Building Fences and Partnerships

By Julie Miedtke, University of Minnesota Extension-Itasca County

Early in May, Grand Rapids High School Students and Woodland Advisors took to the woods to install a deer exclosure at the Forest History Center.  Working side by side students and volunteers cleared vegetation, dug holes using post hole diggers, and by mid-afternoon the fence was raised.

Roxy Knuttila with finishing touches on the fence with students.

Keith Matson, a man who wears many hats: US Forest Service-retired, Woodland Advisor, and Itasca County Private Woodland Committee, organized the activity and remarked “these students certainly had ample horse power for the job and we enjoyed getting to know them and hear their interests in forests, wildlife and being outdoors.  We certainly hope to continue this partnership with these future landowners.  This activity has been a good experience for everyone”.   Other woodland advisors helped with the project including Jim Columbus, Floyd Hovarter, Roxy Knuttala and Ralph Olson.

The Forest History Center has several ancient Eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) scattered throughout the site.  Many of these conifers are “super canopy trees” standing taller than any other trees in the area and you can find many of the reigning monarchs growing on the banks of the Mississippi River.  The Woodland Stewardship Plan written by Dan Hertle-DNR –Forestry, indicated that the site was favorable for growing white pine and suggested the project.

The fence was installed in a very visible location along a primary trail leading down to the Mississippi River.  The purpose of the fence was to prevent deer from browsing young white pine seedlings that have naturally seeded into the area.  And the project will also demonstrate to folks how a growing deer population is impacting forest vegetation.  Given the high deer population in the area, it is expected that there will be a noticeable difference in the shrubs and tress within a few years.  Materials used for the fence were purchased locally.

Growing white pine

Landowners that are looking to increase the conifer component on their land can hand plant white pine seedlings—an obvious choice if your land doesn’t have any. Landowners that have white pine may enjoy working with Mother Nature.  White pine will generally produce a good seed crop every three to five years with the seed capable of traveling 200-700 feet or more.  Scarifying the soil prior to seed dispersal will create a seedbed for natural regeneration.   Once established, white pine will continue to need care to ensure their growth and survival.  Competing vegetation (grasses and shrubs) and management of the overstory keeping some shade on the site are two important considerations for young trees.  While growing, white pine will need to be pruned to help reduce damage from white pine blister rust and help to improve the quality of the timber.  Growing white pine is the preferred tree of choice for active folks that enjoy being out in the woods.

New web resource: Caring for deer and forests

By Susan L. Stout, US Forest Service

A Resource Center for Eastern North America
Deer, forests, and people are connected. Forests provide food, cover, and clean water that deer need.  Forests growing on nutrient-rich soils with many food plants can support many more deer than forests with poor soils and few forest floor plants. That is, they have a higher carrying capacity. Deer add grace and beauty to the forest. What they eat affects how forests grow, how many deer they can support, and habitat for other wildlife.  Hunters seek deer for meat and for the love of the hunt as they have for hundreds of years.  Peoples’ understanding and choices about deer and forests shape all these connections.

This new site has two main goals:

• to provide information and examples about these connections — about deer habitat, deer impact, and strategies to care for deer and forests together; and
• to serve as a clearinghouse for resources about connections among people, deer, and forests.

You are invited to share your stories, pictures, and resources that show deer and forests in eastern North America.

Click here to visit http://www.deerandforests.org

The site was developed by a team of scientists and extension educators with input from a broad-based advisory team, and funding from the USDA Forest Service Electronic Commons project and Northern Initiatives. It is maintained by the University of Georgia, Penn State University, and US Forest Service Research & Development.

Deer do not need supplemental feeding

This is a January 16, 2009 press release from the Minnesota DNR (source).

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife managers are urging people not to feed deer this winter even though it may appear they need help to make it through the cold and snowy conditions.

Flickr Photo by Gregory Scott Clarke

“Deer have evolved several strategies to help them survive Minnesota winters,” said Jeff Lightfoot, DNR Northeast Region wildlife manager, who added the DNR has received an increase in the amount of calls about deer feeding in the past few weeks.

Even though individual deer may die in severe winters, deer populations recover quickly.

“The deer have insulating hollow hair that helps them retain body heat, their metabolism slows down, and they live on browse and body fat reserves,” Lightfoot said. “When it’s cold and the snow is deep, they move to traditional wintering areas that have areas with extensive conifer cover, which moderates temperatures and intercepts snow. When people feed deer, they often interrupt these natural movements to wintering areas, keeping deer in areas without adequate conifer cover or natural food.”

Deer do not normally feed in close contact with each other. Deer feeding changes normal behavior increasing the likelihood of disease and parasite transmission. Deer that become accustomed to eating from feeders become tamer, and their ability to survive in the wild is compromised.

“The strongest deer usually eat first at a feeder and chase away younger, older, and weaker deer,” Lightfoot said.

Too many deer in a small area can quickly over-browse their surroundings. Deer that are artificially fed are likely to eat trees, gardens, flowers and shrubs in neighborhoods, making people less tolerant of deer.

Deer feeding can also create hazards by drawing deer across roadways. Nationally, about 29,000 people are injured and 200 people die from deer-vehicle collisions each year.