Thumb Area Branch QDMA Newsletter

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1 Thumb Area Branch QDMA Newsletter FEB-MAR 2014 Message from the President In this newsletter, along with some neat articles about switchgrass and shed- hunting, there are a couple pages of REACH Banquet pictures. This year s banquet was another sell out, with over 350 people having a great time. I can t say enough about all the folks who made the night happen from the Branch team to all the donors. Without all of you, this night would not happen. One Minute, an Empty Room Turn to page 4-5 of this edition to see what filled this room just a few minutes after this picture was taken! The Importance of Co-ops A QDM Cooperative may just be the most important aspect of QDM. These voluntary affiliations of landowners and hunters working together can vastly improve the quality of the deer herd and the hunting experience. Because there are no strict rules or regulations governing the organization of a co-op, they can vary in size, number of participants, organizational structure it pretty much depends on the needs and goals of its individual members. The Thumb Branch of QDM would like to promote the growth of Co-ops in the Thumb. If you run (or are a member of) a QDM Co-op in Huron, Sanilac or Tuscola, please send us your Co-op s name, location and number of acres (if you want to share) as well as some contact information. Send your information to qdmnews@yahoo.com, or contact any Branch member (contact names on back page of this edition). Over the years, this banquet has grown so much. During the early years, it was held at the Fox Hunters and K of C Hall, and now is a sell-out at the larger Ubly Heights. We ve had the best of guest speakers, ranging from Brian Murphy to this year s Maximum Outdoors. The foodstuff covers everything from wine tasting catered by Dizzy Daisy to the meat trays offered by local processors there s something for everyone! I don t know if we can make our banquet any better. But don t worry we ll keep trying! Thank you to all who attended. I hope you had a great night, and I hope to see you all again next year. Don t forget to support all our fabulous donors! EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES: Weapon-a-Week Raffle (ongoing) April SEED DAYS! (teamed with Pheasants Forever ) call for more info April 23 - Conservation Assistance Workshop Farm Bureau, Bad Axe 6:30 pm Call for info abt $ assist available April 26 Wild Game Dinner Evangel Life, Bad Axe Call for tickets - $3! July National QDMA Convention Athens, Georgia Send pics/articles for inclusion in the next newsletter: qdmnews@yahoo.com and LIKE us on Facebook

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3 Switchgrass & Whitetail Deer Switchgrass is a native perennial warm-season grass that is found in most of the U.S., including Michigan. It s widely planted in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) projects and provides great habitat for pheasants and grassland songbirds. In addition, it provides excellent bedding for white-tailed deer. This is one trick for keeping those big bucks on your property. There are many varieties of switchgrass and the most common one used in Michigan is Cave-in-Rock. broadleaf weeds can be an issue. Mowing and herbicide treatments are the techniques used for broadleaf weed control. Prescribed burning is used for long-term management of switchgrass plots. Cave-in-Rock grows at least 4 tall (up to 7-8!), withstands the heavy winter snows and will grow in a wide range of soils in Michigan. It will grow best in soils with a ph range of but will tolerate soils with a ph as low as 5.0. However, one of the most important things one should do before planting switchgrass is to conduct a soil test on the property. The conditions of the planned site will determine the amount of site prep required before planting. Sites will require at least one application of glyphosate for weed control. However, most sites will need multiple herbicide treatments before planting. Switchgrass can be no-tilled in late spring-early summer at a rate of 4-5 lbs/acre. Another method used is frost-seeding which is simply broadcasting the seeds in late winter. As the ground freezes and thaws, the seeds are worked into the ground. Following establishment of the grasses, control of For technical (and possibly financial!) assistance on establishing switchgrass plots to attract and hold those big bucks on your property, call your local Conservation District (in Tuscola, that s ). The Thumb Pheasants Forever Branch will be holding Seed Days in Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola This stand shows incredible resiliency; it bounced right back after our recent harsh Michigan winter. Standing taller than a 7-year-old, it provides excellent shelter for deer, pheasants, wild game and small children. (tentatively April 17-18). For more information about Seed Days through the Thumb Pheasants Forever Chapter, call Submitted by Jeff Jones, Wildlife Biologist Beds and Sheds Toward the end of March, I thought the snow may have melted enough to allow a poplar cut on my property. I soon found out the snow was still at least knee-deep in most areas, but it was a sunny day and I was determined to get this cut done. The poplar stand was on the north side of a couple-acre section of woods near the center of my land. This woods is a part of my sanctuary area; everything I do here is to help create an undisturbed site for my deer where they can feel concealed and not vulnerable, and yet still be close to preferred food sources. Sara Dobson (Sanilac) also had good luck shed hunting! After I completed the cut, I decided to check on the south side of the woods. The south side is set up for bedding; it gets full sun, has a grassy edge and is littered with hinge cuts and manmade deer beds. The site did not disappoint. The area was littered with beds and in one of the beds was a shed antler. Now, by no means was it a monster shed but I made this bed four years ago, and this is the third year I have found antlers in it. To me, that s pretty cool. Making deer beds can be as easy as trimming a couple branches or it can be quite time-consuming with hinge cutting or tie-ing down branches and clearing debris. Either way, it s well worth the effort. If done right, deer beds can help you harvest mature deer and shed antlers. -submitted by Mark Lemke, Practical Whitetail Strategies An antler found in a deer bed. The whitetail buck seeks a bed where he can t be seen, and where he has the vantage point of any approaching danger.

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8 QDMA Thumb Area Branch PO Box 82 Bad Axe, MI 48413