JAGDcast #195: Wildacker

Wild acres are a targeted tool for hunters and land managers, not just a patch of pretty flowers. In this episode of JAGDcast, host Frank Zabel talks with Bonke Heger, a member of the Niederwild (small game) working group in Schleswig-Holstein, to break down what wild acres are, why they matter, and how to plan, plant, and maintain them for specific goals—whether that’s supporting partridges, hares, insects, or reducing game damage to crops.

Wild meadow vs. wild acre: a key distinction

The conversation opens with a necessary clarification. A wild meadow is permanent grassland, rich in species due to extensive, low-intensity use. A wild acre, by contrast, is a cultivated field. It is plowed, seeded, and managed on a rotation—typically every one to three years—with a specific seed mixture chosen for a purpose. The acre is a deliberate intervention on farmland, not a natural grassland left to itself.

Why plant a wild acre? Multiple goals, one tool

Heger lists several reasons for establishing wild acres, and they are not all about hunting. The primary aims include: