[Flanuva]

Hey guys and gals,

I was wondering about the habitat openings the DCNR put in on various clear cuts and timber sales. Do they plant all the openings with clover/rye or do they vary depending on habitat?

 

[jlh42581]

in my opinion they have it all wrong. they should be planting stuff thats not ready till winter to keep them from eating the regen.

what good is a food plot when the woods are loaded with food.

 

[Guest]

Mostly DCNR, as a condition of the timber sale, specifies that the loggers plant roads and landings to perennial plantings. These aren't meant just as food plots, but both stabilization for the soils, and also beneficial plantings for wildlife.

Plus, it's not just with deer in mind, but all sorts of critters use clover. So, they need to put something down that benefits a wide variety of animals, and birds. Clover, is used by deer, bears, turkeys, grouse, rabbits, etc. Fairly broad range.

 

[Dobsonknob]

Clover is easy to buy and throw out

Companies do not want to spend a lot of money

 

[Guest]

"Companies do not want to spend a lot of money"

If that were the case, they would seed with very cheap grass mixes only. Clover adds to the cost and, again, Bureau of Forestry specifies in their contracts what is to be seeded.

 

[bts123]

Hey guys and gals,

I was wondering about the habitat openings the DCNR put in on various clear cuts and timber sales. Do they plant all the openings with clover/rye or do they vary depending on habitat?

Each district does their own thing when it comes to retiring haul roads, skid trails and landings. The one similarity would be that they are all limed and fertilized prior to seeding. Some districts do the work themselves while others spec it in the contract. Like dutch stated, one component of the seed mix will be a quick soil stabilization seed such as WW, oats, rye or grasses and typically a perrenial mix (clovers, trefoil and chickory). These roadways through sale activities benefit a varity of wildlife species from grouse, woodcock and turkey broods to deer.

In addition to these timbersale retirements, many district also have a foodplot program where they are planting both annual and perrenial mixes.