No matter how hard you work, you’re unlikely to attract caribou to your central Minnesota property.  But what about other species?  How can you find out which species it makes sense to manage for on your landscape?

Your best bet is to contact your local MN DNR wildlife office.  A local wildlife professional will be able to help you understand what wildlife species are present in your landscape and what you can do to attract those species to your land.

Remember the four basic needs of wildlife.  As you begin to develop goals for wildlife on your property, think about the larger landscape and what your target species might be looking for on your land.

One particularly useful resource for managing Minnesota woods for wildlife is Gordon Gullion’s book called “Managing Northern Forests for Wildlife,” available for a few bucks from the Ruffed Grouse Society.

If you start by thinking at the landscape scale, you’re likely to end up with more realistic goals for wildlife conservation on your land.