Moving on from coniferous cover; staghorn sumac is a small, deciduous, non-commercial tree. Typically quite aggressive; leading to most people eradicating them from their property, they are a favorite browse food of whitetail deer and other species. Considering their rapid growth and invasive tendencies; they make the perfect winter browse cutting species.
Browse cutting is a management technique that is used to supplement winter feeding during high stress periods; which can help maintain the health of your herd when there is minimal other food available. It involves simply cutting small diameter trees three-quarters of the way through at knee height and bending them over until the canopy is resting on the ground. This gives deer and other species access to favorable browse that would otherwise be inaccessible. Determining when browse cutting for whitetail should be done is easy; if the deer tracks are individual, it means that deer can travel easily and that browse cutting is unnecessary. When tracks are combined into one main trail, it means that travel is difficult and browse cutting should be utilized.
Staghorn sumac is a great species for this, because it is invasive by nature, easily established and is a favored browse species because of its red seedheads that appear in the fall. The invasiveness is great for this management strategy; as cutting trees for browse kills the tree. By utilizing a tree that will regenerate quickly and grow fast; land managers can provide substantially more browse for wildlife when needed; versus utilizing traditional hardwood species. Staghorn sumac grows best in sun; meaning it would be best located in or near food plots. The best location possible would be along a coniferous border that would reduce the snow load.
Of course, care should be taken during the growing season to ensure that the sumac remains only in its designated area. Brush hogging or the application of herbicides can help maintain the sumac where desired. As long as care is taken to restrict its invasiveness, staghorn sumac cannot be beat as a browse cutting species.
Timber Rating: F
Mast Rating: B
Overall Rating: C-
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