Purpose: Big-game bedding, upland gamebird loafing cover, pollinator support, and drought-tolerant forage stability — built specifically for the cool-moist to mid-elevation valleys and foothills of Western Montana.
Designed for landowners who want a durable, wildlife-positive grassland that still blooms — without the cost of high forb percentages.
Ideal Uses
- Deer & antelope bedding habitat
- Elk calf cover & winter browse
- Sharp-tailed grouse & turkey loafing cover
- Roadside, CRP-style buffers, field edges
- Habitat reclamation on disturbed rangeland
Key Species
Milkvetch, Canada (0.17), Prairie Clover, White (0.18), Spikerush, Creeping (0.6), Rush, Baltic (1.5), Winterfat (0.2), Primrose, Common Evening (0.35), Bluegrass, Fowl (1.3), Antelope bitterbrush (0.2). Updated January 2026.
- Mid-grasses (Bluegrass, Fowl; Wheatgrass – Bluebunch; Wheatgrass – Western)
- Soil-holding sod base, nesting cover, drought & snow resilience
- Shrubs (Antelope bitterbrush, Winterfat)
- Critical winter browse, fawning & bedding structure
- Pollinator / nitrogen forbs (Primrose, Milkvetch, Prairie Clover)
- Boost insect production, improve soil fertility & brood-rearing value
- Hydro-stabilizers (Baltic Rush)
- Performs well in moisture-receiving low spots
NRCS Specs
Suitable for NRCS wildlife & range restoration practices including:
- 327 Conservation Cover
- 645 Upland Wildlife Habitat
- 550 Range Planting
- 643 Early Successional Habitat (site-appropriate)
Installer Notes
Site prep:
- Control annuals/cheatgrass with 1 year fallow-spray cycle or pre-emergent spray only on sites with no native wheatgrass present.
Seeding timing:
- Fall dormant (best): Oct–Dec
- Spring window: March–mid-May
- Depth: ¼" for grasses & shrubs
- do not bury winterfat or bitterbrush deeply;
- mix seed in drill box with rice hulls or lightweight filler for even flow.
- If you would like to add rice hulls to your order please contact Brooke at bmorgan@pheasantsforever.org
Consolidates & replaces the following former mixes for western MT:
- MT PF Range: Grass-Forb-Shrub Mix F
- MT PF Diverse Native Pollinator
- MT PF Diverse Range Grass-Forb Mix C
