Grazing as a Wildlife Management Tool
February 8, 2025 | Duration: 53 minutes
Course Description
The breakout session from the 2025 YF&R Conference shares insights on how grazing pastures and rangelands can benefit wildlife, the historical significance of grasslands in the Southeast, the role of fire and grazing in maintaining these ecosystems, and the potential for using domesticated grazers to replicate the benefits of historic herbivory.
This session also reviews the challenges and benefits of integrating grazing into land management practices, particularly for quail and other game species, and the importance of managing understory vegetation, including the use of cattle as a tool for disturbance and nutrient distribution, for maximizing silvopasture systems. The practical advice offered to attendee's questions on managing grazing systems, the impact of grazing on native grasses, and the importance of creative land management practices.
Learning Objectives
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Understanding the Historical Context and Importance of Grasslands
- Learn about the historical extent of grasslands and savannahs in the Southeast before European settlement and their ecological significance.
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Integrating Grazing into Wildlife Management
- Explore how domesticated grazers can replicate the benefits of historic herbivory and the challenges associated with this approach, including the need for active management and the economic considerations.
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Managing Understory Vegetation and Silvopasture Systems
- Gain insights into the use of cattle for managing understory vegetation in forested areas, the benefits of silvopasture systems, and the practical aspects of implementing these practices, such as fencing and water management.
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Creative Land Management Practices for Conservation
- Understand the importance of creative land management practices, including the use of fire, mechanical, and chemical applications, and the role of cattle in achieving conservation goals, particularly for game species like quail.
Credit Hours
This course does not include continuing educational credits.
Pricing
Member Price - Free | Non-member - $0
Presenters
Dan R. Peeples, III
Dan has been employed with SC Department of Natural Resources for 18 years. He has 22 plus years of upland management experience. Dan received his BS in Forest Resource Management in 2006 and is currently completing the Master of Fish and Wildlife Resources non-thesis program at Clemson University. He has helped private landowners across the state find ways to manage their property so that landowner objectives can be realized and assisted these landowners in finding financial assistance in completing those projects. Dan also helps with Camp Wildwood of South Carolina, teaching high school-aged youth about wildlife and SCDNR’s role in management. Dan enjoys spending time behind bird dogs, American History, and most of all time with his wife and 2 daughters.