Buck Manager | Buck Manager

Better Deer Habitat Through Cedar Management

Ashe Juniper (Cedar) has invaded large areas of central Texas and it dominates many range sites with shallow limestone soils. The suppression of fire and long-term overgrazing by livestock has contributed to the spread and invasion of this evergreen woody species. If not managed, cedar will eventually form a closed canopy that prevents sunlight from reaching the ground.

This limitation of sunlight then suppressed the growth of grasses, valuable forbs, and desirable woody plants. The massive shallow root system of cedar allows it to successfully compete with more desirable plants for available soil moisture. The foliage of cedar intercepts rainfall and prevents moisture from reaching the ground. Soil erosion is enhanced under cedar stands due to the limited amounts of herbaceous plants.

Cedar has minimal food value to both livestock and wildlife. Its foliage is not preferred by browsing species. Deer only utilize it to a small extent, typically during the late winter when the availability of other foods is low. The fruit (berries) that it sporadically produces are eaten by some bird species and occasionally by deer, but they are not normally important components of wildlife diets.

The most common species of cedar in central Texas, ashe juniper or blueberry cedar, does not resprout from roots as do most other woody species, if all above-ground green material is removed or killed. Redberry juniper does occur in some areas, especially the more western portions of the region. Redberry juniper has the ability to resprout from roots and is therefore more difficult to control. A landowner should learn how to identify the species occurring on his land so the most appropriate control methods can be used.

Cedar can be controlled with a variety of control methods including mechanical (dozing, chaining, grubbing, hydraulic shears), fire, herbicides, biological, and hand cutting. Selective, single-stem removal (hand cutting, grubbing, hydraulic shears) of cedar where it is growing in stands mixed with other desirable woody plants is preferred over broad-scale removal to prevent damage to the desirable species. When it is removed from these areas, care must be taken to avoid reducing the amount of cover in the stands below minimum levels needed for wildlife. Because of its evergreen growth form, cedar can add structural density to stands of deciduous woody plants during the winter months. Where it is growing in dense stands and broad-scale “mass removal” (dozing, chaining) is a viable option, care should be taken to minimize removing or damaging excessive amounts of preferred woody species.

Properly applied fire (prescribed burning) can be used to economically kill small blueberry cedars up to about 3-4 feet tall. Other control methods are necessary to initially remove larger cedars that are not effected by fire. Prescribed burns at no more than 5 to 6 year intervals can be used to maintain control of cedar seedlings that are continuously being established throughout central Texas from undigested seeds that are widely dispersed by birds and other animals. Fire will kill cedar saplings less than 1 1/2 inches in basal diameter if it is held for 6 or more seconds at the base of the tree. Fire will also kill all trees in which it removes all green growth.

The biological control of cedar with goats is not recommended because excessive browsing on other more preferred species of woody plants will precede utilization of the cedar, resulting in the degradation of wildlife habitat. Control of cedar with certain specific herbicides can be effective on low densities of cedars less than three feet tall.

Cedar does have some value as wildlife escape and thermal cover, especially in areas where other forms of woody cover are lacking or in short supply. The amount of cover on open “prairie” habitats of central Texas may be less than needed to provide a minimum amount of security for wildlife. Although some species of wildlife may prefer and utilize open habitats, others are hesitant to venture very far from escape cover. While it may not be the most desirable, cedar is one of an apparently limited number of woody species that can grow on certain soil types of central Texas. It is recommended that small stands and strips of cedar be retained and encouraged at 200-300 yard intervals in habitats lacking sufficient woody cover. These blocks and strips of cedar can provide structural diversity, travel lanes and security cover that is beneficial to many species. The distribution and density of cedar can be controlled over time to prevent it from forming dense stands.

Deer Surveys and Harvest Strategy

Long-term planning is feasible in deer management, but different years can call for slight to moderate changes in annual harvests based on habitat conditions, fawn survival, and estimated population numbers. Without conducting a deer population survey to get a good estimate of your overall deer numbers and density, you are literally shooting into the wind. Although deer surveys are simply "good estimates" when properly performed, they will keep you on the right track with regards to your long-term management.

Let's take a look at how annual changes in fawn survival can impact your annual harvests. For example, let’s assume you have a long-term goal of 100 deer on your property, the property is at carrying capacity (100 deer), and you have a 1:1 buck to doe ratio. If your late summer/early fall fawn crop is estimated at 50% (25 fawns from 50 does) then you need to remove 25 deer this fall.

However, if you have an 80% fawn crop next year, that is a total of 40 animals you have to remove from the deer herd to keep the population at carrying capacity. Although your long-term population goal stays the same, your annual harvests will fluctuate to some extent. This is an adaptive harvest strategy allows you to keep number in line with carrying capacity and stay on track. As you can see, getting annual estimates of the deer population as a whole, and particularly fawn survival, is important for the proper management of your deer herd.

Stocking Deer for Genetic Improvement

Stocking deer from another area into a deer population in an attempt to introduce new genes and improve quality is a controversial and much discussed subject. The genetic contribution of 1 individual buck is limited where it is introduced into a population where other bucks are already present and also breeding does.

There is no research available that indicates that introducing several bucks improves quality unless the pedigrees of the deer (bucks as well as does) stocked are known. Otherwise there is a good chance that undesirable, but not easily recognizable, characteristics are being introduced.

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Buck Harvest – How Many?

The harvest rate of bucks will be dependent on the objectives of the land manager. One of the concerns of many first-time and veteran deer managers is the age structure of the buck segment of the population. If one of the deer management objectives is to produce bucks with larger antlers, bucks must be allowed to reach older ages, which means that the harvest of young, immature bucks should be heavily restricted.

Restricting hunters to mature bucks only is a good management strategy to harvest old bucks, but does not address inferior bucks that are young or middle-aged. As a result, these deer must be carefully removed. Deer body characteristics, in addition to antler characteristics, should be used to determine the relative age of bucks “on-the-hoof.” Let’s discuss two different management strategies for the buck segment of your deer population.

Continue reading “Buck Harvest – How Many?”

Cover Requirements for Whitetail Deer

The best cover for white-tailed deer is a pattern or mosaic of woody brush and trees interspersed within open areas at an approximate 60 percent open area to 40 percent woody cover. Deer are adaptable so can use habitat with more or less cover, but it’s important that clumps or strips of brush be wide enough so that an observer cannot see through them from one side to the other during the winter months when deciduous species are bare of leaves.

This gives whitetail the security they desire, the screening cover that allows them to use an area as well as hold them there. Keep in mind that cover strips should be as continuous as possible to provide travel lanes throughout the property, otherwise deer do not find them nearly as attractive. These continuous strips are especially important where cover is already limited, such as in grasslands or areas dominated by farmlands.

Deer can easily be displaced by disturbance in areas where the habitat does not provide adequate escape or security cover. The amount and distribution of cover on neighboring lands also needs to be taken into consideration when assessing cover needs of a wide-ranging species such as whitetail deer. For example, a small ranch would need a larger amount of security cover on a percentage basis than would a larger ranch where the vastness of the area provides security.

Remember, promoting ideal cover requirements for white-tailed deer to retreat into when disturbed may keep the animals calmer, less stressed, on your property and ultimately more productive. Landowners interested in managing for deer should aim for a minimum of 25 percent cover and a maximum of 75 percent. Deer will make use of many properties, but it’s hard to manage a deer population if you don’t have one.