Kentucky Private Land Habitat Management

Kentucky Private Land Habitat Management KDFWR provides information on how to manage the habitat on your property to meet your wildlife goals.

This page is managed by KY Department of Fish and Wildlife's Private Lands Management Program. The programs goal is to provide technical guidance on habitat management to landowners across the Commonwealth. To learn more about the program please follow this page and visit https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Improve-Your-Land-for-Wildlife.aspx. To learn more about the Department’s mission and programs, please visit https://fw.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

Just recently rotated a herd of cows off big bluestem and Indiangrass pasture. Grazed 60 cows on this 9 -ac field twice...
09/14/2026

Just recently rotated a herd of cows off big bluestem and Indiangrass pasture. Grazed 60 cows on this 9 -ac field twice this season.

• First rotation: June 23rd – July 1st
• Second rotation: August 30th – September 5th.

This last grazing cattle were removed a little early to leave some additional winter cover for wildlife. For this area it is recommended to pull livestock off native warm-season grasses by end of August or early September. Giving these pastures at least 4 to 6 weeks of rest before the first frost ensures the roots have enough time to rebuild carbohydrate reserves for winter survival and strong spring growth.

Native grasses like these truly shine during hot, dry summer months. As C4 plants, they have much higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to C3 cool-season grasses like tall fescue and orchard grass. Thanks to their deep root systems, they are exceptionally drought-tolerant and use far less water to produce quality dry matter.

Both big bluestem and Indiangrass provide highly palatable, nutritious summer forage for cattle. In fact, feeding trials show steer gains of 2.0 to 2.5 lbs. per day throughout the summer!

Best of all, unlike KY-31 tall fescue, native warm-season grasses don't contain toxic endophytes that cause performance losses and health issues. Switching cattle to native pastures during the hottest months helps significantly cut down on heat stress and keeps the herd thriving!

If you are interested in this topic and want to see how native warm season grasses could fit into your grazing management plan & extend your grazing window, please reach out to us we would be happy to help you!

Do you have any milkweed planted around your area? If so, now is a great time to check to see if there are any caterpill...
09/14/2026

Do you have any milkweed planted around your area? If so, now is a great time to check to see if there are any caterpillars on it! Butterfly Milkweed is the host plant for the well-known monarch butterfly. When female butterflies choose where to lay its eggs, they can only lay them on this specific plant as it is the only food source the caterpillars consume before its transformation into a butterfly. Butterfly milkweed native range spans from parts of Canada all the way to central and southeast of the US. Typical bloom times can vary from May-September. This species is a great addition to any pollinator plot you may be thinking about creating!

If you have property in Kentucky, you likely have at least one of the invasives shrubs pictured in this post. These inva...
09/03/2026

If you have property in Kentucky, you likely have at least one of the invasives shrubs pictured in this post. These invasives suppress and overtake native vegetation through seed dispersal, quick establishment, extended growing season, deer resistance, and/or allelopathy. September through October is the best time to control shrubs like bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, multiflora rose, and privet with foliar or hack & sq**rt treatments. Plants are actively pulling carbohydrates down into their root systems ahead of dormancy, so herbicide applied now translocates efficiently and delivers a stronger kill than treatments at other times throughout the year.

For smaller, scattered shrubs, foliar application with a 2-3% solution of glyphosate or triclopyr herbicide works well while leaves are still green and functional. For larger stems, the hack & sq**rt method with a 20-50% solution (Always follow label for rates) of either of the above herbicides is highly effective and safe on nearby natives since it targets only the cut stem.

If you need assistance with identifying these species on your property or would like help with establishing a plan for removal, reach out to your Private Lands Biologist.

09/03/2026

The Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council and the KDFWR Private Land Program will be hosting 2- Crewmember/Landowner Controlled Burn Trainings in October.

October 3rd- Warren County UK Cooperative Extension Office
Registration: https://forms.gle/r9Yv1Q7Txv5mCFWe8

October 9th- Rowen County- Derrickson Agriculture-Richardson Arena
Registration: https://forms.gle/n2qDtA7KM2Dd9wtV8

This course is designed as an introduction to Prescribed Fire/Controlled burns. You will learn Why fire is used as a management tool, When it is appropriate to use fire, and how you actually control fire.

The completion of the course also allows you to take part in "Learn and Burns". Learn and Burns get you into the action where the learning actually begins!

It’s finally that time where readied leaves fall while most of the tree still appears green. Mostly green, but some brow...
08/31/2026

It’s finally that time where readied leaves fall while most of the tree still appears green. Mostly green, but some brown, acorns and hickory nuts are dropping. Leaves are beginning to wilt and turn their autumn colors. It is a great time to work on tree ID.

Many strong characteristics of tree species will show in autumn. The fruit of hard-mast species should be showing. You can start watching how acorns will change. Acorn shape, size, and coloration can help you distinguish between oaks species. For example, pin oak acorns are small, dark with pin stripes. Leaves are still holding their shape while some are wilting. Sometimes color can help indicate species. Sassafras trees are easy to ID because of the multi-shaped leaves, but sometimes one of those shapes can hold across the entire tree. Knowing sassafras turns a prominent red may help with identifying. Color may help you indicate between tree families. Hickories are mostly a bright – bronze, yellow. Many invasive bushes and vines are considered semi-evergreen, so their leaves will stay green through winter. Of course, always look for other characteristics as well. Observing other small traits like smells, leaf scar shapes, lenticels, buds, piths, armor, and bark will allow you to be confident in your species identification. A dichotomous key can guide you through traits of a tree to nail down the species!

ALERT: Beware the Megs!No, we’re not referencing 60-foot great white sharks patrolling state waterways; however, residen...
08/30/2026

ALERT: Beware the Megs!
No, we’re not referencing 60-foot great white sharks patrolling state waterways; however, residents should be vigilant and proceed with caution. The “Megs” being referenced start as small, fuzzy-white critters inhabiting local forests and back yards.
Megalopyge opercularis or the southern flannel moth, is a common Kentucky resident and packs one of the most venomous stings in North America.
Caterpillar
• Appearance: Teardrop-shaped and covered in long, silky, hair-like setae that resemble tiny tufts of cotton, a fuzzy slug, or a piece of animal fur. Colors range from gray and yellow to reddish-brown.
• The Danger: Hidden beneath the soft "fur" are short, rigid, hollow spines connected to poison glands. If touched, the spines break off in the skin and inject venom.
• Symptoms of a Sting: Contact causes immediate, intense burning pain that can rapidly radiate across the body. Other symptoms include red, grid-like rashes, swelling, blisters, headaches, nausea, and sometimes chest pain or vomiting.
• Diet & Habitat: They eat the leaves of various deciduous trees and shrubs, including oak, elm, redbud, maples and various fruit trees. They are found across the southern and eastern United States.
Adult Moth
• Appearance: Adult Flannel Moths are stout, furry, and completely harmless (they possess no venomous sting). They have a wingspan of 1 to 1.5 inches with wavy, fluffy hair colored in gradients of orange, yellow, rust-red, and cream, along with fuzzy black-tipped "boots" on their legs.
• Behavior: Adults are short-lived and do not feed; their only goal is to find a mate and lay eggs for the next generation before dying within a week.

Interested in learning more about prescribed fire?The Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council will be hosting an 8-hour Crewmem...
08/28/2026

Interested in learning more about prescribed fire?
The Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council will be hosting an 8-hour Crewmember Workshop on October 9th at Derrickson Agricultural Complex in Morehead.
This classroom-based course is designed to give landowners, contractors, natural resource professionals, and anyone else interested in prescribed fire a strong foundation in how to safely and effectively plan and implement a controlled burn. Topics include fire behavior, weather, fuels, burn planning, equipment, safety, and more.
If you or someone you know is interested in attending, register by scanning the QR code on the flyer below. Registration typically fills up quickly, so don't wait to sign up!
Can't make this one? No worries. The Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council typically hosts several Crewmember Workshops each spring and fall, so keep an eye out for future opportunities!
We hope to see you there!

Native doesn’t automatically mean quality habitat.At first glance, this field of big bluestem looks like a wildlife-mana...
08/25/2026

Native doesn’t automatically mean quality habitat.

At first glance, this field of big bluestem looks like a wildlife-management success. But it has become a dense near-monoculture, limiting the habitat benefits it can provide.

Big bluestem isn’t the problem... the lack of diversity is.

Quality early successional habitat should be a patchy mix of native grasses, forbs, legumes, bare ground, and vegetation of different heights and densities. Grasses provide structure and cover, while forbs provide flowers, seeds, and insects that benefit songbirds, game birds, and small mammals.

Sometimes the best management means setting back even our native plants. Prescribed fire, disking, selective herbicide, or other targeted disturbances can open dense stands and allow more diversity to respond.

Native is a great starting point, but habitat quality comes from diversity.

When livestock has unrestricted access to creeks, the damage can go far beyond a muddy creekbank. Creating pathways down...
08/24/2026

When livestock has unrestricted access to creeks, the damage can go far beyond a muddy creekbank. Creating pathways down creek banks increases erosion, adds sediment and nutrients to the water, and destroys vegetation that provides important habitat and shade.

Fencing livestock out of creeks and establishing Riparian Buffers, which includes strips of trees, shrubs, and grasses along the water can make a tremendous difference. Healthy riparian areas will accomplish the following:

• Stabilize creek banks and reduce erosion
• Filter sediment, nutrients, and runoff before they reach the water
• Keep streams cooler and healthier
• Provide food, cover, and habitat for fish, insects, amphibians, birds and other wildlife
• Protect water quality for communities and ecosystems downstream

Keeping livestock out of the water doesn’t just protect the creek—it protects everything connected to it. A healthy stream begins at its banks, and what we do upstream affects life all the way downstream.

If you have waterways through your property reach out to your local Private Lands Biologist to create a plan to protect those water sources while enhancing the diversity of plant and wildlife species.

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1 Sportsman's Lane
Frankfort, KY
40601

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