I'm almost 100% positive that they are.Perhaps occassionally they can cut another 3 acres for whatever reason.Regardless,I really don't consider a 70 acre cut small.

When considering the effects of browsing on regeneration a 70 acre cut is in fact quite small when you factor in the carrying capacity of a SM of trees in the seedling/sapling stage is 60 DPSM. Since 70A is .11 SM that means a 70 acre cut could only be expected to support 6 or 7 deer. since deer from the surrounding area are known to concentrate in a clearcut, it would take a DD below 5 DPSM to prevent more than 7 deer from over browsing a 70 A clearcut.

Now you're starting to get it and at least you admit it.In poor habitat deer definately are attracted to a clearcut and that's why it's so hard to get decent regeneration in these areas.Say what you want but 70 acres is not a small piece of ground.6 or seven deer will not destroy all the browse in a 70 acre clearcut but that many can certainly effect certain species like oak is they key in on it.

Deer are attracted to a clearcut no matter how good the surrounding habitat might be. If the cut is surrounded by pole or saw timber there will be little if any preferred browse in the understory and therefore the deer will concentrate on the new growth in the clearcut. Therefore, heavy browsing on preferred species should be expected in small clearcuts of 70 acres or less.

Once again,I don't consider a 70 acre clearcut to be small.

And it doesn't matter one bit whether or not you consider a 70A clearcut to be large or small. What matters is how many deer will it take to negatively effect regeneration of preferred species in a 70 acre clearcut. Even at 8 or 9 OWDPSM , plus the effects of DMAP, in 2G they still have fence cuts in order to get oak regeneration.Furthermore, DCNR says any increase in the herd will wipe out the small gains that have been made.

So now you're agreeing that too many deer have a negative impact on the habitat.Glad to see you coming around.

I said nothing about the condition of the habitat. I referred to the effects of deer on preferred oak regeneration in a small 70A clearcut. The habitat could certainly support more than 20 DPSM on a sustainable basis.

ok,now we're only talking about oak regeneration.

That's why the PGC reduced the herd statewide. If they didn't, DCNR wouldn't have been able to get their forests certified.