MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ROCK CREEK PLANTATION

Transcription

1 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ROCK CREEK PLANTATION SUBMITTED BY BRAD MUELLER AMERICAN WILDLIFE ENTERPRISES 1

2 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ROCK CREEK PLANTATION INTRODUCTION...3 OBJECTIVES...6 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES...7 Quail Management...7 Deer Management...10 Turkey Management...14 HABITAT COMPONENTS AND MANAGEMENT PRCATICES...18 Soils and Site Limitations...18 Woodland Modifications...19 Planted Pine (19-45 years old)...19 Planted Pine (10 years old) and open corridors...20 Misc. hardwoods and brush areas...21 Hardwood drains and other moist-site forested areas 22 AGRICULTURAL OPENINGS AND FOOD PLOTS...23 COVER MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLLED BURNING 30 IMPACTS ON OTHER SPECIES...32 BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS...33 CHRONOLOGICAL WORK PLAN...39 APPENDICES

3 INTRODUCTION Rock Creek Plantation encompasses approximately 1,865 acres in Baker County, Georgia and is owned by the Rock Creek Investment Company. A wide array of habitat types are represented on this property, creating tremendous natural beauty, diversity and excellent opportunities for quality wildlife management (Table 1, Map 1). Prior to purchase in 2004, Rock Creek Plantation was used as a combined timber production and recreation property. A timber thinning operation was being conducted on this property at the time of purchase by the current owner. The principal management goal is to convert this property into a premier quail hunting plantation with recreational opportunities available for other game as well. The large size and diversity of habitat types represented on this property yield a tremendous opportunity for the development of a quality hunting operation. To achieve the goal of developing a premier hunting plantation requires five major ingredients; 1) a property with excellent wildlife potential, 2) an aggressive, knowledgeable and hard working manager, 3) an owner willing to make wildlife the first priority, 4) time and 5) cooperation from Mother Nature. I feel that Rock Creek Plantation has been blessed with all of these necessary ingredients. While wildlife management will be the principal goal on this property, strong consideration will be given to integrating timber management concerns into the overall operation. While it is not feasible to optimize quail and timber on the same property, commercially viable stands of timber can be integrated into a quail, deer and turkey management program. The success of any wildlife management plan depends to a large degree on the efforts of the individual manager and the cooperation of Mother Nature. Walter Hatchett and his staff have demonstrated a tremendous knowledge of applied wildlife management techniques and I feel their strong work ethic and willingness to do what ever it takes to succeed will be a major ingredient in the success of Rock Creek Plantation. Any management plan that involves manipulation of land needs to be flexible; therefore, the information contained within this plan is intended to be a guide to management activities and not as the absolute rule. An extremely ambitious management plan has been designed, which involves extensive habitat modifications. A summary of these proposed habitat modifications can be found in Table 2. 3

4 Table 1. 1 Habitat breakdown for Rock Creek Plantation. Habitat Type Acreage Percent of Property Planted pines (19-45 years old) Planted pines (10 years old) Hardwood drains and other moist-site forested areas Misc. hardwood and brush areas New field systems and food plots Cleared corridors Total 1, % 1 All acreages are approximate and were derived from information provided by Timberland Services and Walter Hatchett 2 Acreage was estimated for this plan. A more accurate determination can be made after completion of the corridors. 4

5 Table 2. 1 Proposed habitat modifications for Rock Creek Plantation. Proposed Habitat Modification Total Number of quail hunting courses. 4 2 Number of quail hunts. 28 Number of new field systems. 37 Acres of new field systems Acres to stump (includes new field systems, logging ramps, road edges and hunting trail) Approximate acres of new corridors. 60 Percentage of upland habitat to remove for new field systems and corridors 18 3 Number of deer feeding stations. 6 4 Number / acreage of deer winter plots. 13/20 5 Number / acreage of deer summer plots. 6/12 Acres of pine to thin and root-rake Number / acreage of sorghum patches. 124/16 Acreage of non-deer field wheat planting. Includes fallow portions of field systems, corridors, hunting trail and roadsides Initial acreage of partridge pea to plant. 30 Number/ac. of chufa patches. 6/6 8 Approximate acreage to herbicide. 200 Number of box traps to maintain Bushels of sorghum to feed. 3, Bushels of corn to feed in deer feeders. 558 Bushels of soybeans for deer feeders Values are approximate and will most likely change when all habitat modifications have been implemented. 2 Assumes wild quail shot on a 14day frequency. 3 Assumes a feeder rate of 1/200 acres of upland habitat. 4 Assumes a deer winter plot per 100 acres of upland habitat and an average field size of 1.5 acres. 5 One deer summer plot per 200 acres and an average size of 2 acres. 6 Assumes 1,300 acres of quail courses on Rock Creek with a.125-acre sorghum patch every 15 acres. Each new field system will also have a sorghum patch. 7 Thirty acres of partridge pea will be incorporated into hedgerows on new field systems on Rock Creek. 8 This value may change drastically once all habitat modifications have been incorporated 9 Assumes 1,300 acres of quail courses on Rock Creek. Yearly feeding rate is 3 bu. per acre. Sorghum feeding will also benefit deer and turkeys. 10 Deer feeding rate assumes an overall deer density of one deer per 15 ac. of non-wetland habitat (1,400 ac.). Feeders will have to be moved away from deer stands during the hunting season. Feeding rates assume a deer will eat 2 lbs. of corn per day for 5 months and 1 lb. of soybeans per day for 7 months. Actual feeding rates will vary dramatically throughout the year based on availability of natural and planted feed. 5

6 OBJECTIVES OF MANAGEMENT PLAN I. Increase the overall abundance of game and non-game wildlife, with a goal of producing a consistently huntable quail population and a quality deer and turkey population within five years. II. To increase the aesthetic beauty of the property through diversification of the existing habitat III. To enhance timber production in a manner compatible with wildlife management. IV. To address management changes necessary to offset current habitat deficiencies. V. To develop a chronologically based management plan with an approximate budget. 6

7 MANAGEMENT STATEGIES Quail Management The current density of wild quail on Rock Creek Plantation is fairly low. Based upon some simplified fall call counts and personal observation, I would estimate the population at less than one bird per ten acres. While this density is fairly low, I feel there is adequate stocking to realize some benefits from the extensive management that is proposed on this property. However, if possible partial covey relocation (which will be discussed later in this section) should be used to jump start the population growth on this area. A detailed covey count census will be conducted each fall and a breeding season count will be done each spring to monitor the success of our quail management program. Until last year, the majority of the upland habitat on Rock Creek could be characterized as a closed canopy planted pine stand. The combination of high timber stocking and virtually no quail management has created a situation whereby the current quail density is low. There are currently four principal limitations to the production of a consistently high quail population on Rock Creek Plantation. These limitations are: 1) an overstocking of merchantable timber throughout the property and a large acreage of pre-merchantable pines on the south end, 2) an inadequate distribution of agricultural openings throughout the property, 3) a poor year-round food supply, and 4) an unmanaged predator population. Management recommendations to offset these site limitations will be developed and discussed in the remaining portion of this management plan. An aggressive timber-harvesting program has been initiated on all merchantable stands throughout Rock Creek Plantation to allow for the production of a more diverse and productive ground cover. While the current quality of timber stands vary considerably on the property, the quail management goal for all these areas is the same. The overall goal is to create an open stand of pines that will be both productive and aesthetically pleasing and to develop a diverse and productive understory. Over the next year, approximately 941 acres of woodlands will be systematically harvested for timber production and the creation of quality quail habitat. Additionally, corridors (100 yards wide) occupying approximately 30% of the area, will be opened up through the pre-merchantable stands. For further discussions of timber harvest strategies and management implications please refer to the Woodland Modification section of this plan. A diverse, open-land management program is essential to the production of a consistently high wild quail population. Based upon my personal experience, and research conducted throughout the southeast, an ideal quail course should contain between 10-30% open, fallowmanaged land. These open fields should range between 2-6 acres in size and be managed to produce a variety of habitat types. The diversity and structure of a food plot (or opening) is far more important to the life history of a quail than any agricultural plant grown. A diverse food plot should provide a year-round supply of planted and/or native feeds, excellent bugging grounds, summer fruit supplies, nesting cover and mid-winter escape cover. The fact that very few openings occur on this property has created an excellent opportunity to create the ideal 7

8 distribution of fallow-field openings throughout the property. By using the property as a blank chalkboard we have been able to design an excellent, well-distributed fallow field program that minimizes the amount of woodlands that must be removed. By having the opportunity to select sites for all of the agricultural openings and corridors, we were able to reduce the percentage of open lands to 11% of the total land base and 15% of the quail courses (Map 1 and Habitat Modification Sheets). A year-round feeding program is a critically important component of a quail management program. Fed birds have greater year-round survival and productivity. To accomplish this feeding, a grain bin will be established on Rock Creek Plantation to facilitate storage and distribution of sorghum. Grain Sorghum (either blonde or red) is the feed of choice for a quailfeeding program. This high carbohydrate seed stores well and does not mildew when spread in the woods. Additionally, sorghum blends in nicely to a wooded landscape, thereby reducing consumption of this seed by deer and other wildlife. In the last year, many plantations have switched to blonde or white milo, due to the lower tannic acid content of the seed. This switch to a low tannin seed was predicated by the fact that domestic poultry growers feed a low tannin seed for maximum productivity. It has been my experience that the most important consideration in feeding is that a consistently high quality seed is maintained throughout the year, with no gaps in the feeding program. Feeding rates vary widely throughout plantations in the southeast; however, on average a quality wild quail operation will feed approximately 3-4 bushels of sorghum per acre per year. This equates to a feeding rate of approximately one bushel per every ten acres every ten days. While feeding is a somewhat expensive and time-consuming operation it is absolutely essential to a successful quail hunting operation. A trail has been designed to facilitate feeding and hunting. This hunting/feeding trail will allow for the proper distribution of feed throughout the property and will greatly enhance hunting operations. The trail is designed to fully cover the entire upland portion of the property in 150 yard strips. One hundred and fifty yards is approximately the width that a good brace of dogs will cover during plantation style hunting. The hunting trail will be stumped and maintained as a secondary food plot. Historically, populations of mid-size predators were controlled by larger mammalian predators and/or by humans. However, over the past several hundred years humans have effectively wiped out the top level predators and in the last 2-3 decades have for all practical purposes stopped using mid-sized mammalian predators for a food and recreational source. These factors coupled together have created an explosion of these effective predators. Left unchecked, these predators are highly effective hunters and can substantially reduce populations of ground nesting birds. Research over the past several years has conclusively demonstrated the benefits of initiation and maintenance of an aggressive predator control program. A three years, year-round trapping permit has been acquired for Rock Creek Plantation, which will allow us to aggressively manage the predator population (see Appendices). Approximately box traps will be maintained on an annual basis on Rock Creek, with periodic leg-hold trapping mixed in throughout the year. In addition to trapping predators, an annual predator-control census will be conducted. This census will be conducted in late-october to early-november and provide baseline data on 8

9 which to evaluate the effectiveness of our future predator control program. The type of census used should be similar to the one conducted by Tall Timbers and Pineland Research Stations. By using similar census techniques we will be able to compare our data to hunting properties throughout the southeast and to project future-breeding seasons based upon predator level. The initial predator census on Rock Creek indicated a very high density of mammalian predators, with a 76% visitation rate. Under ideal conditions, the visitation rate on a predator census should be less than 20%. A data sheet and a narrative on conducting a predator census have been included in the Appendices of this plan. A quail-hunting course is an area of land designed to provide approximately 3 hours of recreational bird hunting. Course sizes vary dramatically, based primarily upon density of wild quail. With the tremendous bird densities that have occurred on many properties over the past several years, course sizes have been reduced down to approximately acres. However, the average course is between acres. Under a normal, conservative quail hunting style no course is hunted on a frequency greater than once every fourteen days. Therefore, each wild bird course on a hunting plantation can be shot approximately 7 times per year. Four courses have been proposed for Rock Creek Plantation, providing up to 28 individual hunts (Map 1). This number of courses and hunting days should be considered as an upper limit and achievable only after all habitat modifications have been incorporated and bird populations increased. Given the current low density of quail on Rock Creek and the aggressive habitat alterations talking place it is easy to see that the quail habitat will develop quicker than the quail population. Even with a 30-40% population increase per year, it would take several years to produce a consistently huntable quail population. By a consistently, huntable population, I mean a bird density that will generate 3+ covey finds per hour throughout the quail hunting season. Given the quality of the land at Rock Creek, and the commitment of the Rock Creek staff, I feel that a goal of 3+ covey finds per hour is reasonable within 3-5 years. While it is always nice to set a hunting-related goal I caution you that the objective of any management plan is to create quail habitat and that the actual creation of quail populations is highly dependant upon the whims of Mother Nature. One technique that should be used to speed up the development of a huntable quail population is the relocation of partial coveys. I have personally been involved in two research projects and numerous, low tech projects that have relocated quail onto hunting properties. It has been my experience that the relocation of wild quail (if done properly) can substantially speed up the development of a hunting property. The owners of Rock Creek Plantation are fortunate to have several other properties available to serve as capture sites for the relocation of wild quail. My recommendation would be to maintain forty to fifty quail feeders on River Ridge Plantation throughout the fall and early winter time period to concentrate birds. I will assist Walter and his staff in obtaining the necessary permits to relocate quail onto Rock Creek and will provide assistance in the trapping portion of this project. Our goal should be to aim for a relocation of approximately 100 wild quail in the late-february to early-march time frame. This late-winter time frame allows the birds to spend approximately four weeks in the relative security of the covey, prior to covey breakup in early spring. Habitat conditions on Rock Creek Plantation should be suitable for relocation of quail next winter. All major habitat modifications will have been implemented and we will be in a position to derive maximum benefits from our relocated quail. 9

10 Deer Management The development of a Quality Deer Management program for Rock Creek Plantation is an important overall component of this plan. The development of a quality deer management program can be broken into a series of six steps. These steps are as follows: 1) establishment of a deer management objective, 2) analysis of the habitat to determine limiting factors to deer production, 3) development and initiation of a management plan to help off set these limiting factors, 4) establishment of base-line population data from harvested deer and various census techniques, 5) establishment of harvest guidelines to meet the management objectives, and 6) annual review of census information, harvest data and land management practices to determine any modifications required. 1. Establishment of a deer-management objective: Establishment of an objective is the corner stone of a deer-management program. Based upon conversations that I have had with the owners, it is obvious that they are quite knowledgeable concerning deer management and biology, and are interested in pursuing a quality deer management program. A quality management program attempts to hold the herd density below peak carrying capacity reduces harvest pressure on younger-age class bucks and harvests primarily mature (3.5 years and older) deer. By holding deer densities below peak carrying capacity you ensure a high productivity within your deer herd. Protection of younger bucks ( years old) will help ensure a relatively larger percentage of mature (3.5 years and older) bucks in the hunting population. However, it is important to understand that it is very difficult to stock pile mature bucks without establishing a perimeter fence around the entire property. Additionally, as the buck to doe ratio and age-structure improves the amount of fighting and deaths related to the rut and post-rut trauma will increase dramatically. Compounding this problem is the fact that once bucks reach years of age they become very difficult to hunt due to their wariness. Traditional hunting techniques (green fields, feeders, etc.) are not as effective in harvesting these older animals except during the peak of rut. Therefore, it is important to remember that there is not always a one to one correlation between reducing harvest of young deer and increasing harvest of mature bucks. The easiest way to insure the harvest of a quality buck is to maintain a healthy sex ratio on the property and to hunt extensively during the rutting process. Mature bucks are quite vulnerable during the rut when doe to buck ratios are kept in good balance. In order to determine the success of the management program it is necessary to determine a target deer to base the program on. The selection of a target deer refers to not only the size of the antlers but also the age of the buck. Based upon what I have observed on the property and on conversations with individuals, a good base line deer would green score approximately 120 to 130 B.C. at 3.5 years of age. Seventy to eighty percent of harvested bucks should be of this quality, or greater. If at the end of any hunting season we determine that less than 70% of our 3.5 year old age-class deer are scoring in the 120 to 130 range, we will need to reduce our overall buck harvest. Conversely, if the majority of harvested deer are within the target range then we may slightly increase the buck harvest or set a higher target for harvested deer. Only by collecting excellent information from all harvested deer can we make these important decisions concerning harvest regulations. I caution you that using antler width or point restrictions to set harvest regulations on your deer can very often lead to failure in a quality deer management program. An eight point or 15 inch rule often ends up harvesting younger deer that are of greater 10

11 genetic potential and would under a field scoring program been left to form the basis of the breeding population. With a limited amount of practice, I believe the hunters on Rock Creek Plantation can and should be encouraged to learn how to field score and field age a male deer. If desired, laminated pictures of different age classes of bucks can be mounted in deer stands. Allowances must be made for the harvest of non-target bucks by inexperienced hunters. It is important to remember that the goal of quality deer management program is to provide a quality recreational experience. The concept of what a trophy is can be highly variable between individuals. A true measure of a trophy is whether an individual is willing to mount and display the animal for all to see. Very often, hunting properties can become so strict in their buck harvest parameters that the pure joy of hunting is removed from the experience. Selection of a target deer to base the program on assumes that all habitat modifications associated with this plan have been implemented and that a year-round feeding program is in place. It will take a few years for all of the benefits of habitat modification, supplemental food plot plantings, year-round feedings and harvest regulations to show up in the deer population. However, without the combination of these four principal factors the Rock Creek Plantation deer herd will never be able to fulfill their potential. 2. Analysis of limiting factors to deer production: Currently, the deer density on Rock Creek Plantation is of moderate density. As typical of most deer populations, the number of deer vary throughout the property with higher densities occurring in the thicker habitat associated with drainage basins. A rough windshield density estimate would be one deer to 15 acres of non-flooded habitat. The principal limiting factors to the creation of a quality deer herd on Rock Creek Plantation is similar to many properties throughout the southeast. These limitations are the lack of a high quality, year-round food supply coupled with a poor buck to doe ratio. Deer require a high protein diet in spring and summer for maximum fawn production and optimum antler growth.. Native vegetation is the southeast is quite low in protein content. Currently, there are very few high protein foods either planted or naturally occurring on Rock Creek Plantation. Therefore, we will attempt to develop a property-wide food plot system that will address this need for a high protein year-round diet While the current deer density on this property is of moderate density, I feel quite certain that the proposed habitat modifications will greatly increase productivity and use of this area by deer. Woody browse makes up a full 70% of the year-round diet of southeastern deer. The aggressive timber-harvesting program that has been initiated will greatly enhance the forage base for whitetail deer. This enhanced forage base coupled with other techniques such as feeding, burning and development of a property wide year-round food plot system should act as a stimulus to the overall deer population. Moderate deer densities on quail hunting plantations cause minimal problems with quail management and can actually be an added benefit to the overall hunting experience. However, high deer densities can have devastating impacts on the composition of the understory vegetation. Deer are selective browsers and target many of the same species that are beneficial to quail. Additionally, high deer densities will substantially increase the amount of sorghum that we must feed to be able to insure that enough of the species is out there for quail. The problem with trying to keep deer numbers below peek carrying 11

12 capacity is that deer populations follow what is called a Sigmoid Growth Curve. The Sigmoid Growth Curve refers to the fact that low-density (below carrying capacity) deer populations are more productive per animal than high-density areas. Therefore, as a deer population is reduced through hunting, the surviving deer counter this influence by becoming more productive per unit animal. This phenomena necessitates that deer management not be a static process, but a continuing dynamic part of the management Rock Creek Plantation. Currently, the habitat on Rock Creek Plantation produces very little quality, year-round forage. Throughout the southeast, the majority of the diet of the white-tailed deer is composed of native forage and annual weeds. While acorns are certainly used throughout this range, they are too variable in their production to serve as the cornerstone for any management program. In simpler terms, deer do not live on acorns, but deer may die on acorns. Mountainous habitat is an excellent example of this situation. Large expanses of hardwoods occur on mountainous terrain throughout the southeast; however, deer densities and deer quality are quite low in these areas. This is due to the sporadic nature of acorn production. Therefore, our management program will be based on the development of an annual, high-quality native forage base. Protection of acorn producing areas and the encouragement of individual trees will certainly be considered in the management program, however the production of quality native forage, feeding stations and planted food plots will be of greater importance. 3. Development and initiation of a management plan to help offset limiting factors: Several management techniques will be used to help offset the current limiting factors on these two properties. These include; timber thinning, burning, herbiciding, direct feeding and the development of a year-round food plot system. Timber stands will be evaluated on a site-by-site basis throughout the property to determine the need for a thinning and herbiciding operation. Controlled burning will be used to sculpture the landscape into a mixed composition of lowgrowing, food producing areas and thicker areas for bedding and refuge cover. The development of a year-round food plot system for Rock Creek Plantation will be an important component of the deer management program. This food plot system will be designed to not only attract deer during the hunting season but also provide for the seasonal needs of the animal throughout the year. Further information on the year-round food plot system can be found under the deer section of the Food Plots portion of the Management Plan. For the deer herd on Rock Creek Plantation to achieve its full potential will require an aggressive, year-round feeding program. As mentioned earlier native forage in the southeast is very low in protein. We will attempt to overcome this habitat deficiency by establishing permanent deer feeding stations throughout the property. These stations will be established at a density of approximately one per every 200 acres of quality upland habitat. A combination of corn, soybeans and/or protein pellets will be fed at these stations on a year-round basis. During the cooler fall and winter months, corn will be fed as the primary food. As we transition from winter to early spring soybeans or deer pellets will be added to this corn to provide additional protein required for the fawning and antler growth season. The percentage of corn available in this mix will be reduced throughout the summer until a point the deer are feeding exclusively on a high protein diet of either soybeans or commercial deer pellets. While the initial establishment costs for these permanent feeding stations are quite high, I feel that these areas will become 12

13 extremely important for maintaining a quality deer herd and attracting animals from surrounding properties. It is important to remember that shooting over bait is illegal in Georgia and therefore, feeding stations should be moved from hunting areas during the hunting season, or feeding discontinued. A feeding cost rate of approximately $50.00 per deer per year has been used for budgetary purposes. This value assumes a population of approximately one deer per every fifteen acres of non-wetland habitat. This value may have to be modified based upon the actual consumption rates of the deer on these two properties. I strongly encourage you to look at the choice of the Fiberfeeder (see Appendices) as a potential choice for the permanent feeding stations. These are free choice units that minimize the loss of feed to other animals and are highly efficient at preventing spoilage of corn, protein pellets and soybeans. I have seen these systems used throughout South Texas and in the high humidity areas of East Texas with great success. 4: Establishment of baseline population data from harvested deer and various census techniques: In order to determine the success of the management program, it will be absolutely imperative to develop some baseline population information. It is absolutely impossible to effectively and efficiently manage a deer herd without information obtained from harvested deer. Deer data to be collected will include population composition information (from incidental observation cards) and data from the harvested deer. In addition to this information we will collect lactation rates, weights, age, jawbones and antler measurements from all harvested deer. At the end of each year, this information will be summarized and related to the objectives of the management program. I have included a deer harvest data sheet in the Appendices of this plan. If desired, a spotlight count can be annually conducted to help refine harvest regulations. While a spotlight count will not be effective on the south end of the property, the remaining portions of Rock Creek are well suited to this type of census. A publication detailing techniques and providing data sheets has been included in the Appendices of this plan. 5. Establishment of harvest guidelines: The establishment of future harvest guidelines will be based upon information from individual deer harvested, incidental observation cards and any census techniques that are used. For the first year of the management plan, we will need to arbitrarily pick a number of does to harvest that will give us an adequate sample of their current condition. The major guidelines that we will select on an annual basis will be the number of does and bucks to be harvested throughout the property. These harvest guidelines will more than likely change dramatically over the next five years as the carrying capacity and deer density of these two properties increase. If we assume an approximate deer density of 1 deer per 15 acres of non-wetland habitat (1,400 acres), and a buck to doe ratio of approximately 3 does for every buck, then the theoretical Rock Creek Plantation deer herds contain approximately 23 bucks and 70 does. While these numbers undoubtedly appear low to you, please keep in mind that deer have extremely large home ranges and are free to move on and off the property at any given time. These numbers refer to the actual number of animal units that may be on these two properties at any time. A legitimate harvest rate of does would be approximately 20% of this number. Therefore, approximately 14 does could be removed from this property. This sample of does will give us an excellent initial base line data set on which to formulate future harvest regulations. When harvesting large numbers of does, it is important to remember that a certain amount of button buck harvest will occur. A button buck harvest of approximately 10% of the total animals killed is completely acceptable and highly predictable. While I understand that 13

14 these initial population estimates are highly subjective, we need to start somewhere with our harvest guidelines. Over the next five years, we will fine-tune these deer harvest guidelines and develop more specific harvest regulations. Buck harvest should be strictly limited over the next 3 years. The easiest way to insure that the majority of bucks reach 3.5 years of age is to severely limit their harvest over the next three to four seasons. This is not to say that true trophy bucks should not be harvested; however they MUST meet the minimum guidelines (120 BC). It is important to remember, that the hunter is the final deer manager. 6. Annual review of population, harvest and census information: At the end of each hunting season, I will put together a report that summarizes the harvest and any other census data and how it relates to our population estimates and overall deer management program. As conditions change on the property, we will likely have to fine-tune our management activities to account for these needed changes. Turkey Management The overall turkey density on Rock Creek Plantation is fairly low and extremely mobile. The lack of quality open land areas and a high predator density has combined to hold this population down. However, turkeys do exist throughout all areas of the property and should benefit greatly from proposed habitat modifications. While we will attempt to increase density and turkey usage of this area, it will never be a high density turkey population. The aggressive trapping of mid-sized mammalian egg eating predators, coupled with development of a yearround food plot system and supplemental feeding should allow this species to increase dramatically. In addition to the proposed deer and quail food plots a series of chufa patches will be distributed throughout both of these properties. Chufas are undoubtedly the most preferred food source for wild turkeys from early winter through spring. Six chufa patches, occupying 6 acres have been designed for these two properties. During the spring and summer, hens and developing poults require a diet that is high in protein. This protein is important for the production of eggs and the proper development of the young poults. To obtain this high protein diet, turkeys rely largely on insects. The winter deer plots, coupled with the sorghum and summer food plots should provide excellent bugging grounds. The large areas of pre-merchantable pines on the south end of the property have negatively affected the overall quality of the turkey habitat. However, the development of the corridor system through this area will have tremendous benefits to the turkey population. The key to developing quality turkey-nesting sites, and summer brood habitat is to have thick nesting cover in close association with high-quality bugging grounds. Open corridors through the premerchantable pine stands will provide excellent spring through summer habitat for turkeys. Additionally, the corn and soybeans that will be fed on this area will play an important part in the 14

15 turkey management program. Corn is an excellent source of high energy in mid-winter where soybeans are an excellent source of protein during the summer. In addition to helping the nutritional condition of our resident turkeys, these permanent-feeding stations should also attract turkeys from surrounding properties. Conclusion of Management Strategies The management strategies designed for Rock Creek Plantation represent an aggressive, multi-species approach to wildlife management. I believe that if we stick to our management program, that this property will serve as one of the finest examples of multi-species wildlife management in the southeast. 15

16 HABITAT MODIFICATION SHEET Property: Rock Creek Course: Field # / Type Ac. Ac Stump/Density Thunbergii Mgmt. Code Notes FFS /H Timber already cut FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H Includes ramp FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H Includes ramp FFS /H FFS19A /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H Existing ramp FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H Legend FFS: Fallow field system TL: Existing lespedeza N: New Field C: Chufa patch NL: New lespedeza E: Existing Field DW: Deer Winter DS: Deer Summer A: Addition to existing L: Low stump density M: Medium stump density H: High stump density Field Notes 16

17 HABITAT MODIFICATION SHEET Property: Rock Creek Course: Field # / Type Ac. Ac Stump/Density Thunbergii Mgmt. Code Notes FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H Timber already cut FFS /H FFS /H FFS /H Legend FFS: Fallow field system TL: Existing lespedeza N: New Field C: Chufa patch NL: New lespedeza E: Existing Field DW: Deer Winter DS: Deer Summer A: Addition to existing L: Low stump density M: Medium stump density H: High stump density Field Notes 17

18 HABITAT COMPONENTS AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Soils and Site Limitations A variety of soils occur on Rock Creek Plantation and add to the complexity of the management plan. With the exception of the Cypress and the Tupelo areas, the majority of the soils on this property would be considered fair to excellent for quail, deer and turkey management. Several areas of wet flatwoods are scattered throughout the property. We have purposefully avoided these areas for the development of any of our food plot systems. While several areas of flatwoods occur on the property. Their distribution will not limit our overall ability to produce or hunt quail throughout Rock Creek. I encourage the owners of this property to rework any existing drainage ditches that occur on the property to facilitate water removal from these wet-flatwood areas. As a general rule, the majority of soils in the deep southeast are acidic by nature. Therefore, I strongly recommend liming of newly established agricultural openings and all food plots that have not been limed within five to seven years. In addition to liming, a broadspectrum fertilizer should be applied to these openings the first year after stumping. If desired, a series of soil samples can be taken throughout the property to determine an average liming and fertilization rate. However, these soil samples often add to the overall confusion more than they provide useful information. Instead of trying to determine specific field-by-field fertilization regimes, I recommend you develop general fertilizer recommendations for the different crops slated to be grown on this property. Overall, there are no site limitations (other than periodic inundation of a portion of the flatwood stands) on this property that cannot be overcome with increased management effort. The large size and geographic location of this property makes an excellent candidate to develop into a premier multi-game hunting property. 18

19 Woodland Modifications Considerable timber resources occur on Rock Creek Plantation. Overall, this property has an excellent potential for timber growth with high site indices for both pine and hardwood. Modification of the woodland portion of this property will have a substantial impact on the future wildlife productivity of this area. Timber resources on Rock Creek Plantation can be broken into four major categories; 1) planted pines from 19 to 45 years of age, 2) planted pines 10 years of age, 3) miscellaneous hardwood and brush areas and 4) hardwood drains and other moist site forested areas. These broad categories will be discussed separately so that specific management recommendations can be made for each timber type. Planted Pines (19 to 45 years old) Merchantable-planted pine stands represent approximately 50% of Rock Creek Plantation. These planted stands range from 19 to 45 year old. The productivity and current condition of these stands varies dramatically throughout the property, based on a variety of factors. Soil quality and site preparation techniques appear to have had the most impact on the current quality of the stands. Varying degrees of pre-merchantable hardwood occur throughout these stands from extremely thick to almost non-existent. While these stands vary dramatically in their current composition, they all are suitable candidates for a quality wildlife management operation. Basal areas within stands currently range from a low of BA to a high of BA. The current quail density within these planted pine stands is extremely low due to a variety of factors. Shade suppression caused by an over story of pines, (and in some areas a midstory of hardwoods) has created a situation in which very little productive ground-level vegetation exists. Additionally, these types of soils characteristically do not produce a tremendous amount of high quality quail foods. The overall management strategy for the 941 acres of merchantable-planted pine stands throughout Rock Creek Plantation is to initiate an aggressive timber thinning that is designed to open these stands up and sunlight the forest floor. This aggressive thinning will allow for a more productive and diverse vegetation on the forest floor. We will attempt to leave a residual basal area of 30 to 40 square feet per acre, composed of high quality trees. There are numerous pockets scattered throughout Rock Creek Plantation of planted pine with a high incidence of fusiform rust. In these areas, it will be difficult to leave an adequate number of healthy stems to create the basal area pine stand that we desire. In these sites, we will either have to leave a lower density of timber or leave poor-quality trees to achieve our residual forest. During the process of thinning, agricultural openings and food plots will be created throughout the entire property. While certain habitat types do not require agricultural openings for the development of a quality quail population, Rock Creek Plantation is not one of these areas. The development of a well-distributed food plot system coupled with a fallow-land 19

20 management program will be absolutely essential to properly develop the planted pine stands on this property. After pine thinning on these areas, we will evaluate the stands on a site-by-site basis to determine if a fuel wood operation is required. Large portions of these planted pine blocks will require no more than controlled burning and chopping to renovate the understory into a productive condition; however, other areas scattered throughout Rock Creek will require an aggressive fuel wooding operation to properly set back mid-story hardwood competition. Richard Schwab (Rigoni & Sons) has been contacted concerning this fuel wooding operation and will begin as soon moisture conditions allow. A certain amount of broadcast herbiciding will be required following fuel wooding operations. This herbiciding is necessary to control resprouted hardwoods after the fuel wood operation. I have taken an educated guess at approximately 200 acres of broad-spectrum herbiciding for this property; however, this number may change up or down once timber harvesting operations are completed. Garlon 4 will be used as our post-timber harvest herbicide treatment. We will have to wait one year for adequate regrowth of hardwood stumps prior to application of this herbicide. Garlon is an excellent herbicide for quail hunting plantations because it is not soil active, it is highly effective on resprouting hardwoods but does not kill grasses. Approximately 50% of the planted pine stands are bedded. These beds range from very low to moderate in height. An increased woodland harrowing effort will need to be directed at these bedded stands to facilitate hunting of these areas. Travel lanes should be harrowed perpendicular to the hunting trail throughout these bedded stands. An excellent time for harrowing (or chopping to stimulate stump rotting) within these bedded areas would be immediately following annual burning. The residual stumps will be visible at this time and the harrow will more effectively penetrate the ground. Additionally, the post-harrowing vegetation that will follow soil disturbance at this time of year is very productive for quail and other wildlife. I encourage you to discontinue woodland harrowing after the first of April so that we will not perpetuate a distribution of noxious grasses and other broadleaf plants (sicklepod, crotalaria, ect.). All areas of thinned planted pine will require some degree of post harvest cleanup following timbering. A root raking cost of $60.00 per acre has been used in the budgetary portion of this plan (Table 5); however, root raking cost will be highly variable from one stand to the next. Root raking is essential to clean up an area after harvesting and this raking also helps create the new ground effect that encourages rapid expansion of a quail population. Failure to root rake following harvest will delay the development of a quality quail population. Planted Pines (10 years old) Approximately 174 acres of 10-year-old slash pine exist on the southern end of the property. Numerous, large live oak trees were also left on this area following timber harvesting. A poor job of site preparation on this area has resulted in a suppressed, pre-merchantable pine stand with an extremely high density of hardwood saplings. An aerial application of herbicide in 20

21 this area is out of the question due to the distribution of large and attractive live oaks that are scattered throughout this stand. Therefore, treatment of the sapling hardwoods will occur after the first timber harvesting. Very little understory vegetation exist within this stand and currently the density of quail, deer and turkey within this area is quite low. While the stand undoubtedly produces excellent bedding cover for deer, there is very little forage produced within this stand. The management strategy within this stand will be to develop a series of open corridors ranging in size from 75 to 100 yards wide throughout this area. These corridors will generally run in an east/west direction and be slightly winding to improve aesthetics. The combination of shearing, root raking and piling, burning and harrowing is the most efficient and effective technique to remove pre-merchantable pines. Three corridors were established throughout this area that are intended to remove approximately 1/3 (sixty acres) of the planted pines. The width of these corridors was selected to allow for a quail hunt to be easily conducted along the length of these open areas. A quail-feeding trail should be developed that runs generally through the middle of this corridor after establishment. I have had the pleasure of creating corridors on numerous properties throughout the southeast and have been extremely pleased with the high productivity of these areas. The corridor will rapidly develop into fairly high quality habitat relative to the surrounding planted pine stands. Therefore, any available quail in the area will be quickly drawn to these corridors and be available during the hunt. However, you will quickly realize that corridor hunting is a covey rise situation only. Even the dumbest quail learns to fly to the thicker cover represented by the planted pines. Approximately 30% of the pre-merchantable pines on Rock Creek Plantation are designed to be removed for the creation of corridors. The theoretical design of this area is to have a 100-yard wide corridor separated by 200 yards of planted pines. For the next 8 to 10 years, quail hunting will occur within the corridor and the pre-merchantable pines will be allowed to grow to merchantability. After the pines reach merchantability, an extremely aggressive timber harvesting should take place within these stands. The quail population that has developed with the corridors can then quickly expand into the newly thinned planted pine stands. Once a huntable understory has developed within the thinned pine stands, the corridor will be treated as a long agricultural field and a portion of the area will be harrowed up prior to the hunting season each year. The future design of this area will be a heavily thinned planted pine stand occupying 200 to 250 yards in width, separated by long, narrow agricultural fields to help facilitate the hunting and produce brood habitat for quail and turkeys. The width of the residual pine strip was selected so that a hunt could proceed in both directions (east and west) along these pine stands once timber has been thinned. My personal feeling is that this corridor type system is an excellent, multi-game management program and a good trade-off between timber and wildlife production. One additional multi-game benefit of the corridor program is that it creates a large acreage of relatively stump-free ground to be used for food plots. I anticipate these corridors will be used extensively for deer winter, deer summer and turkey plots. Additionally, one of the corridors can be selected for the establishment of a dove field if desired by the owners. Miscellaneous Hardwood and Brush Areas Approximately 123 acres of hardwood and brush areas occur throughout Rock Creek Plantation. These areas range in size from less than 5 acres to 15 acres or more. The majority of 21

22 these hardwood brush areas are in upland habitat suitable for development of quality wildlife management practices. Therefore, these areas will be modified to develop a diverse and productive understory by using herbiciding, chopping, or using a variety of chemical and mechanical techniques. Clusters of mature hardwoods will be protected within these areas for development of mast producing areas. Pre-merchantable hardwoods will be removed associated with fuel wood cutting operations. Several of these brush areas are in moist site depressions and therefore no management activities (other than maintenance of brush) will be directed at these sites. Hardwood Drains and Other Moist-Site Forested Areas Approximately 25% (475 acres) of Rock Creek Plantation is composed of cypress and tupelo bottoms and other moist-site hardwood areas. These areas occur as depressions throughout the property and not as linear drains. The water level within these depressions is highly variable depending upon rainfall. The current high water table on this property has these depressions filled to maximum capacity. Understory vegetation within these depressions is limited because of the periodic flooding associated with heavy rainfall events. No management activities are scheduled within these depressions and they will be left as reservoirs for deer and other game. However, we will be initiating an aggressive fuel wooding operation along the perimeter of these moist-site depressions when soil moisture conditions allow. Over time, upland hardwoods have developed along the interface of the planted pine/moist depression interface. Through the use of a fuel wooding operation combined with a post-harvest herbiciding, we will attempt to develop a grass interface between the planted pine stands and the moist depressions. A more aggressive burning regime will be developed following this fuel wooding that will reduce the probability of re-infestation of these areas with sapling hardwoods. Our long-term management strategy for the interface of these areas is to develop them into a fire-maintained habitat and to not allow them to be recolonized with aggressive upland hardwoods. Due to the current high water table on this area (July 2005), we may have to delay our fuel wooding operation until the fall of this year. We should not rush to fuel wood these areas until soil moisture conditions have improved dramatically. 22

23 AGRICULTURAL OPENINGS AND FOOD PLOTS Quail Food Plots A diverse food plot program is essential to the production of a consistently high wild quail population. The diversity and structure of a food plot is far more important in the life history of a quail than the actual agricultural plant grown. A diverse food plot should provide a year-round supply of both planted and native feeds, excellent bugging grounds, summer fruit supplies, nesting cover and mid-winter escape cover. The quail plot design on Rock Creek uses a minimum of annually planted food, and relies on native vegetation and seasonal soil disturbance to provide year-round food and cover for wild birds. The Rock Creek Plantation quail food plots will use a variety of natural management techniques, with minimal plantings to create a diverse complex of vegetative communities within a small area. We will attempt to match the array of habitat types created to the diverse seasonal needs of quail from brood habitat to mid-winter cover. Seasonal harrowing, (primarily fall and winter) and wheat planting will be used within a portion of all quail plots. By using fallow ground coupled with annual plantings, a diverse array of native feeds and cover types should colonize the field systems (Table 3). Figure 1 represents a simplified version of fallow field management whereby the hedgerows are maintained by either chopping, mowing or discing, and the middle of the field is maintained with annual cool season harrowing and/or harrowing and wheat planting. Grain sorghum (such as NK300) can be used along the edge of the hedgerow to provide additional mid-winter cover, if needed. While the basic design of these fields is to provide hard cover along the edges and open brood habitat within the middle, the variability in size and shape of these fields will probably dictate a field-by-field design, over time. This simple design of hard cover hedgerows and bare ground, coupled with limited wheat and sorghum planting will not only be productive for quail, but is also a highly efficient hunting design and also provides several needs of deer and turkey. Of all the agricultural species that are commonly grown on multi-game hunting plantations, winter wheat is by far the most economically efficient, easiest to plant and productive for quail, deer and turkey. The greenery provided by wheat is feed on by deer, quail and turkey throughout the late-winter and early-spring and the insects that are produced within these areas provide an important component to the diet of laying turkey and quail hens and developing poults and chicks. For this reason, a considerable acreage of wheat will be annually planted. These plantings will be a combination of wheat planted in association with the middle of agricultural field systems and block plantings of wheat throughout the property in one to two acre patches. These block plantings of wheat are designed to provide supplemental winter deer food and produce excellent brood habitat conditions for quail and turkeys in the summer. Approximately 48 acres of low-intensity wheat planting are designed for Rock Creek Plantation. Low-intensity wheat planting involves using a relatively low amount of wheat (approximately 50 lbs/acre) mixed in a spreader truck with a light fertilizer (150 to 200 lbs. of ) and simply spin spread upon recently harrowed dirt. If desired, this wheat can be lightly cut in for a 23

24 more productive stand. Using these low-intensity methods, large amounts of this highly productive wildlife food can be quickly established on a property. Deer Plots Two food plots designs will be used to provide highly nutritious forage throughout the year as well as attracting deer during the hunting season. As most deer hunters realize, the majority of trophy bucks are not harvested in planted food plots; however, these areas are essential to the production of these magnificent animals. Winter/Spring food plots contain an assortment of reseeding annuals; however, they have been designed to be planted on an annual basis. Annual planting of these food plots insures the consistent production of a quality deer field Winter Deer Plots: Winter food plots have two primary functions. 1) to attract and hold deer throughout the hunting season, and 2) to nutritionally prepare does and bucks for the breeding, fawning, and post-rut season. Deer normally enter the hunting season in their peak physical condition of the year. Hard mast (acorns, etc...) are abundant at this time of the year and there are very few nutritional stress factors (fawning, lactation, post-rut stress, weather etc...) prevalent during this season. However, as fall turns to late-winter, native food supplies dwindle at a time of the year that does require a high-energy source (for proper development of their fetus) and bucks are recovering from a long rutting season. Additionally, bucks begin to develop their antlers at this time of the year and require a highly nutritious food source for maximum development of the horns that we so feverishly pursue. Therefore, a proper winter food plot should provide for the deer long after the guns have been cleaned and stored. A variety of cool season food plots can be used. The plot that I commonly use is a mixture of wheat, crimson and arrow leaf clover and Austrian winter pea. The wheat and Austrian winter pea will produce early in the deer season, followed by the crimson clover in late winter and arrow leaf clover in early-to late spring. This mixture of plants is not only very palatable, but also highly nutritious. The Austrian winter pea and clovers are legumes and provide an excellent high protein food source. Two different types of clovers are used (crimson and arrow leaf) to provide several months of this important forage. While these plants will certainly be used during the deer season, they will be even more heavily browsed in early to late spring as the nutritional demands of fawning and antler growth begin. This particular suite of plants has been used on a variety of soils from East Texas to Southern Virginia, with great success. However, we may have to experiment with several varieties of clovers until we find the proper species for Rock Creek Plantation. Twenty acres of deer winter food plots will be annually planted on Rock Creek Plantation Summer Deer Plot: Summer food plots are designed to be planted in early to mid-may and to provide a continual, highly nutritious food source when combined with the winter patches. On the vast majority of properties managed for deer there is very little consideration given to deer at this time of the year. It is a sad testimonial to the current state of deer management that the bulk of most landowner efforts are directed towards concentrating deer during the hunting season and not growing deer during the production season. Late spring to mid-summer is a difficult time for South Georgia whitetails. Does are under tremendous nutritional stress due to 24

25 the demands of their fawns and bucks are beginning to develop antlers. Compounding this situation is the fact that native vegetation is coarse and low in protein levels at this time of year. This nutritional stress manifests itself not only in the mother but also in the survival and growth of the yearlings. The bottom line is that it is hard to grow a trophy buck from a scrawny fawn. The summer patches are designed to be a high protein food source from approximately the end of May until early fall. At this time, the deer can switch to our winter food plot mix, for a continual source of quality forage. One commonly used summer deer food plot is a mixture of iron and clay pea, joint vetch, and browntop millet. Browntop is used in this mix more as a cover crop than a high-quality deer food. The iron and clay pea, and joint vetch are legumes and therefore are highly nutritious and strongly selected by deer. The browntop is used to provide a short-term protective buffer to these ice cream plants. Additionally, the browntop will be strongly utilized by turkey hens and their developing poults. Given the moderate to high deer densities on Rock Creek Plantation. I recommend that plots be a minimum of 2 acres in size to insure success. Sites for summer food plots will include areas within hunting corridors, middles of fallow fields and some deer winter food plots that will be harrowed in May. While the permanent feeding stations provide a highprotein summer diet for deer, a properly planted food plot can provide a greater cost effectiveness in producing this critical summer protein need. A variety of high protein warm season deer food plots are available and I encourage experimentation with several varieties. It is essential that we maintain our permanent deer feeding stations in combination with these summer plantings to ensure a consistent, year-to-year source of protein for the deer. As you are well aware Mother Nature can make spring and summer growing conditions quite difficult. Six warm season deer food plots have been allocated representing 12 acres. (Table 2). Turkey Plots: The winter and summer deer food plots will also have a tremendous, positive impact on the resident turkey population. Turkeys use wheat and clovers extensively in the early spring, whereas the browntop millet and peas will be very attractive during the early and mid-summer period. Laying hens and developing poults require a diet rich in protein and calcium. Insects are the primary food source used to obtain this highly nutritious mix. Not only must a spring-summer food plot produce large amounts of insects but these insects must be produced in a way that they are available to the developing poults. The second component of our turkey food plot system will be the development of quality chufa patches. This plant is a premiere food source for wild turkeys and is as close as you can come to legal baiting. Chufa patches are used extensively by turkeys from the late fall through the early spring. Six of these patches have been allocated for planting on Rock Creek Plantation. Not only are chufa patches a high-quality food for turkeys but also they are very effective at holding birds on your property throughout the hunting season. During the first year of operation all available chufa patches will be planted. After this time, these patches will be put on a twoyear planting frequency. Very often, chufas can be encouraged to reseed simply by discing and fertilizing at the proper time. By using this type of a discing and planting program we cut our chufa patch maintenance cost approximately in half. 25

26 Chufas should be planted at 50 pounds per acre with a grain drill. The soil should be disced prior to planting and a pre-emergent herbicide (such as Sonalan, at one quart per acre) applied. At this time you should also fertilize with approximately 350 pounds of (or equivalent) per acre. Once the chufas reach 8-10 inches in height, you can apply pounds of ammonium nitrate per acre, if needed. The optimum time for chufa planting is mid- June to mid-july. Planting at this time assure availability for the following turkey season. Overall, a variety of species will be planted in various food plots on Rock Creek Plantation on an annual basis. Additionally, natural management techniques will be used to further create cover, brood habitat and additional food supplies. A wide variety of management techniques will be employed to ensure that a continuous stream of high quality food and cover is produced. Table 4 summarizes food plot ordering information for the Rock Creek Plantation. 26

27 Hedgerows will be maintained with staggered mowing and/or chopping on a 3-5 year frequency, and represent approximately two-thirds of the total field system. Hedgerows will be initially strip planted to partridge pea. First-year sorghum strip (20 feet wide) The middle one-third of the field system will be annually harrowed in November. One-half of the harrowed area will be planted to wheat. Second-year sorghum strip. Hedgerow Figure 1. Overview of proposed field system for Rock Creek Plantation. 27

28 TABLE 3: Quail food plants encouraged by discing at Tall Timbers Research Station (numerals are the peak monthly percent plant coverage as measured in the growing season after plowing time). PLOWING TIME PLANTS DEC. FEB. APRIL JUNE AUG. OCT. Ragweed Dove weed & other spurges Partridge peas Grasses (largeseeded) Florida pussley Florida beggarweed Pokeweed Cranesbill geranium Blackberries* * Blackberry, and most other soft mast species, fruit most abundantly when disturbed on a three-year cycle. 28

29 Table Food plot ordering information for Rock Creek Plantation. Plant Year 1 Maintenance Sorghum Brown top 4, Buck wheat 4, Crimson clover Arrowleaf clover Austrian winter pea Wheat 8,600 2,400 2 Iron and clay peas Joint vetch Chufas Partridge pea Corn Values are in pounds per ac. unless otherwise noted. 12 Seeds require inoculation. 29

30 COVER MANAGEMENT ANDCONTROLLED BURNING The proper distribution of quality upland cover is an important part of the Rock Creek Plantation quail management plan. Bobwhites suffer high natural mortality (approximately 80% annually) and require all the assistance that man can provide. A well-designed cover program is the least expensive component of a quail management plan, but often the first neglected. Bird hunters have a propensity to equate quail habitat with the wide-open vistas of piney woods immortalized in wildlife art. While this type of habitat may be pleasing to ride through, it seldom offers the opportunities to dismount for a wild covey rise. Cover is important for several reasons other than the obvious protection from predators. Shrubby cover offers much needed bare ground for loafing and dusting, excellent nesting vegetation, areas for fruit production (most fruits produce best on a 2-3 year disturbance cycle and produce very little if they are annually burned) and serve as sites for production of climbing legumes such as milk pea and butterfly pea. When I speak of cover, what I am referring to is an upland shrubby thicket, from 3-5 years of age and not hardwood drains or other bottomland cover. Usually the best hard cover is vegetation that colonizes multi-year fallowed fields. This cover tends to be composed primarily of blackberry, volunteer pines and vine-type species with lesser amounts of deciduous hardwoods. Even when the leaves are lost from theses species, they tend to produce adequate cover due to their growth form. This is the principal reason that a large portion of the agricultural openings will be maintained in a rotational, multi-year fallow system. While agricultural fields cover is critically important, it is just as important to maintain proper vegetative composition throughout the woodlands. Several management techniques will be utilized on Rock Creek Plantation to produce a diverse and productive understory, these include, burning, chopping, mowing and herbiciding. A properly designed burning program is the most efficient way to develop a productive understory for quail. The bottom line of a controlled burning program is that approximately 20-40% of the upland cover should be left unburned on an annual basis. How this unburned vegetation is designed and distributed is where the art meets the science of quail management. If post-fire cover blocks are too large they can be difficult to maintain and to hunt whereas if they are too small (less than 1-2 acres in size) they can become nesting traps for quail. Quail have a strong tendency to nest in areas of unburned vegetation (due to the pine straw and dry grasses available) and can be vulnerable to predators if post-fire cover blocks are too small. I will work together with the management of Rock Creek to develop a series of post-fire cover blocks that are well distributed throughout the property and of adequate size and shape. The goal within these post-fire cover blocks is to develop slightly thicker vegetation than the surrounding areas, thereby providing critical mid-winter and summer cover areas. One of the drawbacks to leaving post-fire cover is that these areas have a tendency to be quickly colonized with hardwood vegetation. A certain percentage of hardwood resprouting within these cover blocks is to be expected and accepted. However, certain sites throughout the southeast have excessive production of deciduous hardwood species (primarily sweet gum, and water oak) that can quickly colonize an entire cover block. The rich soils of Rock Creek Plantation are very productive for growing hardwoods. Therefore, throughout most 30

31 of the property it will be extremely difficult to develop a 2-3 year post-fire cover block without first controlling hardwood species within the blocks. One technique that I have used on numerous properties is to establish permanent, hardwood-free cover blocks. This is done in a manner similar to the establishment of the agricultural fields. By this I mean that the woodlands are basically considered a blank sheet of paper and that cover blocks are arranged and distributed in a manner that will be most productive for quail. After delineating the perimeter of these permanent cover blocks with a firelines, the sites will be Arsenal treated in the fall. Sweetgum is highly susceptible to moderate levels of Arsenal. While this chemical treatment will not remove all hardwoods from the cover blocks, it will allow us to develop cover blocks that can be burned on a frequency of every 2-3 years without being colonized by deciduous hardwood species. Arsenal is a highly effective species for the control of hardwoods due to its residual soil activity. However, it is also this residual soil activity that delays the re-vegetation of Arsenal treated areas. Therefore, good quail cover does not normally re-grow on Arsenal treated sited for minimum of 2 years, post-spraying. Therefore I recommend a staggered approach to development of hardwood-free cover blocks throughout the property. A staggered approach will minimize the removal of large amounts of cover in any one season. After chemical treatment and burning, a portion of the cover block can be harrowed to speed up colonization by old-field plants. Controlled burning will become an increasingly important management practice on the Rock Creek Plantation. A series of firelines will need to be established around the perimeter of the property, around all cover blocks and separating principal hardwood drainage systems throughout the entire property. The capital cost associated with the construction of these firelines is not covered in the budgetary section of this plan. Chopping and/or mowing will also be used to maintain proper understory conditions. Cross-hatching of the quail courses will be conducted each fall prior to the hunting season. Not only does cross hatching make hunting more effective but it also provides habitat benefits by controlling vegetative growth and through soil disturbance. Flat chopping of unproductive areas will also occur in the fall and following burning in the spring. Post-fire chopping is an underutilized and very beneficial management technique that can be incorporated to alter the vegetative composition of the understory. Overall a variety of management techniques including burning and mechanical and chemical control of vegetation will be used to maintain the all important productive and diverse understory cover. 31

32 IMPACTS ON OTHER SPECIES Quail hunting areas throughout the southeast are coveted by organizations seeking conservation easements. This is because to produce consistently high populations of wild quail requires a tremendous amount of micro-site diversity. Bobwhites require a variety of habitat types throughout the year and this interspersion of vegetation complexes is paramount to producing non-game species as well. To the best of my knowledge, there should be no detriment to habitat quality for any rare plant or animal species indigenous to Rock Creek Plantation. Overall, the habitat quality for a variety of species should be improved with the development of this plan. 32

33 BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS Monetary figures contained within this section are intended to acquaint the owners of Rock Creek Plantation with the approximate costs for specific management operations. The figures presented in this outline do not include in-house labor, equipment, cost of equipment operation, repairs or any of the other standard operational costs of this property. The costs stated for specific management items are approximate and may vary for your operation. The annual budget will coincide with the chronological work plan and begin March, Costs are broken into two major categories: (capital and operational). Capital costs are one-time outlays and include: stumping, root-raking, corridor construction, initial woodland herbiciding, permanent deer feeders, initial trapping supplies, contract predator control, planting of reseeding or perennial wildlife plants and liming and fertilization required for successful establishment of these species and grain storage bins. Operational costs are annual outlays and include feed, annual food plot planting and fertilization, spot control of hardwoods, and annual trapping supplies and contract trapping. Table 4 offers a detailed description of capital costs. Annual operational costs are detailed in Table 6 and presented visually in Figure 2. 33

34 Table 5. Approximate capital costs for proposed habitat modifications on Rock Creek Plantation. Total Stumping: Areas to be stumped include new fields (134.2 ac.), logging ramps (18.5 ac.), hunting trail (10 ac.) and principal road-sides (10 ac.) ac. of stumping at $1,000.00/ac. $172, Final field preparation: Final field preparation involves hand clean up of small roots and debris. Only new fields and logging ramps will require hand clean up ac. at $100.00/ac. $15, Contract harrowing: Deep harrow 172ac. with contract equipment and labor. 172 ac. at $35.00/ac. $6, Corridor construction: Construct approximately 60 ac. of corridors at $300.00/ac. Corridors will be V bladed, root-raked and piled, smoothed, burned and harrowed for this price. $18, Liming: Lime ac. of new field systems and ramps with 1.5 tons of lime per ac. 1.5 tons of lime/ac. delivered and spread at $40.00/ac. $6, Post-timber harvest clean up: 941 ac. of root-raking, piling and burning at an average of $60.00/ac. $56, Herbicides: Hire Mark Attwater ( ) to Garlon treat problem areas. The most likely application will be one gallon of Garlon 4 per ac. 200 ac. at $90.00/ac. This value is approximate and will likely change. $18, Grain storage bin: A storage bin will be required for quail feed. A turn key 1,000 bu. bin will cost approximately $8, $10, The bin will need to be refilled 3-4 times per year. $10, Trapping: Purchase 100, model 1081 Hav-a Hart box traps at $52.00/trap. Traps are available from one of my clients (Lister Harrell, ). $5, Hire Sam Lemmon ( ) for 12 weeks of intensive trapping at $750.00/week. $9,

35 New field systems: Plant 30 ac. of partridge pea in hedgerows of large field systems. Planting rate is 10 lbs. per ac. and the seed cost is $6.00/lb. $1, Capital costs, page 2 Plant entire stumped area to a mix of 25lbs each of browntop millet and buckwheat as soon as they are stumped ac. at $60.00/ac. $10, Plant entire stumped acreage to wheat in the fall. This will start the fallow-field vegetation management program off with the proper soil-disturbance and fertilization. $6, Deer Feeders: Six free-choice deer feeders will be established for a year-round deer feeding program. Six, free-choice deer feeders at $700.00/unit. See Appendices for potential feeder. $4, Approximate Capital Costs: $340,