QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT

What is quality deer management anyway? That depends on who you talk to, but to most it seems to be about horns (antlers). Actually nothing could be farther from the truth. In its simplest form QDM means a deer herd in balance with its habitat; a healthy quality herd of bucks, does; and fawns below the carrying capacity of the land.

The true concept of QDM deals more with how many deer are on the land versus what sex or how big they are. But in reality, harvesting a buck seems to be the driving force behind today's traditional management concepts. Traditionally deer hunters have placed so much emphasis on bagging a buck that they overlooked their responsibility of harvesting does to keep herd numbers in line with a range's carrying capacity.

Most hunters seem to become interested in QDM at first because they want to see and harvest bigger and better racked bucks. But as they become more familiar with the concepts behind QDM, they soon realize that managing the natural habitat and keeping the deer herd in balance with said habitat is to their advantage in achieving those initial goals. So rather than wanting to see "X" number of deer per day, many hunters would rather see less deer if there was the chance of seeing some older age bucks.

When a deer population is allowed to exceed the carrying capacity, the damage done to the natural habitat can be so devastating that it may take years to restore even if all the deer were removed. The most difficult part of the QDM process is determining how many deer should be harvested on a given area of land. This is not an easy process because everything from the carrying capacity, to the current population, to winter severity, to natural mortality must be factored in before a harvest goal can be set. This goal must include the harvesting of both bucks and does.

So how do you know when the deer population is exceeding the carrying capacity of the range since it may vary greatly depending on the landscape? Let the habitat be your guide and use indicator species to make harvesting decisions. Learn what plant species in your area are preferred browse species for deer. Use these species and watch what is happening with the regeneration and young plants between the ground and 5 feet high. If they are numerous, lightly browsed, heavy browsed, slowly disappearing, and/or non-existent. In the central U.P. one might look for maple, cedar, hemlock, birch, oak, pine, basswood, aspen, ash, dogwoods, hazel, and Canada yew to mention a few. I have personally noticed that many of our U. P. swamps have cedar and hemlock seedlings that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in height. The seeds have germinated but as soon as they begin to grow and are noticed by the deer, they disappear quickly. Keep in mind that due to undesirable species replacement the landscape may not appear to be over-browsed as one would think under high deer numbers. But remember, selective browsing by high deer populations will steadily lower the area's natural carrying capacity, and in time under extreme conditions can actually destroy the habitat.

Managing the doe population seems to be the biggest challenge facing QDM. When there are too many does in an area, this places unnatural stress on the entire herd, and inflicts a severe toll on the antlered buck population; the opposite effect of what most buck hunters are really looking for. Harvesting enough does requires that the hunter also becomes a manager. The hunter must be part of the solution, and not part of the problem. The bottom line is that any management program cannot succeed without the proper management of the doe population as well.

When it comes to harvesting does, don't be shy. Remember if you want more older age bucks in your balanced herd, you must make room and food for them. Once you reach your goal of a balanced herd, harvest 50% of your does each year and you will maintain a constant population. If in a particular year you harvest too many does, don't worry, you can bring the deer numbers back faster than you can the damaged habitat.

The benefits of Quality Deer Management are many. QDM will maintain vegetative diversity in our forests; habitat will be preserved if deer numbers are kept within the range's carrying capacity; better physical condition of the deer; better reproductive performance of does and survival of fawns; better adult doe to antlered buck ratio; reduced length of breeding season - thereby decreasing the incidence of late born fawns; reduced over-winter losses of bucks; may improve genetic fitness of the herd because dominant bucks will do most of the breeding; yearling bucks have a better opportunity for growth and over-winter survival because they are not participating in the rut; there should be more mature bucks; there will be more rubbing and scraping behavior; bucks will be sighted more often because a sizable proportion of the yearling age class will be protected; hunting techniques like rattling and calling will be more productive.

For a close to home example, let me present Buffalo County in Wisconsin. Roughly a decade ago, a few hunters became interested in managing their deer in a different way. Other hunters and landowners witnessed the success they had and soon joined them in their quest. Today, the habitat is in good condition, the herd is in balance with its carrying capacity, they are satisfied with the buck-to-doe ratio, and for those individuals who would like a chance at bagging an older age buck - since 1994 Buffalo County has entered 210 entries into the record book.

The best advice that I can give would be to work together to achieve a common solution that benefits the hunter, landowner, and the MDNR. Remember the combined goal should be to achieve quality habitat, a healthy deer herd, and the joy of deer hunting. Deer hunting should be about the experience and how we can maintain and/or improve the resource. This is why I believe that the phrase "Quality Deer Management", should be replaced with the phrase "Cooperative Deer Management".

GROWING SCOTCH PINE IN LESS TIME: 
NEW RESEARCH MAY SHORTEN PRODUCTION PERIOD
Contact: Sara Long EAST LANSING, Mich. -

The Scotch pine has been a popular Christmas tree variety for nearly 60 years. It is a pretty tree with dense, green branches that can last several weeks from harvest to home use. Growers like to produce Scotch pine because it's easy to grow, responds well to traditional management practices and can be harvested early. During the past few years, however, production costs have drastically increased because of the vulnerability of Scotch pine to insects and disease. Scotch pine accounts for nearly 40 percent of Michigan's $70 million Christmas tree market, though consumer preferences have begun shifting toward fir species. "Scotch pine continues to be the single most important tree for many growers, but increased vulnerability to insects and disease over the past 15 years has increased management costs for growers," says Melvin Koelling, professor of forestry at Michigan State University. Scotch pine prices have remained steady over the years. Cut-your-own growers sell many Scotch pine, but cut-your-own makes up a relatively small share of the market. Most are sold in the competitive discount market, which doesn't leave much profit margin for growers to offset increased production costs. Scotch pine takes nearly 7 to 8 years to reach an average harvest size of 7 feet. Younger trees are more vigorous and more resistant to insect and disease damage. The most injury occurs during the last two years prior to harvest.

ANR Communications Studies supported by Project GREEN, the state's plant initiative at Michigan State University, are researching various planting stock and shearing programs to produce trees in less time.

"Our goal is to grow a high quality tree in a shorter time frame for the competitive market," Koelling says. "If we can begin with improved planting systems and follow up with an improved shearing routine, we can develop recommendations for a workable solution to this problem."

A promising alternative to traditional transplanting may help avoid stunting seedling growth. Seedlings started in green houses with the Jiffy pelletTM, a peat-filled net mesh container, grow better after being transplanted and can be ready for sale as planting stock one year earlier than traditionally produced nursery stock.

"Scotch pine seedlings in this medium experience substantially more growth during the first year in the field, compared with traditional transplant stock," Koelling says. Shortening the growth cycle by one year would significantly decrease production costs and shorten the cash flow cycle of Christmas tree production.

"A shorter rotation period would mean a reduction in pesticide use, management costs, weed control and shearing, and allow For an earlier harvest," Koelling notes. "Fewer pesticides would benefit the environment, and one less application may save growers $50 to $60 per acre."

Michigan growers harvest more than 4 million Christmas trees each year. The state ranks third in the nation in Christmas tree production and supplies more than 20 percent of the U.S. market. Nearly 35,000 of Scotch pine are grown in Michigan, contributing nearly $28 million to the state's $70 million Christmas tree industry. Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Environmental and Economic Needs) is a cooperative effort between plant-based commodities and businesses together with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to advance Michigan's economy through its plant based agriculture. Its mission is to develop research and educational programs, ensure and improve food safety, and protect and preserve the quality of the environment in response to industry needs.

SELLING YOUR TREES
By Bill Cook MSUE Forester

Selling timber can be scary. It's easy to do if you're not particular about what happens to your forest. It can be more difficult if you think otherwise.

A forest is a complicated ecological system. Timber can be worth a great deal of money. Most people also place many non-monetary values on their forest. In all cases, timber and forests ought to be treated as any other high-value asset. Obtaining professional advice can be very helpful.

Before considering a timber sale, or any other major forest activity, a management plan should be in place. Such a plan is not someone else's ideas that you're supposed to adopt. Rather, it's your own ideas that a professional natural resource manager has helped you put down on paper. A plan involves an inventory of your property, records your objectives, and offers suggestions on how to achieve those objectives. This requires expertise that most people don't have.

A plan will jog your memory years down the road. It can be amended to reflect changes in wishes, forest conditions, or ownership. Among other things, a forest management plan can also provide federal income tax advantages and gain eligibility for cost-share programs. The cost of a management plan, itself, can be cost-shared.

Selling timber has many benefits for the forest and landowner. Harvested timber drives much of our economy. A healthy economy leads to good forest management conditions. A timber harvest will also do much to improve the quality of your forest. A harvest can encourage regeneration, increase the value of trees, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve visual appearance.

It all depends on what you've got and what you want to do with it. 

Most folks are concerned about getting "ripped-off' or worried that their forest will be degraded. Actually, this rarely happens. But, bad news spreads many times faster than good news, and hindsight is always 20:20.

Nevertheless, it's important to be wary. After all, chances are good that your timber has substantial monetary value to it. No need to be embarrassed with a polite dose of skepticism. 

It's usually a rash practice to sell your timber to the first person who knocks on your door. If you're new to the concept of selling timber, like most people, take the time to learn more about it. The trees aren't going anywhere.

Don't be fooled with the argument that insect or disease problems require a rapid decision. This is rarely the case. Forest tent caterpillars, beech bark disease, and gypsy moths are not reasons to hurriedly sell timber.

A timber sale contract is always the best protection for you and the logger. A good contract will clearly explain expectations to everyone involved and prevent surprises that lead to misunderstandings, or worse.

Stumpage is the amount of money a logger pays you for your standing trees. Arriving at an agreed amount involves many factors. There are no "standard" values and prices are quite variable. A professional forester can help you find the optimum price for your timber, which may not necessarily be the highest bid. Tailoring a timber sale to your needs and matching the right logger to a particular job is important.

Finding forest management assistance can sometimes be a challenge in Michigan, especially with recent state budget cuts. However, keep at it. Work towards obtaining that management plan. After all, your forest has a lot of value to it, and not just monetary value. A healthy forest that meets your expectations is not likely to "just happen" by itself. It takes time and some intentional planning. And that's a lot of fun!