Thursday, June 21, 2018, is the official first day of summer. For the next several months of warmer days and periodic thunderstorms and rain showers, we have the perfect time to step up our efforts to better the habitat to help all forms of wildlife. From field to forest, the work we do can provide more food, and cover for both game and non-game birds and mammals. So, from least expensive and minimally time-consuming to more expensive and more entailed, let’s look at some ideas.

If you are fortunate enough to have a few old apple trees on your property, all you need is a chainsaw, or a sharp pruning saw to make things better. It is not difficult to improve the production of some of these old trees. By merely cutting out any damaged or dead growth, and pruning any suckers (those straight up in the air branches that produce nothing, yet sap strength from the productive limbs), you will end up with a healthier and more productive tree. Any additional trees or shrubs that grow within the circle of the edge of the tree’s branches can be removed with the chainsaw, and will no longer take away some of the soil’s nutrients that can be used by the apple tree. Deer, bear, turkeys, and grouse will all benefit from a more productive apple tree. To encourage growth in a young tree, you can add a cupful or two of 10-10-10 fertilizer under the drip edge of its branches.

For quite a few years, Pennsylvania state agencies promoted several plants as beneficial for cover or food for wildlife. These included autumn olive, barberry, and multiflora rose. All three of these are now considered invasive non-native plants and are recommended for removal wherever possible. A mixture of glyphosate (Roundup) and water that is sprayed on their leaves will kill any of these three. If you encounter larger plants of these species, you can also eliminate them by cutting them off at ground level and applying a drop or two of Garlon 4 (this is an expensive herbicide, but can be more cost-effective by mixing it 1:1 with diesel fuel, which acts as a sticking agent) to the stump. All three of these invasive plants are usually found in fallow fields or along field edges. Once they are removed, native and more beneficial plants, such as hard and soft mast bearing trees and shrubs, can be planted to aid wildlife. Remove the invasive plants during the summer months when they are more identifiable and then plant the more desired ones in the fall or next spring.

Both bittersweet and wild grapes are vines that can be added to field edges by planting near the base of a host tree. Initially, they will need to be fenced to prevent over-browsing by deer, but once they are established will produce fruit that is used by turkeys, grouse, and numerous songbirds.

The creation of forest openings or food plots will take more time, and can be costly, yet will provide additional varied habitat for game. To offset the cost, you might consider a TSI (timber stand improvement), which in itself will be beneficial not just to the wildlife, but the forest also. It is like having a garden, which we weed to better the production of the desirable plants, but in a TSI you remove the less desirable tree species and disfigured trees, along with a few marketable ones. It will open up the forest canopy, thus stimulating more rapid growth of the trees remaining and encourage new understory growth — which is beneficial to wildlife. Whatever profit is realized can be used to offset the cost of creating the forest openings and developing and maintaining food plots.

No matter what time of year you devote to developing food plots, there are always some grasses, legumes or grains that can be planted to create feed for the game and aid in bettering the soil for future planting. Whether your prime interest is hunting, photography, or enjoying passing the time observing wildlife, the addition of native food-producing plants and the creation, and upgrading of food plots will significantly increase the opportunities to encounter all forms of wildlife on your property.