How to Save America's Whitetail Woods...

[Clevinger]

I have a subscription to Outdoor Life, and the latest issue has a big article (Public Land Deer Hunting: How to Save America's Whitetail Woods) about declining public land use by deer hunters and also how less quality deer are being taken from public land. It blames lack of management of public land and overgrowth, etc. Talks about need for controlled burns, etc.

Anyone read that? I wasn't sure what to think of it.

Here is the link for the article:

Article

[headgear]

Interesting read, I didn't realize how much land is closed to logging around the country. If we didn't have logging in our area of northern MN the deer would slowly disappear. You can watch a recently logged off area become hot bed of deer activity and slowly tail off to nothing more than a few travel routes over 20 some years. I pattern all my hunts around the logged off areas and often follow the deer from one area to another as the preferred food and bedding shift with the logging.

[Southern Man]

One of the biggest pieces of public land we have around here stopped logging several years ago, maybe 15 years or so. The management of the area was TVA and all they wanted to do was develope the area. The public said no. The deer herd went to crap. Since then it was took over by the forestry dept and they started burns and last year started logging again. They actually seem like they care about the wildlife in the area. Things are starting to look up. I hope it continues. Everything needs a little maintenance if you want it to produce.

[Bigb]

I read it as well. Seemed like an interesting article. I could see where they were coming from but I feel like there had to be other factors as well. I can't see how a lightly hunted deer population is going to diminish in numbers like that. The Forest preserves and State parks by me left untouched would have heavy ground cover. They have to clear out the ground cover every other year with volunteers. I wonder if there was an influx in predators as well, the article didn't talk too much about that. Good article though, it made me think....

[JoeRE]

Very interesting. I hunt a number of public areas that are composed mostly of "hardwood deserts" as I call them. Mature trees and very little understory. You have a hard time to find a deer track there when acorns are not dropping. I very much wish there was some common sense forestry practices applied in these areas. Some limited timber harvesting would go a long way toward helping wildlife in general on this land - not just deer.

[headgear]

[quote="Bigb"]I can't see how a lightly hunted deer population is going to diminish in numbers like that. The Forest preserves and State parks by me left untouched would have heavy ground cover. [quote]

Its all about winter food. There is plenty of green stuff and mast crops in mature forest to keep the deer going throughout the summer and fall. However to support even a below average population through the winter you need new growth browse to support them or they starve. If you think of 1000 acres oak hillside there should be tons of food there, however when you cover that area with 2 feet of snow there is only the browse. There will also be some brush there for the deer to eat but a 40 acre clearcut covered in young trees will provide a lot more food throughout the winter.

[Stanley]

Interesting.

[exojam]

Well if clearing helps bring in the deer I have an area I will be exploring this year. A forest owned by the NEFS just had a lot of clearing done to it so they could make room for new growth.

James