Survey About Prairie Meadows Sent to Random Ranches

March 28, 2019. Grant County News 134(35): 1.

A survey asking ranchers for their response to a number of questions regarding prairie meadows was recently mailed to randomly selected ranchers in Cherry and Holt counties.

The goal of the questionnaire was to “help us to understand ranchers’ prairie haying practices and awareness of wild game birds and prairie song birds,” according to an introductory letter sent by Matthew P. Gruntorad, a human dimensions analyst at the School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“We have been reading some papers abut hay cutting practices and we were intrigued to find more information about what hay cutting practices were in Nebraska and the views of the landowners concerning different types of birds,” Gruntorad said in a supplemental email. About 1000 surveys were mailed.

Survey questions were grouped into four categories:

1) Ranching operation: ranching background, experience with prairie meadows, including when haying was typically initiated and finished.

2) Wildlife awareness: six similar questions each about the mallard, greater prairie-chicken, western meadowlark and bobolink.

3) Standing water in prairie meadows: would the rancher be willing to retain standing water in meadows during the spring and fall migration?

4) Hunting and organization membership: what animals are hunted and has the rancher been a member in nine possible groups.

5) Willingness to adjust haying practices: a basic tenet was focused around how waiting to cut meadow hay until after July 15 would improve the survival of nesting birds. Two questions had a range of selectable answers on whether or not it would be likely the rancher would delay haying until after mid-July and what portion of meadow acreage could perhaps be cut after this date.

There were also a few blank lines where the respondent could provide comments.

“We have a deep appreciation for the Sandhills and the views of landowners there. If not for them, it would not be one of our favorite places in Nebraska,” Gruntorad said in his email.

Responses to the questionnaire will be tabulated later in spring, with the results then issued online.