Mineral Stumps for Deer - Not what You're Thinking I Promise!

[CuivreDog]

For years I've been a huge fan of TSI in my woodland acres and have been practicing TSI on my place for over twenty years. I truly saw the benefits of my TSI work immediately (ie. the first year) in most cases. However, by year ten, the benefits begin to wain as the resulting new growth at that age begins to reach the point where most of the new growth has now regrown above the 4.5 ft tall world where a deer lives/thrives.

Like most folks, I was very leery of using prescribed fire in a woodland setting for fear of an escape and the resultant problems that may occur.

About seven years ago I attended my first prescribed fire learning workshop and educated myself on the techniques to safely conduct a controlled burn as well as the projected benefits of a properly conducted prescribed burn. I took that information and divided my property into three specific management units through the construction of bull dozed firebreaks 10 ft wide that also serve as access trails when not being used as their intended purpose of being a firebreak.

Seven years ago I began the process of conducting a controlled burn on a different management unit each year in order to set back the stage of regeneration and the results have been incredible as far as the explosion of forbs and grasses within the various burn units.

I also thought that this was the only benefit of my efforts, but this study released yesterday by researchers at Mississippi State University shows there is a far greater impact to my efforts and is groundbreaking research in my opinion.

As those of you who use woodland prescribed fire in your habitat toolbox know, a common result of controlled burns is the creation of thousands upon thousands of stump sprouts as the top killed hardwoods try their best to sustain life by sending up vigorous shoots of new growth to try to maintain life. Little did I know that each of these stump sprouts are actually THE MOST NUTRITIOUS plants in the woods, equaling protein levels of the most nutritious cultivated legumes such as soybeans and phosphorus levels twice as high as soybeans.

Do yourself a favor and listen to this 45 minute podcast from Mississippi State regarding the research - you'll be glad you did!

It's 45 minutes long but contains a ton of great information regarding mineral stumps, hinge cutting, and hack and squirt and the times where each are appropriate.

https://extension.msstate.edu/deer-...episode-007-mineral-stumps-for-deer-nutrition

 

[seadonist]

Tagged for later. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ghilliehunter]

Interesting podcast. Some of my maples will become mineral stumps vs hinge cutting.

 

[seadonist]

This podcast has me rethinking my approach to how I attack my "useless" trees on my property. Instead of removing their roots, I may start mineral stumping them and paying attention to whether or not they are being browsed by the deer when they start to regrow themselves. I've got a ton of them surrounding my deep woods plots so thinning them out in this fashion could be very beneficial for opportunities in the early to mid fall.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

we have been doing this for quite a while on our farm. I had no idea of the increased protein and minerals however. We have chosen this over hinge cutting where the tree is used for firewood and then the smaller branches are stacked up to direct the deers travel routes. In a clear cut situation there would be a dense area of sprouts to create screening. We currently have an area that we want to clear cut all but the oaks and other top dollar hardwoods. The bigger trees will be sold for pallet wood and the smaller stuff will get used as "fencing" for directing deer travel. I guess one thing is for sure, we wont be treating the cut stumps most of which are maple in this case. I might just have to send in some before and after leaf samples for nutrient testing.

 

[John-W-WI]

I didn't listen to the podcast yet, but I saw a video regarding this on FB.

Can anyone explain what makes a "mineral stump"? It seems to me it is just a tree that was cut down. The regrowth is desirable and eaten by deer.

Isn't every clear cut ever made full of mineral stumps?

Maybe I'm missing the obvious?

-John

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We've been doing the rotating timbering at our camp for over 20 years now. The stump sprouts always get hammered by deer, but I didn't know the nutrition levels in the sprouts. The last 3 years we've been caging our stumps so the sprouts have a chance to get a foothold and not get eaten off to ground level right away. Maple and oak sprouts are the favorites at our camp. Maybe the deer can sense what goodies are in those sprouts ( as the video shows ) - we just knew they liked them !! We'll keep up the rotational timbering practice.

 

[IkemanTx]

Wow, such a great podcast. Unfortunately it doesn't apply to my family's place as there is essentially only grass on it. I hope to plant native grasses fairly thin to promote forb production within them though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Buck Ridge]

Thanks for sharing this link. I listened to all of them. I wish there would be more info like this out there from universities or extensions.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I listened to it, while I knew the deer love new tree sprouts, I wasnt aware of the extremely high levels of nutrition. I also didnt realize the best time to cut them was in the summer months. I do 90% of my cutting in the winter, so I dont have to deal with heat, and bugs. Now I may have to go for a little walk this weekend with the saw and experiment. thanks for posting the link!

 

[bjseiler]

https://www.facebook.com/msu.deerlab/videos/vb.425547634271063/840689426090213/?type=2&theater

Above link for the short video summary.

I know it said cut in the summer. Did anyone catch if there is an optimal height to make the cut? Also, does the stump then need direct sunlight for it to have a chance of sprouting? Anything else to help promote the sprouting?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

You want it to be as close to the ground as possible, but dont hit dirt. As far as sunlight, the energy is stored in the roots, so it should sprout regardless of sun, but the more sun it gets, the longer it will be able to store more to continue sprouting.

 

[woodduck]

Thanks for posting. I saw this post the other day and finally got around to listening to it today. I knew deer liked browsing stump shoots but never realized how much mineral it provided and how beneficial it actually was to deer.