Deer, Squirrels and Plants...Oh my!!!

We had a full afternoon of Wildlife this afternoon.  We started off our meeting with a presentation on White-tailed deer.  David did a great job of presenting a concise, yet informative, talk on the deer.  Here are a few of the facts we will need for our contest:

 

White-tailed Deer

 

Biological Facts

•Weaned at 4 months

•A fawn is younger than 1 year

•A yearling is about 1.5 years

•Few deer live beyond 10 years

•Can jump a distance of 30 feet and a height of 8 feet

•Can run as fast as 35 mph

•Main predators are coyotes

Breeding

• Bucks and does become sexually mature during their second fallBreeding period occurs between Oct. and Jan.
• The gestation period averages 200 day.
• A doe can have from 1 to 3 fawns
• A buck’s home range is 2-4 times the size of a doe’s. He will leave his home range during mating season but will return/winter

Management Practices

• Retain existing trees, brush, vines, grasses, and forbes
• Prescribed burns to enhance quality and quantity of woody forage available to deer
• Remove livestock
• Harvest up to 30% of the population
• Maintain an equal number of bucks and does
• Overseed established pastures with legumes

Food

Plants will be the same for mule deer (see previous post) and white-tailed deer.

But as someone once said, "We're not through until the fat lady sings," so we had a double dose of biological facts but a triple presentation of information.  Next up was Naomi and Joseph who joined together to present and the two types of squirrel.  Here are some facts about squirrels:

Grey Squirrel

 

Fox Squirrel

•Breed throughout year with peaks in July to September and December to February

•Several males mate with one female

•Gestation period is 42-45 days

•Usually 2-4 are born

•Born naked, blind, and helpless

•Eyes open:                   5 weeks

•Start climbing:         7-8 weeks

•Venture to ground:  10 weeks

•Weaned:                    12 weeks

•Reach maturity:  10-11 months

 

FOX SQUIRREL                GRAY SQUIRREL

•Prefers open upland forest of mixed trees        Prefers dense hammocks along streams

•Range up to 40 acres                                               Range up to 20 acres

•Average range is 10 acres                                       Average range is 8 acres

•Minimum range is 2 acres                                      Minimum range is 2 acres

Management

•Hardwoods must be 40 years old to provide den cavity.  If not available, use nest boxes.

•Prescribe burn to increase heart rot in hardwoods if timber value is not objective.

•Leave at least 10-15% of area in preferred hardwoods.  Hardwoods must be 25 years old for acorn production.

•Leave streamside management zones.

•Plant grape & rattan.

•Plant corn, peanuts, & milo next to wooded area.

•Remove livestock

Plants for our contest related to squirrels:

•Beech 

•Black Cherry

•Black-gum

•Blueberry

•Dewberry

•Dogwood

•Elm

•Grapes

•Hackberry

•Hickory

•Magnolia

•Mulberry

•Plum

•Post oak

•Red maple

•Southern red oak

•Water oak

•White oak

•Yaupon

This post is already so long!!!  Just too much to cram in...so I will let you know about the plants we discovered on our property related to our contest.  It amazing!!!