Deer Management -ground cover suggestion

[The Night Stalker]

My woods are getting open with big hardwoods. A couple of years ago, I planted several white pine between the hardwoods to supply the deer with a little security. The pine is not enough and I am looking for some good ground cover.
It needs to grow about 3500 ft elevation in the mountains of NC. Does anyone have any suggestions. I remember hunting in PA and finding some thick bushes called russian ivy I believe.
Does anyone know of any farm improvement websites.

[Mojostick]

I'd contact a local DNR forester. The best solution likely isn't planting shade tolerant tree's under mature tree's, but cutting those mature tree's. A big clear cut isn't necessary, but thinning can be done with a patchwork of small clear cuts/major thinning.

[non-typical]

http://www.habitatnow.com/index.php

here's where I get my native warm season grass seed. If you give them a call they are "very" helpful and for a reasonable fee they will develop a property plan for you. The fee they charge for that can be deducted against the cost of seed so it's a two-fer.
Their seed has high viability and we've had great success with it on our farm.

[glass76]

If you are talking about Russian Olive, I would not want that growing anywhere I thought I would ever be. It is a nuisance plant that once established will grow all over. It is also very difficult to eliminate.

[Huntschool]

You are going to want some sun light to get to the forest floor so low shrubs, grasses and forbes can grow.  This will provide a more early succession stage which is always good.  Its called diversity and interspersion of food and habitat types.  Those are my $5.00 words for the day.  

I would also suggest you contact your state Bio and Forestry guy.  They know what your deer browse on and what plants will work for you.

[Mojostick]

There's autumn olive, but it's very invasive and many states don't even allow you to plant it or sell it.

The chainsaw has clearly been the biggest benefit at my place and we've planted nearly 80,000 saplings over the last 20 years. Nothing is like the natural 2nd growth that open sunlight provides.

[BFinegan]

The following link should get you headed in the right direction.

 http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/fsandfl/stewardship_contacts.htm

[The Night Stalker]

I have been taking out dead trees, there is sunlight getting to the floor. Maybe I have not given it enough time.

[dirtguy]

What Mojostick said.

The native soil has plenty of seeds banked, and other will blow in.  If you provide patches of sunlight via small clear cuts, you will get what you are looking for.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Mojostick:
I'd contact a local DNR forester. The best solution likely isn't planting shade tolerant tree's under mature tree's, but cutting those mature tree's. A big clear cut isn't necessary, but thinning can be done with a patchwork of small clear cuts/major thinning.

+1 on all of that.

Have you ever hunted property that had just been logged off in the past 5-10 years? If you have, you will know what I'm talking about. Thick undergrowth vegetation, saplings, browse, you name it...it's there. It's some tough hunting, but the deer and turkey absolutely love it and thrive in it.
If this is your ground to use at your disposal, contact your DNR and a local logging outfit and have them both come in and take a look at what you've got. They can make some great assertions of your property and suggest which is the best route to go, but bottom line is that a certain number of old growth trees must go.

The bright side is that there will be logging roads left over years afterwards, and they make great paths through the woods for stalking and vehicle access.  
Even though it will be thick in there, you will see more deer guaranteed, but your shot opportunities will be less and much closer.  

[Mojostick]

How much land do you own? Having done 3 cuts in the last 15 years on my 160 acres, my suggestion is don't be afraid to be aggressive on your timbering. It may look like a bomb went off for the first year or so, but after a few short years, your place will be the prefered home of many deer in the area.

As mentioned above, you can have instant roads too.

Plus, you can create your own funnels and pinch-points, using the topography and by leaving strips of tree's whereever you want.

With timbering companies coming in, you can essentially wave a hand over your property and make it the land you always "wished" it could be.

If you get aggressive, once it gets cut, your initial reaction after they are done might be a "my God, what have I done!" feeling of regret. But after 3 years of lush re-growth coming in, you'll think "I didn't do enough, I should have cut more 3 years ago".

I've been there, done that, each time I timbered.

[Stone Knife]

Use a chainsaw to open it up, then you'll have all the cover you need. Have it logged or just drop some junk trees.

[jonsimoneau]

Without actually seeing the place, I would still recommend some logging, and then a prescribed burn.  Fires used to be a natural process in woods environments, but these days it rarely happens naturally.  Often after a prescribed burn, native low growing plant species that have been dormant for many years will emerge.  Many of these species are completely dependent on fire to begin germination.