Woodland Rides
We’ve been making the most of the dry spell to get on top of some much needed ride maintenance. Woodland rides, whilst providing a logistics function, also provide a complimentary habitat to the woodland structure. The area below in the photos had grown over from mostly Goat Willow, to mean the ride was almost impassable on foot. By clearing the overgrown scrub, light has been increased which will promote growth of a host of wild flowers which will support a variety of fauna. In addition to that, the owner can now mulch the debris with a flail topper and clear the ditches to promote drainage.
Ideally woodland rides should be designed to be a minimum width of the tree height, with a cutting plan which allows a variety of flora to grow. However where this isn’t possible then other options may still be of benefit.
The photos below show the ride mid clearance, where the water has found it’s own path, and the finished job ready for mulching.
Red and Roe Deer Trail Camera Clips Montage
This is a montage of trail clips from an area we are managing. It is a relatively small woodland surrounded by farmland. The Sitka Spruce has reached a level of growth where it is offering optimal cover for the Red Deer and this group of Stags has taken up residency. With Stags numbers in the wider area at a lower level than seen for a while, we are planning on using a range of options to manage the impact the deer are having on the commercial crop and habitat, which reduces the cull requirement. The first thing that has been done was to establish some rides which have been seeded with wildflowers which should germinate this year. Alongside this we are going to trial a special seed mix with the plan of providing a higher value browse food source.
As can be seen in the clips the older Stags have already cast their antlers whilst the younger Stags have yet too cast. The White Stag is a beast surrounded by folklore and mythology.
Four Roe Does
We have been managing this area for a client for a couple of years now. It is a small area (<50 acres) of commercial conifer woodland. There has recently been an area planted up with young Hemlock, however the main crop is Sitka Spruce, which has suffered from aphid attacks over the last few years. The deer (both Red and Roe) are very transitory in this area. Deer management becomes a challenge in these areas as resident population and thus cull plan is impossible to work out, particularly as neighbouring land owners have differing views to how the deer should be managed. The approach we take in places such as these is to maintain a frequent visit plan to maintain stalking pressure and thus prevent any populations holding in the immediate area. Selection of cull animals is very much based on looking at the condition of the animal, as one would with livestock, and only taking the poor quality individuals. Trail cameras in these areas are invaluable in understanding the activity levels.
Woodland Rides and Ash Die Back
We’ve been busy felling Ash trees which where suffering from Ash Die Back disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus). It is quite sad felling such magnificent trees, however due to the proximity to public footpaths and the significant risk the public, the trees in the area needed to be felled.
However, the felling can become a good opportunity to incorporate woodland rides and glades which offer great diversity for wildlife. These areas that have been felled can be turned into such areas with a minimal amount of additional work.
The Forestry Commission published a 21 page guide in July 2005 which gives an idea what could be done as part of the obsolete English Woodland Grant Scheme. A copy of which can be found at the hyperlink below. Hopefully, the new Environment Land Management scheme financially encourages these areas to be created.
Devon Red Stags including a Young White Hart Oct 2020
These are from a woodland site we manage. These guys are in good condition and not ones we would look to cull given the current population dynamic and habitat impact. White Stags, are surrounded in mythology and folklore and whilst they are a genetic mutation, we would look to keep this one in the herd.
An interesting blog article on why wildlife needs to be managed
The below link is to an interesting article written by James Barrington as a guest writer for the GWCT (formerly of the League against Cruel Sports). He raises some valid points on why culling is an essential tool in the wildlife managers toolkit. The Exmoor Red case is well documented and provides a real insight into what can happen when management is not undertaken properly.
Grey Squirrels
With spring really started to flow, now is the perfect time to understand the grey squirrel population and what impact they are having. If numbers are high, then now is the best time to start reducing them by humane control. This will not only help the trees, but will also help to take pressure of the nesting birds. Please get in contact if we can help with this.
Habitat Impact Assessments
An important part of any deer management plan and woodland wildlife management plan is the habitat impact assessment. The next few weeks are the ideal time to conduct these as the spring flush commences.
The Deer Initiative and Forestry Commission provide a couple of techniques and by using other resources, a detailed habitat impact survey will provide a good basis for plans for the forthcoming year. By understanding the Woodland Management plan/Land management plan, habitat impact assessments can be tailored to understand what impact deer and other wildlife are having. With regard to deer, the plans should be able to ascertain the impact that each species of deer is having on the flora and what areas are being impacted the most, if any. The assessment should also throw up any species of flora which are under particular pressure. We also look to understand if any of the other mammalian species are causing an impact, for example grey squirrels, rabbits and voles.
Depending on the findings the deer management cull figures can be adjusted accordingly for each of the species to ensure the resident population is maintaining a sustainable impact. Where areas of particular damage are being seen then these should become focused areas for stalking to maintain pressure and push the deer away from that area, or fenced if funds allow. Where a particular species of flora is suffering, than an alternative higher value item might be worth planting. All these considerations are delivered from the information contained in the habitat impact assessments, which is why we put a lot of time and energy into delivering the highest level of detail we can in the report.