How to manage freshly thinned pines for deer habitat ?

**prcn** · 12-15-2021, 04:39 PM

The loggers just left last week from doing a first thinning of planted pines in S Spartanburg county.
Our hunting land lacks bedding cover.
these pines surround plenty of lush food plots.
.
I know all the new sunlight will start some new growth.
It looks like I can get our small disc or spring tooth plow between some rows of pines
When should I lightly plow? Now or early spring?
And is the juice worth the squeeze?
Any other ideas?

**SCWOODROW** · 12-15-2021, 04:55 PM

Fertilize the natural vegetation

**ceddy** · 12-15-2021, 06:22 PM

Controlled burning is the best thing you can do to put nutrients back into the soil and promote fresh growth.

**swampknob** · 12-15-2021, 06:28 PM

They love the non pine stump growth

**thunderchicken** · 12-15-2021, 06:53 PM

Burn it. Preferably a back burn or maybe a strip or patch burn if you can keep it from getting too hot. In February I would disk as much as you can in the cut rows to promote legumes and grasses to grow.

**Quackhead22** · 12-15-2021, 08:18 PM

Burn it when you can. But if you can disturb the soil with a disc or something like that in between the rows now you will promote lots of great natural browse and cover!

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**CofC Waterfowler** · 12-15-2021, 08:19 PM

Burn it. If enough light white clover on some roads, but most importantly burn it.

**prcn** · 12-15-2021, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by CofC Waterfowler

Burn it. If enough light white clover on some roads, but most importantly burn it.

Do I call the state forestry office to line up a fire? Does the state still do that for any of their wildlife/ forestry projects for habitat?

Or is this the job of a paid forestry guy?

**Quackhead22** · 12-15-2021, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by prcn

Do I call the state forestry office to line up a fire? Does the state still do that for any of their wildlife/ forestry projects for habitat?

Or is this the job of a paid forestry guy?

Shoot me a pm. I’d be happy to discuss this with you!

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**Quackhead22** · 12-15-2021, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by prcn

Do I call the state forestry office to line up a fire? Does the state still do that for any of their wildlife/ forestry projects for habitat?

Or is this the job of a paid forestry guy?

Short answer is yes the state will do it but who knows when! Best bet is to have them install fire breaks this year and then either take on the job yourself, hire a consultant, or wait on the state to get to it.

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**CreekGeek** · 12-15-2021, 10:09 PM

Like others said burn and disk. If your going to disk do it between November and Mid February. If you disk in spring and summer you’ll get all kinds of junk you don’t want. Disking in winter will promote beneficial plants. And it doesn’t have to look like your going to plant a garden. If your are disking a half to a third of the plant material in the ground you’re good.

**Carlisle** · 12-16-2021, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by CreekGeek

Like others said burn and disk. If your going to disk do it between November and Mid February. If you disk in spring and summer you’ll get all kinds of junk you don’t want. Disking in winter will promote beneficial plants. And it doesn’t have to look like your going to plant a garden. If your are disking a half to a third of the plant material in the ground you’re good.

This. Disk now to promote better grasses and forbs . Burn in 2023

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**quack head 11** · 12-16-2021, 11:23 AM

I would fertilize the natural growth.

The best hunting in the world IMO is natural growth in thinned pines....I will takt that over beautiful hardwoods, dirt roads and food plots ALL DAY.

Based on the responses, burning may help. The pines I have hunted seemed like the browse in burned pines never grew up nearly as thick with briars and such as pines left to grow without a burn.

**Chuck the Duck Slayer** · 12-16-2021, 11:48 AM

I need GPS location to take a look at it and I'll let you know about the deer herd. If it's brown it'll be down

**banded_mallard** · 12-16-2021, 12:06 PM

We have our place on a 3-4 year burn rotation. It just depends on weather and what we get burned. We average 250-300 acres a year. If someone with a limited budget asked me what they should do, I would say spend all your money on burning. It’s the best possible thing you can do for the trees and wildlife alike. Different animals use different year burns for different reasons. Turkeys love to feed in a fresh burn. Year 1-2 the hens will use it for nesting and deer for bedding.