Pike County Quality Deer Management Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Quality Deer Management (QDM) is a philosophy or practice for landowners and hunters to work together toward producing healthy deer herds by not harvesting young bucks but harvesting enough does to better balance the herd and maintain quality habitat. Public awareness and continued hunter education is vital for sound decisions in deer management practices. The national Quality Deer Management Association office is located in Watkinsville, Georgia. Visit their website www.qdma.com for additional information.

Banquet & Sportsmen's Auction and Raffle

Our Banquet and Sportsmen's Auction and Raffle is Sept. 24 at Ehrhardt's Waterfront Resort on Route 507 on Lake Wallenpaupack at Hawley. Registration begins at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. followed by live and silent auctions and various raffles. Hunters, landowners and anyone interested in white-tailed deer biology, ecology and management are invited to attend. There will be an opportunity to win a quality white-tail five-day guided rifle or bow hunt in Nebraska that includes lodging and meals in 2005.

Other items include a trail camera, Mathews compound bow, variety of sporting arms, wildlife prints, bronze sculpture, wooden accessory chests, afghan & pillow featuring a chocolate Labrador Retriever, black Labrador print for duck hunters, & many other items. Early bird raffle tickets are available at a $300 value for $100 if purchased up to one week prior to the banquet to be used at the banquet. On banquet night, $100 buys $100 worth of raffle tickets.

Adults receive a full course dinner and one year QDMA membership for $45; adults & spouse receive two dinners and one QDMA membership for $65. Additional memberships can be purchased at the banquet. Pre-register by sending your name, address, phone number, email address & whether your registration is a new QDMA member or renewal, and mail your registration & check payable to "Pike County QDMA" to P.O. Box 1147, Milford, PA 18337.

For additional information, contact Joani Bucksbee at 570-226-2282, Scott Savini at 570-241-1188, or Jim Walters at 570-828-7532. For complete details, visit the website www.QDMAPikeCountyPA.com and click on the link to the banquet pages for directions and more info.

Forest Landowner Tour

Area landowners toured Pike County forests and learned the differences between healthy forests and forests severely damaged by high populations of deer in Pike County. The educational one-day program was sponsored by the Pike County Branch of QDMA, Penn State Cooperative Extension, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR), Pike County Conservation District, and Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council. Speakers were DCNR forester Tim Carr and Blooming Grove Hunting & Fishing Club land manager Robin Wildermuth, both of whom are QDMA members and directors of the Pike County Branch.

During the morning hours of July 10, Carr led the group of 34 through forest management demonstration sites at Promised Land State Park and pointed out that the 90-year-old oak forest had no new forest growth. In 1976, large trees were cut down to let sunlight in and the lack of regeneration was then attributed to deer eating the seed crop and seedlings.

Branch president Peter Pinchot directed the attention to high canopy birds in the area and pointed out there are no song birds in shrub levels due to the lack of ground cover and habitat. Carr and Pinchot explained a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) map that showed 460 deer in a 4,400-acre area at Promised Land at 6 p.m. in March of 2003. This equates to 67 deer per square mile on a 15-degree day with 22 inches of snow on the ground, said Carr.

The group then observed a 3.5-acre exclosure DCNR built at the site in 2000. Carr said, "2,000 acres of the park's 80,000 acres are now fenced-in to allow regeneration." Members of the group were amazed at the contrast of the lush forest and shrubs inside the protective exclosure compared to the lack of understory outside the exclosure covered with hay-scented ferns. Fern covered forest floors are an indication of deer overbrowse and an unhealthy forest. The group then walked through a section of the exclosure to observe 20 plant species that have become non-existent outside the fenced area.

QDMA Pike County Branch president Peter Pinchot, left, and Branch director and DCNR forester Tim Carr discuss a forward-looking infrared map showing high deer populations at Promised Land State Park.

Blooming Grove Hunting & Fishing Club land manager and QDMA director Robin Wildermuth, center, points to a timber harvest and wildlife food plot area on club land.

In the afternoon, Wildermuth took the group to several sites at the hunt club to show various examples of land and wildlife management. A 55-acre timber harvest area focused on regeneration of oak trees for grouse habitat. Wildermuth said it is imperative to "understand what's going on in the forest and make good decisions. Don't be in a hurry to take trees down." He referred to the timber harvest area along I-84 as a mixed forest of nearly 100-year-old trees of red, white, chestnut, black, and scarlet oak, black birch, red maple, and white pine. Deer densities in a March 2003 FLIR census showed there were between 25 and 30 deer per square mile, and club members harvested 150 deer last year. A food plot was established in efforts to provide year round mast to help deer through winter months. Another area toured was a shelterwood thinning harvest that Wildermuth explained retains well-spaced large seed trees but allows sunlight to reach seedlings to encourage forest regeneration. Hunt club members are inconvenienced a bit during the process but understand the goals of the project.

Controlled burns could be used to encourage oak regeneration and control competing vegetation. Vegetation layers would benefit a wide range of bird species and create improved hunting habitat. Club members "use tree stands but we don't spike trees anymore. In most regions, a clear-cut is okay but not in Pennsylvania," said Wildermuth.

Wildermuth then led the group to an area where the club is conducting a breeding program of blight resistant American chestnut trees. Chestnut trees are desirable for their high production of mast for wildlife.

Forester Tim Carr from DCNR Bureau of Forestry conducted a field visit in Pike County on 22 acres owned by QDMA member John J. Buck where a pine forest is being converted to orchard style farmland. Large pine trees have been removed and replaced with oak trees. Young trees planted to produce mast include 50 Chinese Chestnut, 54 Sawtooth oaks, and 96 hyslop crabapple trees, all non-native species originating from Asia. Carr explained white clovers originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Asia Minor. Red oak, white oak, chestnut oak, white pine, and red maple are all native to northeastern Pennsylvania. Buck's son, John T. Buck, said plastic tubes protect the young trees and their growth is monitored regularly. Several food plots were started in December of 2000 and the trees are healthy, getting proper sunlight, being fertilized and watered regularly.

Pictured near the orchard from left are Branch Vice President John T. Buck, Branch director and forester Tim Carr, property owner and QDMA member John J. Buck.

John T. Buck, left, and Tim Carr observe results of a timber harvest that created habitat but left some healthy trees damaged.

During the forest evaluation, Carr pointed out that stump sprouts are being eaten and indicate high deer pressure. Carr identified plants and trees and recommended the Bucks keep the large red oak trees, as they are the major acorn producers. To promote sustainable forestry, Carr recommends a timber harvest only when adequate oak regeneration is present or in conjunction with a deer fence. Professional advice from a qualified forester should be sought to determine which trees to leave. In general, the plan would be to cut out the worst trees and leave the best trees in order to improve the health, quality and productivity of a forest. As far as when seed production begins, that varies with species of oak. Under ideal conditions with lots of sun, red oak will start about 25 years; white, chestnut and scarlet oaks will start about 20 years. However, none of these will produce abundantly until about 50 years old. Under ideal high-sunlight conditions, the Sawtooth oak is reported to begin producing acorns at 8 years of age with abundant crops by 25 years of age. The use of tubes and fencing are just a Band-Aid for a more serious problem of deer overabundance. Carr said the cure is not fencing but reducing the deer numbers to what the current habitat can sustain without damaging the habitat.

NEWSLETTER – 2004 Summer Issue

www.QDMAPikeCountyPa.com

Banquet & Sportsmen's Auction and Raffle

Forest Landowner Tour

Date

CalendaR of Events 2004

Established September 22, 2002

Meet: Last Friday of each month, 7 p.m.

Newsletter Published Quarterly

Events Committee

Fundraising Committee

Deer Check Station Committee

Board of Directors

Tim Carr

Send mail to tacco@ptd.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/21/08

NEWSLETTER – 2004 Summer Issue

www.QDMAPikeCountyPa.com

Banquet & Sportsmen's Auction and Raffle

Forest Landowner Tour

Date

CalendaR of Events 2004

Established September 22, 2002

Meet: Last Friday of each month, 7 p.m.

Newsletter Published Quarterly

Events Committee

Fundraising Committee

Deer Check Station Committee

Board of Directors

Tim Carr

Send mail to tacco@ptd.net with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 06/21/08

Send mail to tacco@ptd.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/21/08