Natural Resource Management TipsApproaches and tips landowners can use to help effectively management their land. |
Natural Resource Management TipsApproaches and tips landowners can use to help effectively management their land. |
Dog Days of Summer7/22/2014 July and August are two months hunters can do without. It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s buggy and you can’t hunt anything. You just can’t erase these two months from the calendar, so as hunters we make the best of this time of year. With the start of archery season approaching for most of the country, there are a few things you can do to be productive in the dog days of summer. While not inclusive, the ideas below should be enough to fill time until that first crisp opening morning of fall.
-Check arrows for straightness and fletchings for condition -Spin test arrows -Arrow nocks and inserts should be straight -Sharpen or purchase new broadheads
-Identify any changes in deer patterns from last year -Look for and assess new hunting opportunities
-Purchase necessary hunting permits -Treat weeds and undesirable species in existing food plots -Prepare seedbed and choose seed mix for re-seeding or establishing food plots -Establish food plots in late August -Put out salt/mineral supplements -Trim around stands and maintain shooting lanes
Micro Food Plots7/9/2014 The idea of making big, elaborate food plots that require heavy equipment and hours of labor tends to intimidate landowners. Don't have unlimited time, large equipment or hundreds of acres? A micro food plot is your solution. Micro food plots are small food plots, usually less than an acre, that are strategically located near bedding areas or travel corridors. These small areas are known to attract large bucks throughout the season, particularity during the rut when these areas become social hubs for cruising bucks. Also, most large food sources are poor morning hunt locations because deer have already moved back into cover. Micro plots are designed to be small and established in tactical locations so deer are more at ease using these areas throughout the day. Planting It First thing first, find a small (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 acre) area near a natural travel corridor or known bedding area. An existing gap in the tree canopy is ideal and will require less work to prepare the plot for seeding. Site preparation includes removing existing vegetation using herbicides or mechanical methods and removing the leaf litter using a leaf blower or rake. Most woodlands have acidic soils so applying a pelletized lime and fertilizer mixture is critical for plant growth and even taste. Pelletized lime and fertilizer is recommended over powdered varieties because it is absorbed more quickly by the soil and easier to apply with a small handheld spreader. Having a soil test is beneficial, but in the case without one lime only is preferred as it is the more critical component for success. Finally, broadcast the seed over the lime and fertilizer. Selecting the Seed In most areas, planting will occur about four weeks prior to opening day. Attractiveness and durability should both be considered when selecting forage options. Peas are attractive to whitetails but a micro plot planted in peas can be wiped out in a few days by even a modest deer herd. A clover and brassica mix will draw deer and also provide some durability. Several seed varieties on the market offer this combination and are well suited for micro plots. Putting It All Together If your property doesn't have such areas and you have the ability to create them, it’s definitely worth it. Find areas where the wind, terrain and proximity to bedding and feeding areas all work together to your benefit. Micro food plots are easy to establish and offer increased opportunities for harvesting mature bucks. In fact, planting micro plots may be the single most important thing you can do to improve your hunting area. Summer Food Plot Success6/18/2014 Fall food plots provide the opportunity but early year plantings provide the deer. Often overlooked, summer food plots are necessary for quality nutrition leading to a healthier herd and bigger bucks. Summer months are the most demanding due to hot and dry conditions. The majority of the high protein forage has been eaten or has dried out, leaving relatively few nutritious plants available to deer during June, July and August. This situation is problematic to a herd's health and antler development. The nutritional demands of lactating does are high and lack a quality forage limits fawn growth potential. This is also the time of peak antler growth. If deer are limited by forage availability, the herd health is reduced and buck potential is reduced. Not a great combination leading up to the hunting season. The solution in many cases are planting warm season legumes in the spring so they are peaking in early to mid summer months. Soybeans and peas provide a cost effective, versatile and easy to plant solution to maintain a high nutritional forage during a herd's prime growth stages. The limiting factor with warm season legumes is the amount of acreage required to effectively grow them. Soybeans are browsed heavily by deer so plots of 5 acres or more are desired to maintain enough suitable forage for your local herd. Peas are more browse tolerant and can be planted on smaller sized food plots. Summer food plots are critical for managing the deer herd on your property. Quality and available forage is a necessity during the main growth period in the whitetail's life cycle. Having a summer food plot strategy produces healthier mature does, better fawn growth and larger bucks. Not only will providing quality forage on your property increase the available nutrition resources for deer, it will also draw more deer to your hunting grounds.
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Pennsylvania forestry consultants, wildlife managers and agricultural conservationists managing and improving properties across the Keystone State and the Northeast since 2009. |
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