Prescribed burn

[blizzardhunter]

I have a large chunk of public ground close to me I bow hunt. It's almost all mature hardwoods which is tough hunting. Very few thick areas. Since the forestry department has taken it over they have started doing select cut logging in a few places but prescribed burning large chunks of land. I know how to approach logging but what about burns. There is very little information out there and I feel by avoiding these areas I'm missing out. These areas just look weird. Anyone have experience hunting/ scouting burns. There are a few areas that were cut and burned at the same time. Imy thinking that should be really good.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Hawthorne]

I don't have experience with forest prescribed burns but I've hunted some areas that had crp prescribed burns in the spring. The deer and turkeys love it when it first greens up. By fall it's back to normal. I would imagine the areas that were cut and burned would be real good for deer. Especially if broadleaf weeds and legumes pop up.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[blizzardhunter]

From what I've seen its mainly saplings and brush growing up. It does provide a lot of browse. It looks thick til the leaves drop but it's only thick up to 5 foot off the ground. Above that you can see forever.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Hawthorne]

Because it was forest for so long probably nothing in the seed bank for weeds and legumes. Didn't think of that

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[jwilkstn]

Because it was forest for so long probably nothing in the seed bank for weeds and legumes. Didn't think of that

[ Post made via iPhone ]

In my experience, you'd be surprised! We cut about 5 acres 3 years ago and it became a jungle of native weeds overnight.

[ Post made via Android ]

[blizzardhunter]

The land I'm talking about is almost all timber with very little open ground to be found. It's surrounded by an over mile wide lake on 3 sides. Very little chance of many seeds getting in the seed bed.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Hawthorne]

Deer live their lives 5ft and under. Those clear cuts and burns will provide tons of food per acre. Worst habitat is continuous mature woods

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[UofLbowhunter]

Deer live their lives 5ft and under. Those clear cuts and burns will provide tons of food per acre. Worst habitat is continuous mature woods

[ Post made via iPhone ]

i agree with ya totally! I believe i know where he is talking about cause im not far. I think there doin this to promote the extra browse for improvement mainly. There a a couple of places that have been Logged and burned for awhile and those areas are becoming thick in browse but have been slow , do to long term canopy, but are comeing along nicely. Matter of fact i looked a few places that have almost become impassable at times,so you would know it should be holding some deer, and prob get alil better!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Razorhead]

Prescribed burns are generally done to reduce a layer of unwanted competing vegetation such as heavy ferns or even some invasive species. They hope to get the fire hot enough (but not too hot) to expose the bare mineral soil to promote regenerating natural plants and trees from the viable seed bank that exists in the first layer of mineral soil. By burning off the unwanted vegetation soil temperatures can be elevated enough to spur on this new growth of plants and trees. The deer will definitely use these areas for food and cover as they continue to develop. Have fun watching these new young forests grow, have patience they will provide for some good hunting down the road.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[blizzardhunter]

They saw the main purpose is to get rid of debree that could cause forest fires. I really think as the areas get some growth they should produce a great food source and excellent bedding cover. It's the kind of place you expect that next 200 inch deer to come from. UofL bowhunter if you ever get to the west end of the state let me know.

[ Post made via Android ]

[PK_]

Our deer down here are in those burns while they are still smoldering. The fire releases nutrients back into the soil or something of that nature as Razor explained. But I have literally watched deer eat what appears to be the ash. Yes burning periodically will get rid of the dead timber and make a natural wildfire easier to control/extinguish or it will just burn out on it's own…

[Lu Rome]

Whitetails love habitat produced by disturbance and fire is no exception. Fire will stimulate growth of early successional species (as well as the existing veg depending on the intensity/timing/etc.), most of which are food and/or cover for deer.

Most seeds will persist in the seed bank for a very long time, that mature forest wasn't always that way and I'm sure there are seeds just sitting there waiting for the right conditions. A recent study of prairie sites I believe found something on the order of 33,000 seeds per square meter in the seed bank, I can't remember the number of species, but it was surprisingly high as well. I'll try to see if I can find a link to that article.

[thwack16]

They saw the main purpose is to get rid of debree that could cause forest fires. I really think as the areas get some growth they should produce a great food source and excellent bedding cover. It's the kind of place you expect that next 200 inch deer to come from. UofL bowhunter if you ever get to the west end of the state let me know.

[ Post made via Android ]

If this is the area I feel like it is, I bet that "purpose" is somewhat of a cover up for all of the tree huggers. Everything I have read is that the people want to log and prescribe burns for wildlife; however, opposition from tree huggers is stronger than the support from hunters.

My dealings with burns have been mainly for turkeys, they absolutely love a fresh burn.

There should be a lot more bedding created by the burn.

[BigCedarJack]

They did a 1700 acre burn on one of my hunting areas this year. The deer seem to be enjoying it. Lots of sign and now that I have a camera out I'm getting pics.

It is also a great place to forage mushrooms!!!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[jwilkstn]

Our deer down here are in those burns while they are still smoldering. The fire releases nutrients back into the soil or something of that nature as Razor explained. But I have literally watched deer eat what appears to be the ash. Yes burning periodically will get rid of the dead timber and make a natural wildfire easier to control/extinguish or it will just burn out on it's own…

I've seen the same with wildlife in the burns before the smoke clears. What part of the country are you in?

[ Post made via Android ]