Pennsylvania State Chapter - N.W.T.F.

Help Wildlife - Improve Wild Turkey Habitat

Habitat is the key to wildlife survival. Without habitat our game and non-game species will soon vanish from Pennsylvania. We have been very fortunate in this state to have a wide variety of trees, shrubs, seeds, and cover for wildlife. We need to guard against destruction at any cost just to develop the land. Individuals, hunting camps, sportsmen’s clubs, local chapters, boy and girl scout troops, to name a few, can help to increase the natural wildlife food supply and cover by planting trees, shrubs, seedlings, and seed species.

Many Local Chapters in the Pennsylvania State Chapter have tree nursery projects, habitat projects on public ground, and spring, fall, and winter habitat projects for sportsmen to get involved. Wild turkey habitat projects on State Game Lands and State Forests are a major funding program for the Pennsylvania State Chapter Super Fund. Each year habitat projects are funded that support seedling and tree planting, right-of-way habitat improvements, seeding roads and trails closed to vehicle traffic, and spring seep clean-up projects.

It won’t cost you much money, perhaps none at all, it will take a little time and maybe a little sweat. But when you go back 10, 20, or even 30 years later and see that something you planted is still feeding game, you’ll be amply rewarded in personal satisfaction.

Most sportsmen are aware that good habitat is essential for abundant wildlife. But, unfortunately, habitat continues to be lost to highways, shopping centers, housing developments, commercial buildings, blacktop and concrete. You may have noticed the shrubs that produce berries and seeds for wildlife food become scarce over large areas of our north-central big woods and other mountain areas of the state, due to shading from maturing forest trees, over browsing by deer, and large tracts of forest destruction due to insects.

Apple trees and other fruit bearing trees, that fed many deer and bear over the past 50 or more years, are now getting old and decayed and there aren’t many young apple trees sprouting up to replace to older, decaying ones.

Turkeys used to scratch and feed on wild chestnut, multiflora rose , and huge tracts of oak. These types of food sources have died out in our forests, are illegal to plant in Pennsylvania, or lost due to insect defoliation.

Plant Seeds

A simple, inexpensive, and highly effective way to plant is to collect seeds and berries from species such as those listed below. The seeds and berries can be scattered on log skid roads, log landings and reclaimed strip mines.

Barberry, dogwood, and spice bush are some of the best for seeding log roads and landings. Autumn olive, sumac, black locust, and hercules club will flourish on strip mine sites.

The best time to scatter seed is in the fall or early winter seasons. Berries must be planted immediately or they can be dried on a piece of hardware cloth and saved for a later application date.

The important thing to remember is that seeds must be scattered during or immediately after logging operations have been completed. Surface mines should be seeded when backdragging operations have been completed and before the rain settles the soil. Make sure all seeds receive at least one-half day of sun. If seed applications are properly timed, the results should be very impressive.

Plant Trees - Shrubs For Wildlife -- Make Habitat A Habit

Plant Seedlings

The National Wild Turkey Federation sponsors PROJECT HELP where seedling and nursery stock can be purchased.

Local Chapters with tree nurseries will often give sportsmen free, or for a small donation, 4 or 5 year old seedlings for transplanting on ground open to public hunting.

Inexpensive seedlings can also be purchased from local tree nurseries. A few species are distributed by the Game Commission and other state wildlife conservation organizations.

Seedlings can be planted in the mountains or set out in the garden until they reach a larger, more desirable height for transplanting.

In poor soils after the seedlings become established, a handful or two of fertilizer each spring or fall will help them grow out of reach of deer faster. Try to improve tree growth by eliminating competition from weeds and rodent damage

Plant Saplings

If you want to provide a food source sooner, you can purchase shrubs or fruit bearing trees, (e.g. Washington Hawthorne, Crabapple, Autumn Olive or many different variety of apple trees), from commercial nurseries. If you elect to plant apples, choose disease resistant varieties. A good nursery man should be able to assist you in selecting the best varieties.

Plant Nut and Fruit Bearing Trees and Shrubs

Extra Care Tips

Where the tree meets the ground is a critical area that must be protected from mice. Cut both ends out of a one-gallon can and place it around the tree. Push the can into the soil about two inches and fill the can with crushed limestone, 2B or smaller.

Next apply a spiral plastic trunk guard to protect against rabbit damage. If the sapling or seedling is under 7 foot tall, it will also need a 4 foot high section of wire erected around it to protect the shrub from deer browsing and antler rubbing.

Remember to remove the cans and wire when no longer needed for tree growth. Take them home or back to camp to discard.

Before planting, remember to get permission from the land owner. On State Game Lands or State Forests, consult the land manager or forester so your plantings will not be destroyed by lumbering, mowing, or other land use activities. Mark plantings with survey tape streamers to make them more visible.

Winter Cover

Turkeys need good dense roost trees to protect them from wind which will help them survive harsh winter conditions. A good pine thicket can be a lifesaver. If conifers are not present in your area, it would be wise to establish some. Consult the land manager or forester on public state ground for plant varieties they can recommend.

Brood Range

Much of Pennsylvania is heavily forested and lack of good brood habitat continues to keep turkey populations at suppressed levels.

Poults need areas where they can forage for insect and vegetable matter. Creating small clearings and seeding log haul roads to grassed and legumes is an effective method for correcting this situation.

On private ground, small openings can be created by contracting for a timber sale. Timber sales usually represent the best economic opportunity for creating herbaceous openings and log landing trails. For a negotiated fee, timber contractors are usually willing to enlarge log landings to one-half acre or more and scrape them free of rocks, roots, debris and stumps.

Roads and small clearings which receive considerable amounts of shade should be planted with red fescue - a grass which tolerates shade quite well. Use a mixture of birdsfoot trefoil, Kentucky bluegrass, and Kentucky 31 on areas which are exposed to sunlight. Seeded areas should be limed and fertilized about every five years to help maintain their vigor.

Send mail to panwtf@go2pa.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Pennsylvania Chapter- National Wild Turkey Federation
Last modified: November 20, 2003