Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
October 1973
Abstract
I feel it would be interesting to examine another agricultural statistic to see whether the birds have had any influence on the agriculturists in Ohio with respect to what crops they plant. It is interesting to note that in 1960 we had about 3,383,000 acres of corn grown for grain in the state. That acreage has remained relatively constant. A low point was reached in 1969. The 1969 crop year here in Ohio was an extremely wet season; therefore there was difficulty in getting the crop planted in the spring of the year and difficulty getting the crop harvested in the fall. That year the total acreage of corn was down to 2,740,000 acres. That is the low in corn for grain production for Ohio in the past 14 years. 1971 represents the high for corn acreage in the state, a little better than 3.5 million acres of corn for grain. This would suggest on a statewide basis, then, that apparently too many farmers are not being scared out of the corn for grain growing business as a result of depredating bird pressure. Tax receipts on production, of course, relate to the yield on an acre basis. However, I think the acreage is a more realistic figure to take a look at at this point. In order to more closely identify this possible factor, I took two counties in the state to examine as far as changes in corn acreage that may have occurred over the years.