Interesting new research on prescribed burns

TNlandowner

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Thank you for sharing this article. I am interested in altering burn timing to increase forage food sources for wildlife. As the author mentioned, burning under hardwood tree canopies is nearly impossible in June. I wonder how one could burn fields during June. Would we need to use herbicides first in order to kills grasses and create fuel sources?
 

JCDEERMAN

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Thank you for sharing this article. I am interested in altering burn timing to increase forage food sources for wildlife. As the author mentioned, burning under hardwood tree canopies is nearly impossible in June. I wonder how one could burn fields during June. Would we need to use herbicides first in order to kills grasses and create fuel sources?
Fields would burn much better than under a canopy
 

DoubleRidge

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GrowingDeerTV has some videos that mention the benefits of burning in the dormant period verses in the growing season.... and the benefits each method offers.... interesting stuff.
 

DoubleRidge

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Thank you for sharing this article. I am interested in altering burn timing to increase forage food sources for wildlife. As the author mentioned, burning under hardwood tree canopies is nearly impossible in June. I wonder how one could burn fields during June. Would we need to use herbicides first in order to kills grasses and create fuel sources?

I watched a video recently with Dr Craig Harper explaining the prescribed burn method....in this particular video his crew was burning fields....he did mention the field had been sprayed with glysophate two weeks prior....he didn't say why....but I would assume moisture levels were too high for a good burn.
 

BSK

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Working with a large client property on the Plateau, who use fire extensively, they've found that IF you can get good burn conditions after spring green-up, the kill of woody plants is much greater, promoting grasses better. Dormant period burns usually kill off many existing saplings, but not all. Nor do they harm roots. Burns after spring green-up seems to have a much higher kill rate and kill completeness of these woody plants.
 

Deer 1

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Williamson county
Burnings just not for me. I get so worried about it spreading out of control! Anxiety is real.
I understand the benefits and have seen them 1st hand

Had to call the fire department about 20 years ago still have problems with it.

The feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming!!!
 

@fulldraw

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I didn't read the article but as an Rx burn manager you're less likely to have ignition after green up unless you utilize herbicide or had a drought for an extended period of time. We have too high of RH and moisture content in vegetation during growing season. However, if you can get a burn during growing season you're more likely to kill off woody plants and promote more grasses, just like BSK states.
 

@fulldraw

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Burnings just not for me. I get so worried about it spreading out of control! Anxiety is real.
I understand the benefits and have seen them 1st hand

Had to call the fire department about 20 years ago still have problems with it.

The feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming!!!
That's why it's good to create a burn plan and only burn within the prescription. Too high of wind will cause problems every time. Break overs can definitely get the heart pumping. Been there. Lol

Look at tomorrow's weather. Not a good day to burn with winds sustaining 15+ mph. Most counties will not issue burn permits.
 

wildlifefarmer

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I read that article yesterday. It's a good one that makes you think. Being more interested in ground nesting birds than deer, I asked the question on the effects of the burn during nesting season via an email to the deer association and they did respond with general information about the destruction of a few possible nests. One nest of 8 to 12 eggs destroyed is one too many for me. We're trying to get a huntable population of quail. And as stated before, we don't get low humidity days here in the summer.
 

Mattt

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I read that article yesterday. It's a good one that makes you think. Being more interested in ground nesting birds than deer, I asked the question on the effects of the burn during nesting season via an email to the deer association and they did respond with general information about the destruction of a few possible nests. One nest of 8 to 12 eggs destroyed is one too many for me. We're trying to get a huntable population of quail. And as stated before, we don't get low humidity days here in the summer.
Working towards the same goal. Timber cut should be finished this month.
 

BSK

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Burnings just not for me. I get so worried about it spreading out of control! Anxiety is real.
I understand the benefits and have seen them 1st hand

Had to call the fire department about 20 years ago still have problems with it.

The feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming!!!
And that's why - personally - I don't burn on my place. Very steep terrain (which produces it's own wind patterns), lack of easy access for heavy equipment, and just about guaranteed break-jumping raise my anxiety level beyond what I can handle.

Instead of burning, I'm going to attempt herbicide applications to see if I can get a similar result - more grasses, less woody plants.
 

DoubleRidge

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And that's why - personally - I don't burn on my place. Very steep terrain (which produces it's own wind patterns), lack of easy access for heavy equipment, and just about guaranteed break-jumping raise my anxiety level beyond what I can handle.

Instead of burning, I'm going to attempt herbicide applications to see if I can get a similar result - more grasses, less woody plants.

Burning also concerns me....but we do have a couple of areas I believe we could develop into burn units safely....not too steep and one area has logging roads around three sides of it that we could clean up and use as wide firebreaks....if or when we burn these areas it will be in the dormant period.

But I'm VERY interested in a herbicide application method to see if we can get a similar result - more grasses, less woody plants......less stressful and less manpower required too.

I'd like to experiment with both methods in multiple smaller areas spread out in different locations on the property....a patchwork effect as they say....verses one large areas.
 

Planking

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Tennessee
We used to burn ours. We may do it again one day. We mow it every couple of years instead. Its less stressful that way.

Trapping has proven to us as the best management tool next to having some halfway decent habitat.
 

megalomaniac

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Mississippi
I read that article yesterday. It's a good one that makes you think. Being more interested in ground nesting birds than deer, I asked the question on the effects of the burn during nesting season via an email to the deer association and they did respond with general information about the destruction of a few possible nests. One nest of 8 to 12 eggs destroyed is one too many for me. We're trying to get a huntable population of quail. And as stated before, we don't get low humidity days here in the summer.
Honestly, losing a couple nests here and there is FAR outweighed by the benefits a good burn produces, as long as you are burning smallish blocks (50 to 250ac at a time). Ground nesting birds avoid a fresh burn while nesting.... but LOVE to take their poults to the edge of the burn to forage. After initial greenup, the fresh burn is some of the most wildlife attractive habitat there is.

We got a great burn on my lease mid April (after greenup) year before last in MS. That in combination with my hammering of the coons has really led to an explosion of turkey and quail this year.
 

wildlifefarmer

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MdlTn
Honestly, losing a couple nests here and there is FAR outweighed by the benefits a good burn produces, as long as you are burning smallish blocks (50 to 250ac at a time). Ground nesting birds avoid a fresh burn while nesting.... but LOVE to take their poults to the edge of the burn to forage. After initial greenup, the fresh burn is some of the most wildlife attractive habitat there is.

We got a great burn on my lease mid April (after greenup) year before last in MS. That in combination with my hammering of the coons has really led to an explosion of turkey and quail this year.
I may have not made my concerns clear, but June thru August burns are the concerns of nest destruction. We do have a fire plan in place. In fact, we plan on a burn today.
 

wildlifefarmer

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Today's burn. 10 acres of oak savanna and 25 acres of woods. Good day! Okay
 

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