We talk allot about habitat management and projects we can do to benefit the herd....this article touches on one of the most affordable projects we can do....open the forest canopy and allow sunlight in....and/or let portions of fields, utility line right of ways grow up:
"Research, along with commonsense, tells us that a fawn is most at risk during its first weeks after touchdown.
Researchers conclude that poor bedding cover (lack of undergrowth) adds to fawn mortality.
Further, fawn predation is highest where there is a lack of bedding cover, such as in many suburban landscapes, parks, and older growth forest areas with a high canopy and sparse vegetative cover.
Ideal fawning areas should be as dense as possible, a mixture of weeds, flowers, brush, etc. scattered throughout a property to give whitetail fawns a greater chance and predators a greater challenge."
So...if work schedules dont allow us to run trap lines daily...then creating fawning and nesting cover is a project that gives a great return on investment.