Farming Your Forest

Thinned pine plantations not only increase timber production, they also allow sunlight to reach the ground which results in vegetation that is beneficial to wildlife.

MANAGING YOUR FOREST TO ATTRACT WILDLIFE HUNTING

BY BILLY RYE

The most famous Alabamian of all time, Forrest Gump, said that he and Jenny went together like peas and carrots. Some things just seem to fit naturally. Improving wildlife habitat while managing for timber is one of those natural fits. You can greatly increase the opportunities for hunting with only slight tweaks to your existing timber management plans. Below are 10 practices that we believe can be easily implemented on your property to attract wildlife for hunting.

1. PINE PLANTATION THINNING

Foresters typically manage groups of trees known as stands. Stands of pines that were planted at the same time are known as pine plantations. These plantations are typically thinned at regular intervals to keep the stand healthy and improve growth rate. Thinning the pine plantations allows more room between the crowns or tops of trees so that they can grow without competition for sunlight for a few years. After the pine stands are thinned,

more sunlight reaches the ground which in turn stimulates new vegetation to grow. The resulting vegetation is higher in both quantity and quality for many species of wildlife. Desirable plants such as green brier, blackberry, partridge pea, woolly croton, and ragweed will often occupy the ground level of the pine plantation following a thin. This increase in desirable vegetation attracts more wildlife to the recently thinned areas. With time, the crown or tops of the pines will grow together and once again restrict the amount of available sunlight. This will reduce the amount of vegetation available for wildlife and another thin should be considered at that time. Foresters often thin pine stands slightly heavier if wildlife habitat is a major objective when compared to managing strictly for timber production. Discuss the method, timing, and pricing of thinning with your consultant forester to reach your objective.

2. PRESCRIBED BURNING

Not all fire is bad. In fact, fire is a natural part of our ecosystem. Properly timed and conducted, prescribed burns can help reduce wildfire hazard, reduce competition to pine trees, improve aesthetics and improve wildlife habitat. Controlled burning improves wildlife habitat by changing the vegetation present to a community that is more beneficial for most game species. Burning cycles vary but most are implemented on a one- to three-year interval. We have found that the incidence of sweetgum will increase over time if the burn interval is three years or longer. Therefore, you may need to supplement your burning with chemical control or switch to a two-year burn cycle to reduce the occurrence of this undesirable species. Pine trees have characteristics which make them fire tolerant. Most species of hardwood are much more susceptible to damage from fires so discuss the potential adverse impacts to your future timber production with a consulting forester prior to burning your hardwoods. Be sure to contract with a Certified Burn Manager to conduct your burns and require them to produce a Prescribed Burn Plan that includes a Smoke Screening System.

Control burning under a pine plantation can greatly improve the habitat for wildlife by top killing woody shrubs and exposing bare ground. The shrubs that resprout and the legumes, forbs, etc. that germinate on the bare ground provide a rich source of food for wildlife.

3. MID-ROTATION HERBICIDE

Mid-rotation herbicide treatments were originally researched as a method of improving the return on investment of pine plantations. In addition to improving economic returns for the pines, researchers also found that mid-rotation herbicides resulted in increased production of quality deer forage, improved nesting and brood-rearing habitats for game birds, and even improved the habitat for some nongame bird species whose populations were in decline. The usual timing for a mid-rotation herbicide is about a year after the first thinning (age 15-18) and is applied in either August or September. Only one treatment during the life of the pine plantation is usually needed to bolster the wildlife habitat especially when combined with prescribed burning. Be sure to consult with an expert in forest herbicides to obtain a prescription that is customized to your pine plantation.

4. STRATEGIC CLEAR-CUTTING

Commercial clear-cutting has a stigma with most of the public. Often, it is associated with a “Cut out and get out” mentality and confused with deforestation. Neither is true of most clear-cuts in Alabama. When properly applied, this type of harvest imitates the natural forces which regenerate new and healthy forests. Clear-cuts allow sunlight to reach the ground which results in a plant community that is rich in wildlife habitat. Wildlife biologists will often prescribe a clear-cut for no other reason than to improve wildlife habitat. You will probably need a minimum clear-cut size of 30 acres to secure a modern logger for your harvest and you should consider the type, age, and size of the forests on adjoining properties when choosing a location. Employing a full-time consulting forester will increase your chances of having a successful sale.

5. EARLY SUCCESSIONAL OPENING

Early successional openings are habitat with vigorously growing grasses and forbs which provide excellent food and cover for wildlife but need disturbance to be maintained. These openings can be created following a commercial clear-cut or created

within existing forests by pushing existing vegetation aside with a crawler tractor. Burning is the most cost-effective method to maintain them in an early succession state of vegetation. They should be burned every other year and occasionally the burning may need to be supplemented with chemical or mechanical control of undesirable species. Wildlife biologists suggest that these openings be relatively large (3-5 acres) and be evenly distributed across your property. Early successional openings are particularly attractive to deer as they are natural browsers and eat as they walk. These openings are not as visually attractive as manicured food plots but are preferred by wildlife.

Large areas (3-5 acres) of natural vegetation which are maintained in an early successional plant community are highly preferred by wildlife. Annual burning is the least expensive method of maintaining these openings.

6. SNACK PLOTS

You probably refer to these openings as “food plots." However, natural resource managers understand that these “plots” don’t produce enough food to sustain an entire population of wildlife. Therefore, these are more aptly referred to as a “snack” plot or a “harvesting” plot. The tillage, fertilizer, seed, sowing, and herbicide work can make these snack plots expensive to install and maintain. However, snack plots do have their place in managing populations of wildlife. As the desired game species are attracted to the plots, the hunter can then select the proper sex, size, or age specimen to harvest so that the health of the population is maintained. The landings used by loggers to load their trucks during timber harvesting can make excellent locations for these plots. Invest in a soil survey and follow its recommendations for fertilizing and liming. Avoid pre-mixed seed and discuss your specific situation with a wildlife biologist for a seed mixture that is customized for your situation. Be sure to locate your snack plots well inside your property to reduce the amount of poaching.

7. SHORTLEAF PINE

Shortleaf pine is one of four species of pine in the Southern Yellow Pine group. Unlike other species of Southern Yellow Pine, it has buds which will sprout when the tree is wounded. This feature allows forest managers to burn stands of shortleaf earlier than those composed of loblolly pine. Some managers burn shortleaf stands from age 1-3 to reduce competition from natural loblolly pine and to maintain early succession habitat longer. To benefit wildlife, burning should be reintroduced at age 6 and applied every two years thereafter. According to the Shortleaf Pine Initiative, the high diversity and number of herbaceous understory plants and wildlife found in shortleaf savannahs and woodlands is sustained with frequent prescribed burns. Shortleaf pine produces high quality lumber by growing slower than other species of Southern Yellow Pine. Be sure to consider this reduced economic rate of return when deciding which species to plant.

8. TREE INJECTION

Forest stands will almost always contain individual trees that are undesirable for timber production or for wildlife habitat. Removing the unwanted trees so that your preferred trees can thrive may be challenging. Most loggers aren’t interested in removing low value trees from hardwood or mixed stands and felling the trees yourself can be time-consuming and dangerous. One method that we have seen successfully applied to larger trees is the tree injection method. This method typically involves the use of a hatchet or machete and a squirt bottle. Tree injection involves making downward cuts into the bark of the tree to be treated and squirting the desired chemical into the cut. While there are multiple concoctions of chemical available for tree injection, most involve the chemical Imazapyr. Be sure to follow the label on the chosen chemical while mixing, applying and when cleaning up. The advantage of tree injection is the low cost and the fact that most landowners can do this work themselves as time al-

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lows. I recommend that you only inject trees whose crown or top is directly competing with your desired tree. Discuss with a wildlife biologist which trees to favor for your target game species.

9. PERMANENT FIRELANES

Permanent firelanes are used to protect trees from wildfire, increase access, facilitate prescribed burning and provide wildlife habitat. Firelanes are usually installed along the perimeter of pine stands and some larger properties have them located at regular intervals. Most permanent firelanes are created with a crawler tractor and should be at least 10’ wide. They should be installed using the recommendations found in "Alabama’s Best Management Practices for Forestry" if they are located on sloped areas. To improve wildlife habitat and to reduce erosion, I recommend that you regularly plant, fertilize and even lime as needed. The seed mixture that you plant can vary based on your soil, species of wildlife you are managing for, and amount of sunlight reaching the ground. A soil survey is inexpensive and can save you a lot of money by listing what types of plants will grow and providing fertilizer and liming rates.

This landowner planted her firelane (above) with a cool season mixture that would remain green during the winter to facilitate prescribed burning. She also used a combination of a mid-rotation herbicide and regular prescribed burning to create a plant community that is highly desirable for wildlife.

Streamside Management Zones refer to the areas where trees are retained adjacent to streams to protect soil and water quality. Wildlife will use these areas as travel corridors particularly if they are wider than the recommended minimum distance from the bank of the stream and have no trees removed.

10. STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONES

A Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) is a strip of land adjacent to a stream or stream channel that is managed to protect soil and water quality. The primary benefit of an SMZ is to keep excessive sediment out of a stream and to maintain a relatively constant water temperature. Timber may be removed from within designated SMZs but the harvesting should retain at least 50% of the original canopy. "Alabama’s Best Management Practices for Forestry" provides recommendations on the implementation and management of SMZs. Consider retaining SMZs that are larger and possibly removing very few or even no trees from the SMZ if wildlife habitat is the primary objective. For wildlife purposes, a good rule of thumb for SMZs is 66 feet from the bank on each side of the stream.

Wildlife habitat improvements can be easily incorporated into your existing timber management program. By making minor adjustments to provide for the needs of your desired species of wildlife, you can greatly increase the opportunities for hunting on your property. One might say that the two go together like peas and carrots.