Log Exports – Growing Concern Over Moving Pests The international trade in wood products has grown in recent years and logs exports are a significant component of that trade. According to the Foreign Agriculture Service, American wood products exports were valued at more than $9.6 billion in 2014, of which about $2.3 billion was in the form of logs. Wood products can also carry invasive pests and thus are subject to increasing regulation. Chestnut blight, Dutch elm disease and Emerald ash borer are notorious examples of insects and fungal diseases that were imported to the USA from other countries. However, other countries are also worried about getting American pests from wood products they import from the USA. Logs are of particular concern because the bark is intact (many pests live in or near the bark) and the wood is ‘green’ (i.e. undried; drying will kill or discourage most pests). At the same time that regulatory concern is increasing about moving pests on logs, the main tool for keeping logs pest-free is getting squeezed too. Methyl bromide (MB) is a gas that was widely used to rid food and agricultural fields of unwanted insects and fungi. However, MB has been mostly phased out because its use contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. However, MB fumigation is also the only widely accepted way of treating logs to make them free of pests and the treatment of logs for export represents one of the largest remaining uses of MB. Log fumigations require high doses of MB and the phase-out of MB has made the fumigant more expensive and makes its availability in the future uncertain. In addition, federal and state air quality regulations restrict MB use and thus have reduced the volume of potential log exports from the US. Research is underway to find alternatives to MB fumigation to make logs safe to move. Logs are a particular challenge: treatments like drying, debarking and heating, which are used for other wood products, are problematic for logs because they risk reducing the logs’ quality and value and export logs are usually relatively high-value commodities. Alternative fumigants are being investigated at the University of Tennessee but because logs are large, finding an effective and affordable treatment is a challenge. Wood products, including whole logs, are moving around the world more than ever before. This trend is prompting greater efforts to prevent pests from going along for a ride.

……………….. Adam Taylor, Associate Professor, Material Science and Technology Unit

Forestry, wildlife & fisheries

Update newsletter MaY/june 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

Log Exports: Growing Concern over

Moving Pests

Hardwood Analysis and Trends

Symptoms of Herbicide Damage to Trees

The Curious Silvical Characteristics of

Yellow Poplar

Why Not Accept Yellow-Poplar on

Favorable Sites

Fusarium Canker of Yellow Poplar

Why Use Native Grasses? – Profitability!

Extending the Grazing Season for

Native Warm-Season Grasses

Wildlife Management Calendar

For June and July pgs. 12- 14 Wildlife Notes ............................. pg. 10 Habitat Management .................. pg. 10 Wildlife Damage and Population Management ............................... pg. 12

Faculty/Staff Directory

Visit our website http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/

FWF Faculty and Staff Directory

located on page 14

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Hardwood Analysis and Trends (HAT – June 2016)

David Mercker, Extension Specialist, Forestry Contact: dmercker@utk.edu

Since the last reporting of HAT in June of 2015, the hard wood lumber business has been irregular, with pricing for some species higher and others lower. Within the Tennessee wood products industry, where the production of three species dominates (red oak, white oak, and tulip tree), results have been generally favorable. Collectively for these three, lumber price escalated five percent over the past 12 months. However, with the broader market, which includes three additional species tracked by HAT, lumber prices have fallen by three percent. A snapshot is provided below.

Red Oak – Over a 12 month reporting period, www.vincentkohler.ch/billon.html

red oak lumber is up a favorable 14 percent. However, prices are still 28 percent below the post-recession peak set in the summer of 2014. Looking at the ten-year average, red oak is faring well. The Chinese demand is softening marginally; while the residential flooring and truck trailer flooring demand is steady.

White Oak – Far Eastern and European demand is quite strong for white oak, as are domestic needs for barrel staves (serving the bourbon and whiskey markets). White oak lumber prices are up nine percent over last summer, and remain higher than red oak. White oak is a solid species and a mainstay for Tennessee landowners, loggers, and mills. It is also a very high component of standing wood volume in our forests. The future looks promising.

Tulip Tree – Tulip tree is a species with perennial, steady demand, reliable but not rousing. Prices for tulip tree lumber are off nine percent over the past year, but still above the ten-year average. As a soft, fine-grained wood, final product uses include: interior finishes of houses, siding, cabinet parts, shelving, and house and barn sills. With housing starts weak, demand for tulip tree lumber is low.

Black Cherry – Cherry trees do not grow abundantly throughout Tennessee. When found on favorable sites, cherry trees can produce outstanding lumber, and should be a species to favor on such sites. Finding sufficient quantities, enough to manufacture and market as a package, is a challenge for some mills. Also, Tennessee cherry lumber is less desired than that originating in the northeastern states. Prices have suffered since last summer, dropping 22 percent, a result of North American consumers lacking a preference for red-toned woods.

Sugar Maple – Good quality sugar maple is often found growing in combination with black cherry, and accordingly, is not an overly abundant saw timber species in Tennessee. The white wood is attractive to consumers. Lumber originating from Tennessee maple trees often exhibits a somewhat darker color. Because of propensity for the wood to stain during warmer weather while stored in log form at the mills, many mills will process the logs in advance of summer. This temporarily can lower price due to sudden upturns in the supply. Still sugar maple lumber is up 16 percent since summer 2015.

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Ash – Demand for ash lumber is sluggish, both domestically and in Asia and Europe. Supplies are high, perhaps a result of some landowners selling trees in advance of anticipated mortality brought on by the emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB is an exotic invasive pest that has been identified in approximately half of the Tennessee counties. Spread seems unstoppable, and likely lumber prices will sputter for some time. Ash lumber is off considerably (23 percent) over the past 12 months. Hickory – Hickories are truly an American Group of trees. Of the world’s 23 known hickory species, only three are found outside the United States (Harrar 1962), and 10 species are native to Tennessee. Collectively, hickory species account for approximately eight percent of all live trees in the state (Miles 2012). The price of hickory lumber has dropped noticeably since last year, by 29 percent, likely due to a softening in demand for flooring. Summarized with permission of the Hardwood Market Report, Memphis, TN.

Symptoms of Herbicide Damage to Trees

David Mercker, Extension Specialist, Forestry Contact: dmercker@utk.edu There has been a recent string of contacts regarding herbicide (or apparent herbicide) damage to trees. Some of these are legitimate, while others have been diagnosed by the lab as diseases. The article link below, although a bit dated, was published in the Journal of Arboriculture. It addresses the symptoms and remedies for herbicide damage in trees. Symptoms vary according to the active ingredient(s). In general, the most common symptoms are: cupping and/or twisting of leaves (not to be confused with wilting; cupped leaves normally still have turgidity whereas wilted leaves won’t), darkened and often thickening of the leaf blade, interveinal chlorosis (yellowing between the veins), and occasionally blackening. For remedy with foliar applied herbicides, watering with liberal amounts of water is recommended. Do not apply water where soil-applied herbicides have been used.

It is not unusual for damage to be noted on one tree, while trees directly adjacent show no sign of injury. Likely this is a result of the timing of the herbicide application coinciding with leaf emergence. Juvenile leaves will not yet have developed their protective waxy cuticle, and are more prone to injury. In most cases, and under normal weather pattern, trees receiving agricultural spray drift appear to recover. There is visual evidence, however, suggesting repetitive applications can have an accumulative effect, causing gradual decline, loss of vigor, and mortality. See the following for more on the subject.

http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=2238&Type=2

Page 4

The Curious Silvical Characteristics of Yellow-Popular

Wayne Clatterbuck, Professor, Silviculture and Forest Management Contact:wclatterbuck@utk.edu

(Photos from: Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation)

Yellow- poplar was designated as the state tree of Tennessee by the 1947 General Assembly. The yellow coloration of its leaves during autumn and the yellow cast of the wood in older trees give the tree its name. Yellow-poplar is also known as “tulip tree” and “tulip poplar” because of the shape of its leaves and flowers. The Latin name of Liriodendron tulipifera means “lily tree with tulip flowers.” Contrary to its name, yellow-poplar is actually in the Magnolia family, not the poplar (Populus) family and is the only member of its genus, Liriodendron, native to North America. Yellow-poplar was one of the first hardwood species that evolved following the gymnosperms. In contrast to most hardwood species, yellow-poplar is insect pollinated. Approximately 10 percent of the seeds produced are fertile suggesting that the insects, primarily bees, that accomplish fertilization are inefficient in transferring pollen or that insects are less abundant or possibly of a different species from those that accomplished this task in the geologic past. Fortunately, seed production in yellow-poplar is so abundant that the 10 percent of seed that are fertile are more than sufficient for abundant natural regeneration. The winged seeds are spread readily by the wind. More recently evolved hardwood species have discarded their dependency on insects and are wind pollinated. Another unusual feature of the seeds of yellow-poplar that aids in its regeneration is that the seed that are fertile remain viable and can germinate up to seven years after they fall to the ground. Foresters have learned that they do not need to leave seed trees for regenerating a new stand when harvesting this species. If parent trees and a seed source are nearby, plenty of fertile seed accumulates over many years (seed bank) in the organic litter layer at the soil surface. Once the soil is warmed after being exposed to full sunlight, the seed germinates initiating a new yellow-poplar forest. Yellow-poplar seeds do not germinate in the shade. Yellow-poplar is very sensitive to site quality (soil fertility, available moisture, texture and structure). On moist, fertile soils, it is one of the fastest growing trees in the eastern United States, while on dry, poor soils, it generally will not survive. Yellow-poplar is commonly found on fertile sites that have been disturbed as indicated by its abundance today. Regardless of the mechanism of disturbance, whether tornado, farming, fire, or logging, once full sunlight reaches the forest floor, if it is a fertile site and a seed source is available, yellow-poplar will be a dominant species in the forest. When yellow-poplar germinates and begins to grow and develop on a poor site, environmental stresses such as drought usually cause Nectria or Fusarium fungal and canker incidences which usually cause death of the tree. Interestingly, yellow-poplar is the classic pioneer species best suited for establishment on disturbed sites where the surface soil is exposed and full sunlight is required for growth and development. It is also a component of late successional, old forests that generally contain tolerant species that are capable of regenerating in deep shade. With its fast growth, yellow-poplar is able to grow in small openings where large trees have succumbed or where windthrow is evident. These openings are mini-sites that are large enough for fast-growing yellow-poplar to gain canopy dominance without being overtopped by adjacent trees. Yellow-poplar is one of the few species that can be considered both an early successional pioneer species and a component of late successional, gap-forming forests.

Page 5

Why Not Accept Yellow-Poplar on Favorable Sites?

Wayne Clatterbuck, Professor, Silviculture and Forest Management Contact:wclatterbuck@utk.edu

Oaks dominate the forested landscape in Tennessee composing about 72% of the forests in Tennessee. Yet, even on sites that will grow yellow-poplar well, a bias exists against yellow-poplar because its value for timber and wildlife is generally considered less desirable than oak. Yellow-poplar is one of the fastest growing hardwoods in Tennessee. As an intolerant species, yellow-poplar grows tall and straight with diameter growth of 3 to 4 inches per decade. With the considerable difficulty in regenerating oaks on these better sites that support yellow-poplar, why not favor yellow-poplar rather than oak? In a conversation with a prominent sawmill manager who also owns several thousand acres of highly productive forest land that supports his mill, I queried his desires of growing oak or poplar on his land. The sawmill had historically harvested oak periodically from the property, but the manager and I both noticed that the harvested area was regenerating back to predominately yellow-poplar. His answer was stunning considering his bread and butter had always been oak lumber.

Yellow-Poplar grows twice as fast as oak, with rotation ages of 40 years or so, while rotations of oak are often 60 to 80 years on comparable sites.

Because of tree form, twice as much volume of yellow-poplar can be grown per unit area than of oak. Typically oak has large, spreading crowns, while yellow-poplar crowns are narrower and upright allowing a greater number of trees for the space provided.

Although stumpage and price of yellow-poplar lumber is about 65% of what oak would bring, if you can grow twice of much volume in a much short rotation or time period, more revenue and profit is received.

Regeneration of oak is difficult and expensive. Time, effort and funds must be expended to regenerate oak while regeneration of yellow-poplar from seed on the better sites is relatively free of cost

Yellow-poplar being a relatively soft hardwood is much easier on the sawmill and the saw blades compared to the denser oak wood. More logs or volume of wood can be sawn before blades are sharpened or replaced.

Page 6

Markets for yellow-poplar are expanding. Yellow-poplar does not have a dominant grain, is easily stained and painted and its less dense wood increases its ease of workability. Yellow-poplar is often used for interior of upholstered furniture, molding, windows and sills, and for siding. Yellow-poplar was often used to make log cabins because of its lighter weight, yet easy to shape and mill. Many barns are also faced with yellow-poplar siding, planks and panels. The better grades that are knot free are rotary peeled (called peeler logs) to produce veneer for facing of furniture and engineered woods. The veneer is often stained to provide darker wood colors.

Thus, considering all these aspects of yellow-poplar, this particular sawmill owner is promoting yellow-poplar because of its long-term sustainability and greater growth compared to oak. Although oaks still bring higher value per unit volume of wood, the longer time it takes to produce a marketable tree is a disincentive compared to the greater growth rates and volumes of yellow-poplar. Although the perspective above is from a sawmill owner who is deriving a business from processing trees into lumber, yellow-poplar does have a few drawbacks compared to oaks. Yellow-poplar is very site specific and only grows well on the better sites with moisture-holding capacity, such as lower slopes and concave areas such as U- and V-shaped drains and valleys. Oak are more tolerant on a much wider range of sites. The following article on Fusarium canker on yellow-poplar expresses one hazard of growing poplar on off sites. Another disadvantage is that oak mast/acorns is so beneficial to many wildlife species, while yellow-poplar seed if of little value in comparison. So, why not yellow-poplar, especially when considering few inputs are needed and the volume growth is much faster and greater. Perhaps more efforts of promoting yellow-poplar without the oak bias would increase the timber value on appropriate sites, especially when evaluating the time value of money with a shorter rotation.

Tulip Poplar on Crane's Bailey Mill Road, North Carolina

Page 7

Fusarium Canker of Yellow Poplar

Wayne Clatterbuck, Professor, Silviculture and Forest Management Contact:wclatterbuck@utk.edu

Fusarium canker on yellow-poplar has been reported at several locations across Tennessee. This canker is caused by the fungus Fusarium solani, which also produces cankers on sweetgum, red and sugar maples, and true poplars (Populus sp.). Cankers are localized regions of necrosis in the bark of stems or branches of trees. The canker most often appears on stressed yellow-poplars that are growing off-site. Favorable sites for yellow-poplar growth are those well-drained, deep, and moist sites found in coves, stream valleys and lower slopes. Yellow-poplar, with its wind-disseminated seed and the ability of the seed to remain viable in the forest duff for up to 7 years, often germinates and grows well initially on poorer sites (south slopes and ridges) when environmental conditions (primarily moisture availability) are favorable. However, after several drought years where moisture is not so readily available, these trees become stressed and are focal points for Fusarium infection. These areas are not yellow-poplar sites, Robert L. Anderson, USDA Forest Service but the trees seeded in and grew when weather/climate and moisture were favorable. Generally the affected trees are less than 25 years old and are 2 to 8 inches in diameter. The fungus enters the tree through broken branches and bark wounds. Small vertical cracks first form in the bark. These cracks become cankers that are often a foot in length. Foliage does not appear to be damaged in the early stages of the disease, but as the cankers enlarge and kill more bark, the crown of the tree becomes progressively sparse and begins to dieback. The degree and seriousness of canker damage is closely related with host vigor. Trees weakened by one or more stresses are more severely damaged. Cankers are frequently located on the lower bole of the tree, the portion of the tree with the greatest potential wood value. Predisposition of stems to break from wind, ice, and snow at the weak, cankered area is common. The cankers are also entry points for wood staining and decaying microorganisms. Within the same stand, greater incidence of the canker appears on the dry upper slopes (off-site) with little or no infection for trees on the moist lower slopes (favorable environmental conditions). On sites where trees are declining or dead, a self-thinning naturally occurs releasing growing space to other trees (primarily oaks) that are more conducive to the resident site conditions and more adaptable than yellow-poplar to the environmental stresses. Although oaks are not as prominent on these sites initially with the greater proportion of yellow-poplar, the proportion of oaks increases as the number of yellow-poplar diminishes. Historically, yellow-poplar did not inhabit these drier sites because of the frequency of wildfire. However, with the advent of fire control programs, yellow-poplar has been able to colonize these areas, increasing the probability of Fusarium incidence, especially under adverse environmental conditions.

Page 8

Why Use Native Warm-Season Grasses? -- Profitability Patrick Keyser, Professor, Native Grasslands Management Contact: pkeyser@utk.edu

In recent articles, I have pointed out that native grasses can provide valuable benefits to cattle operations with respect to stockering, backgrounding, heifer development, improved drought resiliency, and reduced exposure to fescue toxicosis. Based on these benefits, it should not be a surprise that native grasses can also contribute to your operations’ bottom line. All of the benefits listed above really come down to either more or cheaper gain than many of the alternatives. Native grasses produce good rates of gain at a very low per unit cost – about $0.30 - $0.40 per pound. Since so much of the costs to produce a marketable calf come down to forage, having a low per unit cost of gain is important. After all, no one buying your calves will be concerned whether it cost you $0.40 or $1.40 per pound for that gain. But you should! Why are per unit costs for gain so low on native grasses? It really comes down to two basic facts. First, natives typically produce both high volumes of forage and rates of gain, about 1.5 – 2.5 pounds per day, depending on species in question and time of season. Many other forages generally produce lower rates of gain. For instance, most bermudagrasses typically only produce about 0.9 – 1.2 pounds per day. A very desirable and widely used summer annual, Sudex, typically produces about 1.7 pounds per day. The second factor is input costs. Even when relatively high establishment costs (mainly seed) are factored into the analysis, the low fertilizer requirements of natives keep annual production costs low. Bermudagrass requires substantial inputs of both nitrogen and potash to maintain high productivity. Summer annuals incur annual planting costs. Cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and orchardgrass produce less forage than warm-season grasses and thus, production costs are spread over fewer pounds (or tons when considering hay production), resulting in higher per unit costs. When it comes to drought resiliency of natives, improved profits come from a reduced likelihood of stand loss and subsequent reseeding. In addition, drought-tolerant natives will sustain rates of gain better than less drought-tolerant forages. Finally, because natives can continue to supply good forage even during pretty substantial droughts, you will be better able to avoid purchased feed. And purchased feeds are easily the most expensive source of gain for cattle. By reducing the impact of fescue toxicosis, natives may improve profits through improved calving rates and weaning weights. Together, these two factors add up to pounds weaned per cow or per acre. As long as production costs do not vary much, more pounds produced per unit means lower per unit costs and more profits. In conclusion, native grasses can contribute to your bottom line in a number of ways. For more information on the economics of native grass forages, see Economic Implications of Growing

Native warm-season Grasses for Forage in the Mid-South (SP731-E) at http://nativegrasses.utk.edu/publications/SP731-E.pdf

Related URLs – Visit our website at http://nativegrasses.utk.edu

Page 9

E xtending the Grazing Season for Native Warm-Season Grasses Patrick Keyser, Professor, Native Grasslands Management Contact: pkeyser@utk.edu

Many producers ask me what can be done to extend the grazing season for native grass forages. In the Mid-South, native warm-season grasses can reasonably be grazed from late April through mid-September, about 140 days. By comparison, tall fescue can be productively grazed for about 100 days in spring (late March – June) and perhaps 60 days in the fall (late September – late November). During summer, availability of grazing can be manipulated simply by planning rest periods that allow quality forage to accumulate. As the Photo: Dr. Craig Harper season progresses, the length of that rest period will go from as little as one week (mid-May – mid-June) to perhaps three weeks or longer (August). With proper grazing management – leaving ample canopy and vigorous, vegetative swards – prior to this rest period, high quality forage will accumulate as the stand rests. Thus, if forage is desired for early August, a rest period in the second half of July should be planned. For late August or early September grazing, rest during the first three weeks of August should suffice. With rotational grazing, such rests are easily provided. Be sure the rest period is long enough to accumulate adequate forage, but not so long that the grasses begin to produce seedheads and lose quality. During the dormant-season , “stockpiled” material can be used to extending grazing seasons. This is a common practice for Western stockmen managing native rangelands. An ongoing study at UTIA is evaluating performance of bred heifers grazing dormant native grasses during January-early April. To date, with a modest protein supplement, heifer pregnancy retention and calf birth weights have been comparable to those on stockpiled tall fescue. A second alternative for extending grazing seasons is to overseed dormant pastures with cool-season annuals. This is a common practice further south for bermudagrass growers. While we only have limited data on this approach for natives, it is clear that winter annuals can be successfully drilled into dormant stands. Furthermore, grazing during the dormant season will not harm the native grasses. The key therefore, is to be diligent in removing the winter annual by early/mid-April to minimize competition with the warm-season grasses. This is the same challenge bermudagrass growers face when overseeding winter annuals. Winter annuals that remain through late April can result in reduced warm-season grass production and thinned stands. For this reason, annual ryegrass should NOT be used to overseed natives. Instead, cereal rye or brassicas should be used as they will mature early and thus, minimize competition with early growth of natives. Manipulating the timing and duration of rest periods during summer, grazing stockpiled material, or overseeding winter annuals are all approaches that can be used to provide extended grazing in native grass pastures. Combined with the many benefits that native grass pastures provide during summer (e.g., exceptional drought tolerance, low input, high yield, and high quality forages), natives offer a tool that can make important contributions to your forage program.

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Wildlife Management for June and July

Craig Harper, Professor, Wildlife Management Contact: charper@utk.edu

Wildlife Notes

Black raspberries and mulberries ripen in early June Wild plums ripen through June Blackberries ripen in early July Most white-tailed deer fawns are born in June. Do not pick them up, thinking they have been abandoned Peak hatch for wild turkeys and bobwhites occurs in June. DO NOT MOW old-fields! Ducks and geese molt in June and July and are flightless for a couple weeks Initial nests of most songbirds have hatched in June and nestlings are fledging Box turtle eggs hatch in June Bullfrog breeding peaks in June and July July is peak breeding season for black bears July is also peak time for the second litter of squirrels Lots of bobwhite poults using fields in July. DO NOT MOW early successional areas (old-fields)! Grassland songbirds incubating second nests of season in July

Habitat Management

DO NOT MOW old-fields!

- destroys cover for wildlife at a time it is needed most (nesting and raising young) - stimulates grass and leads to reduced forb cover (which means less food and cover) - increases thatch at ground level and makes travel through the field much more difficult for

wildlife - manage old-fields by burning or disking in late March/early April; don’t mow them! - to reduce woody encroachment, consider burning fields in late August – early October - refer to Chapter 6 in Native Warm-Season Grasses: Identification, Establishment, and

Management for Wildlife and Forage Production in the Mid-South, PB 1752, for additional information on managing early successional areas

Instead of mowing early successional areas, spot-spray undesirable plants instead

- this is a great method to improve the composition and structure of early successional areas; it works really well

- drive across field with tractor and sprayer as you would when mowing; spot-spray undesirable species with a spray gun as you see them

- composition of field will change over time, developing into an early successional area with desirable plant species

- Roundup and other glyphosate products work well - Garlon 3-A and Cimarron work well for undesirable broadleaf plants, such as sericea

lespedeza and curly dock - Roundup, Garlon, Arsenal, Cimarron, and PastureGard are good herbicide options for

woody competitors, such as sweetgum, red maple, green ash, privet, and multiflora rose

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Finish planting native warm-season grasses and associated forbs by early June

- plantings through mid-June will do fine with adequate rainfall later in the month - existing sod should have been killed before planting - use a preemergence herbicide (imazapic) when planting bluestems and indiangrass - plant seed no deeper than ¼ inch - be patient! - refer to Chapter 5 in Native Warm-Season Grasses: Identification, Establishment, and

Management for Wildlife and Forage Production in the Mid-South, PB 1752, for additional information on establishing native grasses and forbs

Plant firebreaks and other disked strips not left for natural vegetation by early to mid-June

- iron-clay cowpeas, soybeans, grain sorghum, Egyptian wheat, and various millets provide forage and seed for a variety of wildlife species

- refer to A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots: Blending Science with Common Sense, PB 1769, for seeding rates and additional information

Plant warm-season food plots

- refer to A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots: Blending Science with Common Sense, PB 1769, for planting recommendations

Burn unharvested wheat fields that have been left standing for doves in late June/early July Plant Japanese millet around beaver sloughs and other areas that will be flooded in fall for ducks Mow and spray perennial forage food plots for weed control if necessary

- refer to A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots: Blending Science with Common Sense, PB 1769, for specific herbicide and management recommendations

Collect soil samples for testing from plots to be planted this fall and lime now as needed Establish salt/mineral licks for white-tailed deer

- realize mineral licks have not been found to increase antler size, body weights, or reproduction

- trace mineral salt licks may increase visitation to sites that will be used later for infrared-triggered camera surveys

Construct/repair dikes and water-control structures for flooding fields/woodlands for waterfowl this fall/winter

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Wildlife Damage/Population Management

Leave young wildlife alone

- let nature takes its course; you’ll do more harm than good by trying to save “orphans” Do not allow pet cats outside; report all feral cats to the animal shelter for immediate removal

- putting a bell around a cat’s neck does not keep it from killing birds and young rabbits and squirrels

- house cats are not natural predators as they are not native to North America

Put up chicken-wire fence at least 6 inches belowground and 2 feet aboveground around vegetable gardens to repel rabbits Put up a 2- or 3-strand electric fence (one strand 6 inches above ground and the other 6 inches

higher) to keep groundhogs and raccoons out of vegetable gardens To repel deer from vegetable gardens, erect a single-strand electric fence (2 ½ feet above

ground) with aluminum tabs attached every 3 – 5 feet. Smear peanut butter on the aluminum tabs. Deer are attracted to the peanut butter; however, when they touch the aluminum tabs with their mouths, they learn to stay away.

Plant “alternative” forages (such as iron-clay cowpeas, buckwheat, and clovers) for wildlife on the outside of fencing around a garden to satiate the appetite of deer, groundhogs, and rabbits, further helping to keep them out of the garden. Nuisance crawdads in the yard may be remedied by pouring boiling water down the spout of the mound To keep bats out of attics and out from under vinyl siding and other areas, close or cover up all

holes and cracks so they can’t get in! - do this at night after bats have left the roost; it may be necessary to open the hole the

following night to allow any bats that were trapped inside a chance to leave - maternal colonies will migrate to hibernation sites in the fall. If you wait until then to close

holes and cracks, you will avoid trapping any inside. “Repel” snakes by cleaning up around the house – mow more often, remove piles of wood,

brush, and trash – to repel rodents that attract snakes. There is no reliable “repellent” for snakes; only “snake oil.”

The best way to get rid of moles is by trapping, but you have to set the traps correctly! Keep crawl spaces and other entrances to houses and buildings closed to prevent young skunks from entering

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For more information: Refer to Managing Nuisance Animals and Associated Damage Around the Home, PB 1624, for additional information on wildlife damage management

URL’s Native Warm-Season Grasses: Identification, Establishment, and Management for Wildlife and Forage Production in the Mid-South, PB 1752 https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1752.pdf

A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots: Blending Science with Common Sense, PB 1769 https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1769.pdf

Managing Nuisance Animals and Associated Damage Around the Home, PB1624 https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/pb1624.pdf

Improving Your Back Yard Wildlife Habitat, PB1633 https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1633.pdf

department of forestry, wildlife & fisheries

2431 Joe Johnson Drive E-mail: http://fwf.ag.utk.edu

274 Ellington Plant Science Bldg. Telephone: (865) 974-7346

Knoxville, TN 37996-4563 Fax: (865) 974-4714

EXTENSION FACULTY AND STATE SPECIALISTS

Dr. Keith L. Belli, Professor and Department Head

865-974-7346, kbelli@utk.edu

Dr. Wayne K. Clatterbuck, Professor, Silviculture & Forest Management

865-974-7990, wclatterbuck@utk.edu

Dr. Craig A. Harper, Professor, Wildlife Management

865-974-7346, charper@utk.edu

Dr. Patrick D. Keyser, Professor, Native Grasslands Management

865-974-0644, pkeyser@utk.edu

Dr. Adam Taylor, Associate Professor, Forest Products

865-946-1125, adamtaylor@utk.edu

Dr. David C. Mercker, Extension Specialist, Forestry Specialist

731-425-4703, dmercker@utk.edu

Mr. Larry A. Tankersley, Extension Associate, Forestry Specialist

865-974-7977, ltanker1@utk.edu

fisheries first responders

East Tennessee Region Central Tennessee Region

Mr. Mannie Bedwell, Hamblen County Mr. Creig Kimbro, Grundy County

Extension Agent, County Director Extension Agent, County Director

423-586-6111,, ebedwell@utk.edu 931-592-3971, ckimbro@utk.edu

West Tennessee Region

Extension Agent, County Director

Mr. Ron Blair, Henderson County

731-968-5266, rblair3@utk.edu

extension professional staff

Mrs. Mirian Wright, Administrative Assistant

865-974-7346, mwright@utk.edu