DougE

PA Gobbler,the reason they have to fence,even at low densities is because in poor habitat,it takes very few deer to ruin any regeneration.Most of the damage is done during the winter when deer rely on browse.Deer need about 5 lbs a day to keep wait on and they're very picky eaters.They eat what's good for them at what's pallatable first.When you have poor habitat and make a cut,deer quickly key in on it.Around here,they actually are drawn to the sound of chainsaws and often start hitting the topswhile the loggers are still cutting.I can show exampleafter example of clearcuts that were ruined by deer,even though hunters claim these areas have no deer.

More logging would be great for the near future but then we'll be in the same situation we're in now.Clearcuts only benefit deer for about 15 yearsForests in the seedling sapling stage can easily support 60+ dpsm but in about 15 years when it turns to pole timber,there's virtually no benefit and the carrying capacity dominished to about 5 dpsm.That's exactly what's happened top alot of areas.Unfortuantely,timber stays in the pole timber stage much longer than the seedling sapling stage.

The plan is to cut 1% of the timber each year.That guarantees that we'll always have a certain amount of timber in the early succession stage.Let's say they bumped it up to 5% a year.That would mean all of our forests would be cut over the next 20 year.Things would be great during that time but in about 15 years,most of the timber would be in the pole stage and the carrying capacity would plummet and it would stay that way for a long,long time.

Fencing is bad for everyone,including the deer.Fortunately,now that the deer density is down,they are starting to have timber sales without the need to fence.This is the first year inmany yearsthat Moshannon state forest is having timber sales without having to fence them and it's all because of less deer.It's really important that people realize how bad low deer numbers can still impact poor habitat.The PGC is trying to make sure we get out of that mess and that's important for thefuture of wildlife and hunting.The sooner hunters understand that,the better off we'll all be.Killing does isn't about greed.It's doing what needs to be done.

This situation is very complicated and it is a science.Go out and spenda day with a foester from DCNR and it will boggle your mind what goes into marking,selling and cutting a piece of timber.There's also certain retraints that they are beyond their control that they have to abide by.They don't hate the deer and want them all gone.A certain amount of deer is actually necessary to keep a balance because deer browse many of the species thatare in direct competition with what they're trying to grow.However,the evidence is obvious and indisputable that deer are the number one factor effecting the habitat in not only Pa but many other states as well.