North Dakota
MDF Projects
Beaver Creek Ranch Cell-Grazing Project
In 2004, the Northern Badlands Chapter put three years of fundraising to good use on their first major habitat project in North Dakota. 1.3 miles of wildlife friendly electric fence was built on a private ranch to split one large pasture into two. This will allow better timing of livestock grazing, which improves both watershed function and wildlife habitat (primarily by increasing herbaceous plant vigor and abundance).
This project will increase pasture rest, increase grazing distribution, and allow the landowners to keep summer mule deer forage green & nutritious as well as building winter forage. This should increase mule deer condition, fawn production and antler growth.
In addition, this ranch has been enrolled into the North Dakota Game & Fish Department’s P.L.O.T.S. (Private Lands Open To Sportsmen) Program. This hunter-access program works with private landowners to develop/protect habitat and open up land for public access for sportsmen at the same time. This project area is located approximately 4 miles west of Theodore Roosevelt’s historic Elkhorn Ranch.