Ask The Biologist

Habitat options are plentiful with time, money and permission.

QUESTION: Some of my buddies and I recently leased a property in Alabama for deer hunting. It’s mostly pine plantations with a few fields in CRP and some bottomland hardwoods. Is there anything we can do to improve habitat for deer?

ANSWER: Much depends on the terms of your lease and what the landowner will allow. A late-growing-season controlled burn could increase forb growth and thus protein in the pine forest understory. CRP or set-aside provides dense bedding cover and protection for fawns, but if permitted, you could till and plant some areas as food plots.

You can also plant sections of skid roads or trails if they receive enough sunlight to promote growth. You might also look at thinning less desirable trees and shrubs in hardwood stands to reduce competition for mast-producing trees.

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