Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
01-22-2002, 09:33 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
Hello everyone - I've been away for awile, though I've "checked in" a bit since hunting season.
Some of you may remember that our hunting group has been developing our 160 acre core hunting area for the last 3 years, primarily through food plots. I'm glad to say that its been mostly successful, in increased hunting chances by our group, especially during bow season. However once gun season starts, our sightings go way down as the hunting pressure increases. Deer that would normally travel on to our hunting area, only do so after dark, unless kicked up. As a result, we're currently looking into ways to increase our "resident" deer, or encourage others to come on to our land.
A very interesting article I read suggests that regardless of your food plots, deer tend to distribute their population according to available browse and cover. The article then showed pictures of different habitat types ranging from open woods (50-100 yr age stands), middle age woods(30-50 yr stands), and young woods (10-30yr old stands). It estimated the browse potential of each type in terms of deer/100 acres that they could support. The numbers, though vague, are useful (1 deer/100acres, 6 deer/100 acres, and 15 deer/100 acres respectively).
Based loosely on those numbers, I estimated that the browse on our 160 acres could support 10 deer. It surprised me at first, but our observations, once hunting pressure is on, seem to bear it out. First of all, let me note that 10 deer/160 acres equates to 40 deer/sq mile - which is still 5-10 deer above the average for our area. Still, we obviously attract more from around area to our food plots as sightings in the summer and bow seasons indicte - its not uncommon to count 20-30 deer in our 16 acres of mixed food plots on any given night.
So now we are looking at increasing our browse and cover potential, as well as improving cover at border access points, to encourage deer to come more freely.
I'm looking for actual studies regarding browse and or cover as they relate to deer, any links would be appreciated. Also I'd be interested in hearing what others have done in this regard. Our hardwoods are mostly maple, ash and cherry, with some beech. Our conifers are limited to, hemlocks in our mature woods and a very little white pine in the secondary growth. Most of the 30-50 yr woods include mature Aspen, yellow birch,Alder, and young harwoods. We currently have 40 acres of old growth (80yrs approx), that most of the party prefers not to have logged - so our concentration will be on the 50 acres of 30-50 yr old growth, and 10 acres of fallow feilds to be developed.
Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Edited by - farm hunter on 01/22/2002 22:34:38
Some of you may remember that our hunting group has been developing our 160 acre core hunting area for the last 3 years, primarily through food plots. I'm glad to say that its been mostly successful, in increased hunting chances by our group, especially during bow season. However once gun season starts, our sightings go way down as the hunting pressure increases. Deer that would normally travel on to our hunting area, only do so after dark, unless kicked up. As a result, we're currently looking into ways to increase our "resident" deer, or encourage others to come on to our land.
A very interesting article I read suggests that regardless of your food plots, deer tend to distribute their population according to available browse and cover. The article then showed pictures of different habitat types ranging from open woods (50-100 yr age stands), middle age woods(30-50 yr stands), and young woods (10-30yr old stands). It estimated the browse potential of each type in terms of deer/100 acres that they could support. The numbers, though vague, are useful (1 deer/100acres, 6 deer/100 acres, and 15 deer/100 acres respectively).
Based loosely on those numbers, I estimated that the browse on our 160 acres could support 10 deer. It surprised me at first, but our observations, once hunting pressure is on, seem to bear it out. First of all, let me note that 10 deer/160 acres equates to 40 deer/sq mile - which is still 5-10 deer above the average for our area. Still, we obviously attract more from around area to our food plots as sightings in the summer and bow seasons indicte - its not uncommon to count 20-30 deer in our 16 acres of mixed food plots on any given night.
So now we are looking at increasing our browse and cover potential, as well as improving cover at border access points, to encourage deer to come more freely.
I'm looking for actual studies regarding browse and or cover as they relate to deer, any links would be appreciated. Also I'd be interested in hearing what others have done in this regard. Our hardwoods are mostly maple, ash and cherry, with some beech. Our conifers are limited to, hemlocks in our mature woods and a very little white pine in the secondary growth. Most of the 30-50 yr woods include mature Aspen, yellow birch,Alder, and young harwoods. We currently have 40 acres of old growth (80yrs approx), that most of the party prefers not to have logged - so our concentration will be on the 50 acres of 30-50 yr old growth, and 10 acres of fallow feilds to be developed.
Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Edited by - farm hunter on 01/22/2002 22:34:38
01-23-2002, 06:10 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
Around Dec. 2000 Deer and Deer Hunting magazine had an article relating to this. They had average pounds per acre of food from mature woods, clearcuts and food plots. Sorry I can't remember the exact month and I gave the magazines to a friend. May be on the internet or your library.
01-23-2002, 06:21 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: W Suffield Ct
Posts: 204
RE: Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
I did a quick google search on 'white tailed deer browse studies' and there appears to be a ton of stuff out there. You would just have to try and sort out stuff that would be applicable to your area and maybe get some ideas
01-23-2002, 06:24 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
Thanks for the info to all of you.
BSK - our land is old farmland that was not worked since 1961 (except for 2 feilds - 15 acres total - that we reclaimed 4-5 years ago)
The "blocks" of different stages of cover are old feilds, and pasture of different ages. No block is larger than 15 acres. We are currently falling 30+ yr old poplars in 100 ft x 100 ft irregular sections where they exist to open the canopy and provide "islands" of cover and thick growth as the light will now reach the floor. In your experience, will patchwork clearcutting like this be as beneficial as 2 acre clearcutting? Our intention is to increase the diverity of these "same age" blocks by creating new growth, through these selective clearcuts. Some of these sections also contain 8-10" maples/ash/cherry that we are leaving standing as we drop the aspen around them to provide seed trees and possibly be available for logging at a later date.
Anyone's thoughts are appreciated.
BSK - our land is old farmland that was not worked since 1961 (except for 2 feilds - 15 acres total - that we reclaimed 4-5 years ago)
The "blocks" of different stages of cover are old feilds, and pasture of different ages. No block is larger than 15 acres. We are currently falling 30+ yr old poplars in 100 ft x 100 ft irregular sections where they exist to open the canopy and provide "islands" of cover and thick growth as the light will now reach the floor. In your experience, will patchwork clearcutting like this be as beneficial as 2 acre clearcutting? Our intention is to increase the diverity of these "same age" blocks by creating new growth, through these selective clearcuts. Some of these sections also contain 8-10" maples/ash/cherry that we are leaving standing as we drop the aspen around them to provide seed trees and possibly be available for logging at a later date.
Anyone's thoughts are appreciated.
01-23-2002, 10:11 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
Here are some links on the topic that I've currently found - some are pretty good.
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/home/publica...nned/rp100.pdf
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/landown/wild/deer/
http://depts.clemson.edu/extfor/publ...rtp19/deer.htm
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/rhgiles/antlerpt/_ap004.htm
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/rhgiles/antlerpt/contents.htm
http://forestry.msu.edu/msaf/PDF/DeerMDHA.PDF
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/global/ltedb/themes/tm01.html
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~pcross/research/deer.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/home/publica...nned/rp100.pdf
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/landown/wild/deer/
http://depts.clemson.edu/extfor/publ...rtp19/deer.htm
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/rhgiles/antlerpt/_ap004.htm
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/rhgiles/antlerpt/contents.htm
http://forestry.msu.edu/msaf/PDF/DeerMDHA.PDF
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/global/ltedb/themes/tm01.html
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~pcross/research/deer.html
01-24-2002, 12:20 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Williamsville New York USA
Posts: 203
RE: Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
FarmHunter,
I would also have to suggest making a sanctuary on your property. I know about the Cazenovia area a little. Take an area on your property (preferably in the middle) and turn it into the thickest piece of property you can. On 160 areas, I would suggest an area between 3-7 acres. Plant vegetation such as dogwoods, hawthorns, honeysuckle, sumac, briar or another type of thick vegetation that will produce good mast. Whatever you do, for about 3 months before till two months after the season, do not go into this sanctuary. It will give the deer a sense of security in the area, not having to worry about hunters. Many deer from adjoining properties will flock to the sanctuary. It will be tempting to hunt it too, but DO NOT! This is a proven tactic that does work!
Rob
I would also have to suggest making a sanctuary on your property. I know about the Cazenovia area a little. Take an area on your property (preferably in the middle) and turn it into the thickest piece of property you can. On 160 areas, I would suggest an area between 3-7 acres. Plant vegetation such as dogwoods, hawthorns, honeysuckle, sumac, briar or another type of thick vegetation that will produce good mast. Whatever you do, for about 3 months before till two months after the season, do not go into this sanctuary. It will give the deer a sense of security in the area, not having to worry about hunters. Many deer from adjoining properties will flock to the sanctuary. It will be tempting to hunt it too, but DO NOT! This is a proven tactic that does work!
Rob
01-24-2002, 05:47 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: Looking for information on Browse Capacity (long)
Good advise Corvid Killer. When locating the sanctuary I try to determine where the main deer runs are first. The deer are using these paths because they provide cover or are the easiest route (ie shallows in a river). I'd do the planting where most of these paths intersect taking into consideration the natural features (swales, cliffs etc.).
Dan O.
Dan O.
