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Post by cornusracemosa on Sept 18, 2012 10:08:39 GMT -5
I notice that food plots seem to dominate many "habitat" conversations quite often. Understandably so as creating a nice plot is very rewarding. Food plots definitely provide forage but there are low maintainence alternatives for landowners that do just as much, if not more, for deer than groomed food plots. We are trying to steer our food and cover crews away from sharecropping which basically create food plots on SGLs, albeit, larger than average. Also we are pushing to reduce the amount of mowing done by our crews each year. Research found that pound for pound, a reverting field provides far more forage for deer than a food plot and in addition, optimal fawning areas. www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/habitatmanageoldfields.pdfPlease let me know if you have any questions. Eric |
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Post by bake545 on Sept 18, 2012 10:38:42 GMT -5
Your link doesn't work  |
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Post by cornusracemosa on Sept 18, 2012 12:02:27 GMT -5
I deleted the other URL and added it again. It should be working.
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Post by dennyf on Sept 18, 2012 12:19:45 GMT -5
One area of my camp property is reverting pasture. While there are still some open areas in there, much of it is now crab apples, apple trees, assorted larger trees and briars.
All of the open areas were in goldenrods until about 6 years ago when I started mowing some of them. Now they're mostly clover, orchard grass and some timothy. I don't mow 'em too low (6" to 8") and mow them maybe twice a year, except for an ATV trail up the middle of the largest area.
Plenty of bedding areas left in that area. Not unusual to walk up on a bedded deer in firearms seasons. Good cover for fawns (I usually see at least two fawns around there each spring) and now more "open" areas for deer and turkeys to feed in. I know turkeys feed on insects in the mowed areas, once the adjoining hayfield becomes too high.
Minimum effort, maxium return. All that's reguired is a few hours of my time each year and a coupla gallons of fuel to run the tractor.
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Post by Dutch on Sept 19, 2012 6:21:15 GMT -5
Food plots a re great fun, and frustration. The chainsaw is one of the best tools for improving habitat as well. Creating edges with a chainsaw helps many species and gives the woods diversity, which it sorely needs in many areas.
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Post by archeryman32 on Sept 19, 2012 9:34:30 GMT -5
I've been hacking alot of aspen on my little chunk. Every year a cut another acre or two in the winter. I cannot believe the regen I'm getting. I also have a large stand of pines that I'm slowly starting to thin out. I cut maybe 10-15 of the larger trees, and the follwing spring, the understory explodes with growth. Everytime I cut, I also re-seed something. I'll throw down acorns, hickory nuts, and even blackberries I picked in the fall to ensure some growth from preferred species in the spring.
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