Tree of the Week - Wild Black Cherry

Wild black cherry is one of the most valuable timber trees, and also one of the most valued by wildlife. The trees produce masses of soft mast, which is consumed by everything from song birds to bears, while they are highly valued in the lumber and wood working industries; bringing in upwards of $600 per MBF, currently.

The mast is dropped in late August through September and is a magnet for a wide variety of wildlife; with trees being visited virtually daily until the fruit is gone. While there is little hunting that can be done this time of year; it does present a great opportunity for one to monitor their wildlife.

One major area of concern is the potential toxicity of black cherry; with the ability to kill large game, such as whitetail deer. Wilted leaves of wild black cherry, and most other cherries, for that matter, are dangerous and need to be managed carefully. Black cherry leaves while green and growing are no danger, and the risk with leaves dying off in the fall are also no major concern. The area of concern lies in leaves that are wilted on broken or fallen limbs; as these are the leaves that contain dangerous levels of cyanide; in fact, one study concluded that a mere two ounces of these leaves deliver a toxic dose of cyanide to whitetail deer. Thus, if managing for wildlife is a major concern; land managers should take time to ensure that minimal broken or fallen limbs are accessible to wildlife. While this can be a major project after a strong wind storm; black cherry is a desirable tree for many wildlife species and thus putting in this extra work should be a priority to ensure the safety of your herd.

Managing black cherry in a dual-purpose land management plan will most likely favor timber production, considering its substantial economic value. Thus, close plantings are vital to ensuring clear, straight stem form. While this will restrict canopy development; managing black cherry stands can produce enough mast to feed a large wildlife population. If black cherry exists in clearings; where canopies are allowed to fully develop at the expense of the stem form, the trees exist mainly for wildlife purposes. In such situations; one needs to weigh the trees value carefully when considering the toxicity of fallen limbs. If the land is going to be intensively managed, it is beneficial to leave the trees; however, if the land isn't going to be to heavily managed, the tree should be removed to minimize the risk of poisoning wildlife.

Black cherry can be planted from seed or seedlings, however, seedlings are the best option, as the seeds have a thick coat that can make germination rates very low. As far as seedlings are concerned; there is a choice between standard and genetically modified seedlings. This is purely an economic decision; genetically modified trees can produce substantially higher quality wood on a much quicker time horizon, which comes at a substantially increased cost. These trees are available through Advanced Tree Technology, where you can find more information about them.

Timber Rating: A+

Mast Rating: B+

Overall Rating: A

Introduction to Food Plots

Food plots are a great way to supplement the natural carrying capacity of a given land. Food plots should average between three and six percent of the total land area; assuming that the remainder of the land provides substantial year-round food sources; including browse, hard and soft mast, and other agricultural crops. Plots should be limited to five acres maximum; with ideal size of one acre. Larger plots expose wildlife to potentially higher predation rates.

On tracts designated to timber production; losing acreage to food plots is not desirable. However, there is a solution. Logging landing areas and access roads throughout the property make great food plots. Although it can make it more difficult to locate wildlife because the plots will be spread across the entire property; it will have a minimal impact on the value of timber supported on the property.

Food plots should be designed to maximize wildlife usage, not to maximize wildlife visibility. Thus, plots are best designed in long, narrow, irregularly shaped areas with plenty of dense cover areas to serve as escape routes. This dense cover can overlap as other potential feed sources; ie. sumac, berries, coniferous browse, etc. The plots would ideally be located near some dense coniferous bedding area; especially in northern areas for late-season winter wheat and other late maturing feed sources. The plot would best be located to the side of the coniferous areas that protects it as best as possible from the prevailing winter winds; as less snow accumulation will make the plots more attractive to deer.

Alfalfa is a food plot plant that is very important to discuss from a financial standpoint. For the most part; many of the food plot plants that are available are going to cost you money over the long run as planting and fertilizing costs rack up. Conversely, alfalfa can typically be grown for a profit; even if you do not have the equipment to perform the task yourself. On a shared crop basis; the land owner will provide 50% of the crop to the farmer in exchange for cutting and baling. While most land owners will not have a need for the remaining 50% of the crop, it does present a potential income stream should it be sold. If 1% of the total land area is planted in alfalfa and 4% is planted in other food sources; the income from the alfalfa will offset the cost of establishing and maintaining the plots; even if only than half of the retained hay is sold. On the downside, alfalfa can be relatively difficult to establish, as it is not very tolerant of a wide range in pH levels. However, once established; alfalfa can expected to provide strong yields for upwards of five years, making it one of the most favored food plot plantings.

Brassica vegetables have recently come into favor as a food plot planting. Brassicas consist of vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and turnips. For the sake of food plots; turnips are the most common; especially wild turnips. Brassicas make a great fall and early winter crop; as wildlife does not consume the leaves until the first hard frost; at which point starches in the leaves convert to sugar and the leaves become more palatable.

Clover is a great all-purpose food plot crop; with high protein content and relatively early green-up in the spring. However, it does have its drawbacks; namely, it dies after any light frost; making it of minimal use as a fall and winter planting. Also, clover does not have as long of a lifespan as alfalfa; typically three years or so; although it is much easier to establish than alfalfa, so the trade-off is not that negative.

Corn requires special planting considerations because of wildlife habits. While corn cannot be beat as a winter food plot planting because of its high carbohydrates and great source as cover, wildlife tends to begin to consume it in early summer just as cobs begin to form; leaving little corn for winter feed. To deter this; there are a few solutions; first is to inter-plant soybeans with the corn; as deer will prefer the soybeans to the corn; thus alleviating the early feeding pressure on the corn. Second; corn should only be planted in large, 3+ acre plots; as anything less will encourage wildlife to consume the corn during the early summer when it is of little nutritional value. It is important to consider the cost of planting corn for wildlife feed as well; as corn consumes large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. However, inter-planting soybeans with the corn can reduce the monetary need for nitrogen fertilizer, as soybeans are a legume that fixes nitrogen to the soil that the corn would use. Further, utilizing alfalfa as a potential income stream can make planting corn and other nutrient-demanding crops a lesser financial strain, which can be important on large land areas with substantial food plot acreage.

Sorghum, commonly known as milo, is similar to corn, as it produces seed heads which are a great winter food source for wildlife. However, like corn, it has its downsides. Through learned behavior, wildlife will begin to consume sorghum in early September, just as the seed heads begin to fully develop; as a result; wildlife will be feeding on this source when it is not necessary to do so, as other crops would be more favorable and in season. Further, sorghum does not have the nutritional benefits of corn; meaning, in choosing between the two; corn would be more favorable. However, milo would make a better food source for upland game birds, should this be the target game. Either way, sorghum should be considered only on large properties and is treated similarly to corn.

Soybeans are one of deer's most favored plant come summer. As summer begins, wildlife, namely deer, will spend a lot of time feeding on this protein-rich food source. This grazing will continue into the fall and early winter months when wildlife feed on the mature bean pods. While soybeans yield much less than alfalfa or clover; they are excellent at extracting nutrients from the soil and can withstand heavy grazing once established. One has to manage the plot carefully, however, as too heavy of grazing early on can kill the plants; thus beans should be planted as early as possible; as fawning can give the plot the time it needs to get off the ground. That said; soybeans make an excellent food plot planting to consider.

The last major food plot contender is winter wheat/rye. This fall planted crop can provide great late season forage, as well as extremely early spring green-up with proper moisture, which is important as this is a heavy stress period for wildlife. However, winter wheat/rye do not provide great summer forage as it becomes a unpalatable in late spring. Considering its ability to provide much needed nutrition during important stress periods; winter wheat/rye should not be ignored as a food plot contender. Perhaps it should be mixed with clover, to make a great all-season plot.

Below is an example of a 1,680 acre property currently for sale; I have used the satellite imagery to portray where food plots would be best located, as designated by the orange areas on the map. The prevailing winds in this area come from the west; thus food plots would be best located on the eastern side of coniferous stands, as it will limit the amount of snow accumulation, while also providing great natural cover for escape routes.

Tree of the Week - White Oak

White Oak (Quercus alba) is one of the most well-known wildlife magnets. A relative to the valuable Red Oak; White Oak is less valuable as timber (especially considering its slow growth rate, which greatly reduces the annualized return), but highly desired from a game management standpoint. Because of its lower tannin content; White Oak acorns are not as bitter tasting as Red Oak, making them highly palatable to wildlife, including bear, deer, and turkey. While tannins can reduce the digestibility of protein; species such as Whitetail Deer have adapted to this by producing compounds in their saliva that binds to tannins; ultimately reducing their effectiveness.

However, White Oak does have a few important drawbacks relative to Red Oak from a game management perspective. Most importantly, white oak is a rather inconsistent producer of acorns; producing large crops once every three to five years, with low yields during the remaining years. Further, while White Oak is more palatable; Red Oak contains upwards of four times the fat content of white oak acorns, which is highly important in northern climates where wildlife require substantial fat reserves to carry them through the winter. For these reasons; the recommended ratio is , at most, one White Oak tree for every three Red Oaks, which will allow for consistent yields of nutritious hard mast, while still providing game managers and hunters .

White Oak can be a very important part of managing wildlife in timber land, as a small population of White Oak trees can provide game managers and hunters a valuable edge in scouting and, ultimately, harvesting wildlife. Locating White Oak trees is a great management tool; as concentrations of wildlife will likely be high in these areas during heavy yielding years. I'd prefer to have a small number of White Oak trees within a large Red Oak grove over a White Oak grove, for the simple reason that game will seek out the White Oaks, making locating game easier; in a White Oak-only grove, game will have no reason to congregate to any given area.

Managing White Oak for game management is a matter of optimizing mast production. To do so, White Oak trees should be afforded ample room to develop large canopies; which will result in larger, more predictable acorn crops. Releasing White Oak trees by thinning areas surrounding these trees is the easiest way to do this in an already-established forest. This thinning will have the added benefit of encouraging natural regeneration; which will provide valuable browse for wildlife during hard winter months.

Planting White Oak is simple; one can purchase quality stock from a reputable supplier if budget is of no concern. If budget is of a concern, collecting acorns from large, disease-free, well-formed White Oaks can be an easy way to establish new trees. White Oak acorns do not require a period of stratification (cold-exposure) to germinate, meaning acorns can be planted in the fall as the crop falls from the canopy. The only drawback to planting acorns is that small mammals will typically dig up and consume the majority of the planted acorns; one can plan on planting acorns in quantities three to five times the desired number of trees to account for this. However, there is no reason to be concerned about transplant shock with this method, which would be significant if one was to spend money in planting purchased seedlings; especially considering their relatively low value as timber. If you are looking to speed up the acorn yield time, which is typically approximately 20 years after planting for regular planting stock; one should consider genetically superior trees, such as those offered by Advanced Tree Technologies. These trees have recorded caliper growth of upwards of 0.8" per year; very impressive for a notoriously slow-grower. Such growth would encourage acorn yields to begin years ahead of schedule. This may be a great option for those who have no White Oak currently present on their land.

Timber Rating (non-genetically enhanced): C

Timber Rating (genetically enhanced): B

Mast Rating: A+

Overall Rating (non-genetically enhanced): B

Overall Rating (genetically enhanced): A