viewed only as supplementary to your other activities. Nest boxes, brushpiles, and other special features can meet specific needs for certain wildlife, but to be successful these species need the other elements necessary for survival. For example, you could install scores of wood-duck boxes, but if there is no appropriate wetland habitat nearby for brood rearing and foraging, wood ducks won't use the boxes. Likewise, dozens of brushpiles won't ensure a healthy rabbit population if there is no suitable nest cover within a quarter mile or so.

As long as special features are used in appropriate contexts, they can provide great satisfaction to landowners anxious to see some tangible results for their efforts. Not every special feature would be appropriate or useful for every property, but all Illinois landowners should consider adding nest boxes and brushpiles, which are almost universally appropriate and beneficial.

Brushpiles

Brushpiles are the easiest, cheapest, and quickest way to create "instant" cover. They can usually be constructed without any cost, they can be built quickly, and animals can begin using them as soon as construction is finished.

Nature creates her own brushpiles in forests and woody fencerows. When a tree topples, various sizes of limbs and other debris are usually piled randomly in and around it. Tree seedlings, shrubs, and vines spring up around the fallen tree. A natural brushpile is often where you find rabbit and Bobwhite quail hideouts, groundhog burrows, Carolina wren nests, and various reptile residences. Replicating this microhabitat is fairly simple.

Location

Though brushpiles are beneficial in nearly any location, they are particularly valuable at the edge of adjoining habitats, such as between a woodland and a grassland. In a natural setting these areas are normally brushy, so placing a pile there imitates natural conditions. Brushpiles can also be valuable for escape cover in open habitats with short or sparse vegetation, such as cool-season grasslands and croplands. The piles can also provide critical winter cover in these areas, where little might exist otherwise. A brushpile near a food plot or water provides many animals the opportunity to feed or drink while having escape cover nearby.

There are some places you should not place a brushpile:

Waterways, ditchbanks, ravines, and floodplains subject to frequent flooding. You do not want to negate the benefits to wildlife by flooding occupants out just when they may need cover the most.
Areas that will include prescribed burning in their management regime. For the safety of both wildlife and the brushpile itself, you don't want the pile to be fuel for your prescribed burn. Most brushpiles would go up in flames immediately, especially if the wood has aged. If you are burning a woodland with only a thin ground-cover layer that won't produce a vigorous fire, it may be feasible to rake a firebreak around it and wet down the brushpile before burning to protect it. Still, if possible, try to route the burn away from any existing brushpile.
Size

It can't be emphasized enough that brushpiles must be fairly large to provide effective cover. Animals seeking cover from enemies or inclement weather must be able to get far enough in and under the pile to have adequate shelter. A diameter of fifteen to twenty feet is considered a minimum size, and larger is even better. Materials should be piled at least six or seven feet high. It is much better to have one or two large piles than four or five small ones.

Don't be surprised when your brushpile "sinks" after four or five months. Brushpiles will continuously settle, and the bottom will decompose over time. Periodically add new material to the pile and it will continue to provide good cover indefinitely.

Construction

As with a house built for human inhabitants, the quality of initial construction will determine a brushpile's longevity and utility. Start by building a well-spaced and sturdy base. Criss-cross the largest limbs available on the bottom, four to eight inches apart. This will provide tunnel spaces and easy access for small animals. Logs from rot-resistant trees, such as Osage orange, black locust, white oak, and eastern redcedar, make durable bases. Other usable materials for the foundation of a brushpile include fenceposts not treated with creosote, field tile, large stones, and existing stumps.

Once you've built the base, begin covering it with other branches, progressively smaller. This tight weave of brush above the base will form a sort of “igloo” of protection from rain, snow, and wind. It will also provide smaller prey species such as chipmunks, rabbits, Bobwhite quail, and lizards a safe haven from many predators. Illinois whitetail deer hunting farms

Materials for brushpiles are everywhere. Use the fallen limbs in your yard, windbreak, or woods. If you cut firewood or timber or are doing a selective thinning, use the brushy by-products for brushpiles. And leftover Christmas trees abound in January.

Rockpiles

Rockpiles serve a purpose similar to brushpiles, especially for smaller species such as snakes, lizards, and mice. Design should be similar to brushpiles, with larger rocks on the bottom to create a net work of tunnels or spaces. The larger the rockpile, the better-two to three feet in diameter is a minimum size.

A rockpile can be placed anywhere, including in an area that will be subject to prescribed burning. But, as with brushpiles, route the burn away from the rockpile to minimize smoke and heat problems for current dwellers. Rockpiles are particularly valuable in woods for forest-floor dwellers. And unlike brushpiles, rockpiles can be used in ravines and other watercourses for animals like salamanders. Individual

or piled rocks can also be used along the edges of marshes and ponds to provide hiding places for many aquatic species, including frogs and water snakes. When placed in the water with some surface exposed, rocks can provide basking areas for turtles and dragonflies.

The best source of material for your rockpiles is along roadway rock cuts, strip-mined fields, and quarries, where removing rocks is not disturbing an intact ecosystem. Rocks should not be taken from glades and rocky bluffs where they are already providing established habitat for a variety of species. These rocks are usually scattered and make up an important part of the local ecosystem. Rocks may be collected from talus slopes and rocky creeks only if taken in small quantities. Be sure to get permission from the Illinois landowner. Illinois whitetail deer farms for sale

Perches

Artificial perches can be beneficial in areas lacking tall trees, towers, and power-line poles. Many hawks and owls, or raptors, need high perches where they can scan the landscape for small prey. Many older, tall trees ftave been eliminated in rural areas, forcing raptors onto short perches like fences, fenceposts, and young trees. If even these less-than-desirable perches are present, rap tors won't stay in the area regularly.

Artificial perches can benefit both the raptors and the farmer. Several studies have shown significant reductions in rodent populations in the vicinity of recently erected artificial perches, such as in hay fields. Another excellent location is reclaimed strip mines.

At least nine species of hawks and owls that occur in Illinois use artificial perches. And though raptors may only occasionally be seen using a perch, it can be enjoyable to view the many other bird species that use it.

Location

Perches should be placed in or adjacent to grasslands, crop fields, or wetlands. Do not locate a perch near any object that could entangle birds. Locate constructed perches at least 300 feet from each other and from existing natural perches.

Size

Perches should be at least ten to twelve feet high, although twenty to thirty feet has shown better results for some raptor species. The platform or perch itself should be at least two inches wide by twelve to eighteen inches long, and at least two inches thick to provide support for larger raptors. Build perches with durable materials; either metal or wood may be used for the pole, but use wood for the perch itself.

Another way to make a perch is to create a snag and leave it standing at the edge of a crop field or grassland. But killing a live tree to create a perch is recommended only if the tree was slated for removal or creates a nuisance for farming operations. Live trees will be used by raptors as perches. Illinois deer farmland for sale

Providing perches for aerial foragers such as swallows and martins can also benefit both the birds and the farmer. Each swallow or martin consumes countless insects every year, providing some relief from insect pests. Swallows and martins like to perch together and can often be seen sitting in large groups on telephone or electric wires. Similar perches can be constructed by running cable, rope, dowel rod, or other suitable material at least twelve feet above the ground between two trees or two posts.

These perches can be placed in or near a crop field, but they are even better located within a quarter-mile of a pond, lake, marsh, pasture, hay field, or undisturbed grassy area.

Nest Boxes and Artificial Cavities

Of the dozens of Illinois bird and mammal species that use cavities or tree hollows at some point in their lives, at least twenty seven will use artificial nest boxes to raise young, roost, or seek winter cover. With cavity-rich old-growth forests on the decline in recent decades, and with farmers replacing wooden fenceposts with metal ones or eliminating them altogether, many cavity-nesting species are finding a shortage of accommodations. Several species readily use artificial structures, and some, such as the bluebird, have made a comeback largely due to the broad effort by Illinoisans to provide nest boxes.

While artificial boxes may be used permanently to attract species for viewing, set a long-term goal of providing enough large trees on your property to supply plenty of natural cavities. Artificial boxes don't always provide the same level of protection from competition and predators that natural cavities do. Also, the more nesting sites available, the better. And lack of natural nest cavities usually indicates lack of other habitat elements. Illinois whitetail deer land for sale.

Design, Placement, Maintenance if Nest Boxes

Using a proven design for the desired species is essential. If you do not use an appropriate box size or the right diameter entrance for the hole, the desired species may not be able to use the box or may be subjected to competition from opportunistic or more aggressive species. An Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) publication, Wood Projects for Illinois Wildlife, has proven nest box designs for several birds and mammals. Many nature stores and nonprofit conservation organizations also sell boxes for individual species.

Once you've constructed or bought an appropriate nest box, it must be correctly installed and maintained. The box must be located both in the right type of habitat and at the right height to attract the target species. And seasonal cleaning is required of most boxes. Many species simply won't use a box with old nest material in it. The wood projects publication provides details on placing and maintaining nest boxes.

Also take measures to keep predators such as certain snakes and mammals from gaining access to the box. Placing metal guards around wooden posts or poles usually deters most climbing predators (see photo on previous page). Installing sections ofPVC pipe (five feet or longer) over steel posts and occasionally greasing the pipe will also discourage climbing predators such as raccoons.

Artificial Nest Cavities

A nest cavity can be created by killing an existing tree or inducing a live tree to form a hollow. If you have plenty of good-sized, healthy trees in a forest or fencerow and can afford to spare a couple, creating den or nesting trees can boost the habitat's value to Illinois wildlife. If there are no dead trees on or near your property, consider completely killing one or two live trees. A large, dead tree may actually contain several hollows, creating a wildlife "apartment." Girdling is an effective way to kill a tree while leaving it standing.

To create singular hollows in an otherwise live tree, try this: pick out a tree that is prone to forming cavities fairly quickly, such as a sycamore, silver maple, elm, or cottonwood. Choose one of the tree's larger branches at least ten feet above the ground. Cut the branch off about six inches from the trunk, creating a stub. To speed the cavity formation, chip or drill out some of the inside of the stub. The stub will prevent proper wound healing, eventually rotting into the tree. Be patient; it may take a several years to create a usable cavity.

Nest Islands and Platforms

Islands in ponds and marshes may be used by numerous species for nesting and foraging. A properly located island is especially beneficial to nesting waterfowl, such as Canada geese and mallards, because it provides some protection from predation. An island covered with and surrounded by vegetation also gives other creatures, such as frogs, additional hiding areas. And once constructed, an island is usually permanent and fairly maintenance-free.

If you are planning to build a pond or marsh, one or more islands can be easily integrated into your plans. Here are some guidelines:

Generally, don't build more than two or three islands per acre of water. A smaller number is fine.
Islands should be at least 100 square feet and rise at least three feet above the maximum high-water level to prevent flooding. Larger areas are better.
At least thirty feet is needed between the island and shore; more is better. Between these points the water should be at least three feet deep. This may deter predators from swimming to the island to prey on nests and young.
Make the island an irregular shape. Also, when creating an island in a pond, consider building part of it with gently sloping sides to create shallow water areas. This will produce aquatic vegetation and create a small marsh habitat around the island. Buy Illinois hunting land
In an existing wetland, there is really no way to construct an earthen island without draining the wetland. But there are other ways to create nesting habitat for geese and other waterfowl. One of the easiest is to drop a large round hay bale on top of a frozen wetland in the winter. When the ice melts, the bale will sink. The trick, of course, is to place the bale where the water is shallow enough that a portion of the bale will stick out of the water once it has sunk.

A variety of designs exist for constructing wooden platforms for nesting waterfowl. Some of these platforms float; others are anchored in the mud with poles. The IDNR has designs available upon request.

Another way to construct a fairly permanent nesting structure for waterfowl is to use a large corrugated culvert or similar tile at least four feet in diameter. Submerge the culvert vertically into the wetland bed so that the top is at least three feet above the highwater level. Fill it with rock and then dirt, and plant a little grass and some forbs on top to provide nesting cover. This structure will offer protection from many predators, except for raptors and those animals adept at climbing out of the water and up a corrugated structure, like raccoons.

Old Buildings and Other Structures

A wide variety of wildlife use human-made structures, and certain species have flourished as a result of our developments. Some species, such as the state-endangered barn owl and the uncommon black vulture found in southern Illinois land, have come to depend on , our structures to replace lost habitat. Farm buildings, chimneys, I abandoned houses, silos, road culverts, fenceposts, post piles, and bridges are used regularly by a wide array of Illinois wildlife.

Many of these structures in rural Illinois hunting lands are symbols of days gone by, when numerous small farms dotted the landscape. Building materials were typically simple-primarily wood, stone, brick, and concrete. Since these materials were similar to those found in the nearby forest or woodlot, they created opportunities for nest and roost sites.

Many modern structures use materials that are new to wildlife. Today's farm buildings are usually made out of metal; many homes and sheds are covered with vinyl siding; fenceposts are metal rather than wood. With the advent of new building materials and designs, some of the wildlife that had adapted to our human-made world are having to learn new ways of making do.

If you have an old building on your property and no particular need for the space, why not leave it stand if it is not a public safety hazard? The same goes for wooden fenceposts and abandoned bridges. If a structure must be removed, inspect it to determine if bats, chimney swifts, barn swallows, owls, raccoons, or other wildlife are
inhabiting it.

When possible, defer demolition or removal until the animals have left for the year. Many species, such as the chimney swifts, barn swallows, phoebes, and bats, will be present only during the nesting or breeding season. For any animals that might have taken up permanent residence, like raccoons, try to remove them before tearing down the structure.

Besides waiting to remove the structure at an appropriate time, consider creating some sort of a replacement for the animals. Bat houses and shelves for phoebes and swallows can be installed in the vicinity of the former structure. Check local nature stores or the Internet for information on purchasing these items.

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