Couple weeks at the most and the deer will be back!

 

I hear the turkeys love fresh burn in the spring. But I think they are after the bugs and fresh shoots. This time of year might be tough to get deer back quickly without fresh growth possibilities and little browse.

 

I was hoping the plots would pull them back. I am done hunting for the year, shot two on the place, usually only take one. Not allowed to feed since they added van buren to the cwd zone. The one deer that got it added was in Searcy county but within 10 miles of van buren county.

 

You are in the same boat with Yell County. Just chaps my butt that it can be fine to feed to help kill deer, but not to help supplement them.
I can live with it as long as they don't remove the ARPs and increase doe harvest. They are going to wipe the whole heard out of the hot areas.

 

I don't have any burning experience in north AR - but I do have burning experience in hardwoods and I would be a little concerned about burning hardwood on a three year rotation - especially if you get the woods opened up any at all and get any kind of grasses growing on forest floor. Are you burning it yourself or is the forestry commission?

 

Swamcat, I got signed up with the nrcs. They paid to put in firelanes, first time I can drive around the place. Also paying for one controlied burn and the tsi. The guy burning was the one that suggested 3 burns on 3 year interval. What would you suggest? Not doing tsi on middle 60 so it will be more full.

 

What type tsi work are you doing? Depending on the type, it can leave a LOT of fuel in the woods - creating a really hot fire. Hardwoods WILL be damage by fire - of course, the severity depends on how hot the fire. If your fuel load now is just leaf litter - I would go ahead. If in three years, you have residual fuel left from tsi work, or if you opened up your woods and increased grasses or other fuel - I would be be very cautious burning after three years. I am not saying dont do it, just make your decision on the fuel load - maybe you wait a year or two extra. Some of the NRCS programs require you to stay on schedule or you have to reimburse some of the funding which can put you between a rock and a hard spot if you dont think it is the best time to do it.

Typically, after a second burn in hardwoods within three years of the first, you will start noticing burn scars on the base of quite a few of the trees. Usually not a horrible thing unless the trees are stressed by droughts or something else. Three burns in nine years in hardwood is probably going to result in some trees dying as a result of the burns - but you may want that. Just evaluate your fuel load before committing to those second and third fires.

 

Right now the basil count is really high. Fuel load is probably a little on the high side, result of the big ice storm a few years back, lost a lot of tops, and some trees died. I am plenty good on this nrcs schedule, and if I sign up again could push next burn out where it would be five years between burns.

Main target on the tsi would be maples, some gums, some red oak and some of the smaller overcrowded white oaks. Keeping all the real good white oaks and cherry (really like my cherry). The way the fire lanes are laid out there is a 5 acre buffer each end that will not be burned or tsi. Burn on rest, tsi on ends, about 50 in middle with no tsi.

The type of input you are giving is what I am looking for.

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is tsi?

 

Glad you asked! I was googling it.

 

Tsi = timber stand improvement. In this case chemical treatment of undesired timber to reduce basil count (number of trees in a specified area).

Edited to fix auto correct.

 

I am assuming since chemical treatment, the affected trees will be left standing - which really contribute to fuel load. I am not sure what program you are enrolling in, but I was recenty told by NRCS employee they would use a feller/buncher and pile the undesirable trees for burning - which leaves a much nicer, cleaner forest after they get done - and one with much less fuel. Dont know if that is an option in your area.

 

Come on over curdog, I am at Tilly and over ran with coons.

 

Tilly ain’t far!! We will go soon as ol roxy is ready to go. She’s decided to take a 3 week break during my favorite time to hunt. That’s one reason why I don’t like huntin females!

 

I am on a 3 year contract and I have a real good feeling about the guy doing the burn. He owns his own forestry company, did the breaks and is doing the tsi. He worked for the state at one time, and used to fight forestry fires. The breaks have it blocked into 40 acre tracks so hopefully it will go well. One of the reasons I signed up was due to damage from the ice storm and had the state Forester look at it. Everyone said it needed burning. My guy said we would wait until the moisture was right. By contact I can wait until next year.

Curdog, bring that dog over anytime you want. My coons are so fat they are slow runners.

 

I am only signed up for one burn. Nrcs said I could sign up for the second one after the 3 year contract. That is the reason I am asking questions, I am new to this and trying to read up. So far it is:

Year 1 - fire lanes (complete)
Year 2 - burn (too dry right now, waiting)
Year 2-3 - tsi (after burn)

Now I am just trying to figure out best practice heading forward, trying to gather info, this is one place I was looking.

 

Black foot, I have about 4 acres in plots but not their best year due to rain. Pasture to east, woods other 3 sides, minimum 3 miles woods north and south, 1.5 miles to west. Deer, particularly bucks tend to hold on my place better, not sure why. I am hoping plots would be enough. Only one other food plot in adjacent sections except for pasture which is bermuda/clover.