Burning The Tallgrass Prairie

[Tallman]

Yesterday I burned one of my pastures, and it got to thinking that some on this forum might be interested in the burning of the tallgrass prairie. I only burned about 60 acres of grass; however, the big pasture burnings are in the flint hills of Kansas about 80 miles from me where they burn thousands of acres. I have driven through this country while the burning was being done, and at night you can see a fire line from miles and miles away. Quit a sight. The flint hill rancher will tell you that his main crop is grass, and he just uses the cattle to harvest it.

The site I have pasted here has some history and some great pictures.

http://www.geospectra.net/kite/ross/fire.htm

Several years ago one rancher had some friends and relatives who lived out of the area come to watch the burning. This started a little side business where people can sign up for a three or four day burning camp and thus participate in the burning experience. It seems like I read that the cost was $150 and there is a waiting list.

You can read a little about it at this site.

http://www.koaa.com/aaaaaa_travel_news/x9319201/index.html

 

[dacjohns]

People pay to burn?


I get paid at work to do prescribed burns except I won't be doing many with my new job.

I belong to a prescribed burn association and do burns with it.


Fire ecology is a fascinating thing. Most of our devastating wildland fires are a result of fire suppression which started around the WW II years and continued with years of Smokey Bear. Bambi didn't help much either.

 

[CARS]

I am on the local Fire Dept. and last Saturday we did a "training" burn on about a hundred acres of CRP land. I was great training (especially when it kinda got away from us for a while) but what is really neat about burning wild lands is to go back in a week and look at all the nice green grass growing up through the ash.

 

[Tallman]

I am on the local Fire Dept. and last Saturday we did a "training" burn on about a hundred acres of CRP land. I was great training (especially when it kinda got away from us for a while) but what is really neat about burning wild lands is to go back in a week and look at all the nice green grass growing up through the ash.

Your right about the nice green grass. Lush and wonderful. After I get a shower on my pasture I'll go for a walk and look for deer sheds.

Before I owned this place, it was known as a rattlesnake haven. I am convinced that the burning has run them out. I moved here in 1978, and have never seen a rattler on the place; however, I kill one on the road once in awhile so I know they are around. to rattlesnakes.

 

[dacjohns]

It helps get rid of ticks too.

 

[patandchickens]

I've helped with burns of smallish prairie plots, and while I realize it is both natural and necessary (thus this is not at all a criticism of prescribed burns, *especially* not on prairie) I have to say I found it hard to watch the severely burned toads and voles and such that would stagger beyond the edge of the burn and then die, or not quite (I helped a few with my shovel). I know, 'cycle of life' and all that, but pretty depressing nonetheless.

Pat

 

[CARS]

I've helped with burns of smallish prairie plots, and while I realize it is both natural and necessary (thus this is not at all a criticism of prescribed burns, *especially* not on prairie) I have to say I found it hard to watch the severely burned toads and voles and such that would stagger beyond the edge of the burn and then die, or not quite (I helped a few with my shovel). I know, 'cycle of life' and all that, but pretty depressing nonetheless.

Pat

Ya... but you have to keep in mind it is for a greater good. Like "culling" livestock. It needs to be done.

 

[Farmfresh]

I have seen some of the burns when we went on a trip to Independence Kansas with my kids years ago. Between the controlled burns and huge herds of commercial buffalo it was a vacation the kids really remember.

We have taken a lot of off the main road trips through Kansas and enjoyed each one. We will be vacationing in the Flint Hills and on to the Cimarron again this year. People all say we are mad to "vacation" to a place like Kansas.

After all of those burns are done the entire prairie grows lush and green and blooms with life and health. We simply LOVE it!

I am so glad so few people are interested in it. Camping in the Cimarron National Grasslands a few years back was wonderful. Thousands of acres of grass and prairie wildlife me, hubby and one other very nice family in the entire campground. My kind of vacation!

 

[Tallman]

Here is something that is interesting that goes on in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The Kansas City Philharmonic performs a concert out in the hills every summer. This thing has become so popular that when the tickets go on sale, they sell out in about 30 minutes. That's around 2,000 tickets. DW and I attended last year and found it to be a great experience. Here's the web site.

http://www.symphonyintheflinthills.org/

 

[big brown horse]

I used to buy my hay from a farmer who burned his fields yearly between harvests. Everyone at my stable (not farmers nor gardeners) did not get it. They thought he was weird, well he was but not because he burned his fields! He was very big on building healthy soil and he talked about it a bunch, that is what made him stand out to non-farmer/gardener types.

I seem to remember that he never used chemicals on his crops. My horses NEVER coliced, I have three, in those 6 years. Those were some good odds. I'm pretty sure it was the chemical-free hay.