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Silviculture in cooperation with hunters: The Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The long history of deer overabundance in Pennsylvania is associated with very high reforestation costs and substantial threats to diversity and sustainability. In response to this legacy, several landowners and agency personnel formed the Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative (KQDC) in partnership with the Sand County Foundation. This Cooperative focuses on about 74,000 acres in the northeast corner of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), the setting for the Sugar Run Project under planning by the ANF at present. The goals of the KQDC are to develop a quality deer herd in quality habitat through cooperation with local sportsmen and sportswomen. In this paper, we discuss the actions proposed in the Sugar Run project to use improved hunter access and hunter success as silvicultural tools, given a definition of silviculture as “controlling the establishment, growth, competition, health, and quality of forests.” These include the scheduling of regeneration activities to provide a stable level of forage production, increases in road quality, layout and development of skid trails as hunter access trails, creation of viewing pull-outs to stimulate hunter interest, and development of a demonstration of the use of silviculture and the interaction of deer and silviculture in shaping habitat.

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Keywords

deer overabundance, Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative (KQDC), quality deer herd, quality habitat, Sugar Run Project, silvicultural tools

Citation

Reitz, Scott; Hille, Andrea; Stout, Susan. 2004. Silviculture in cooperation with hunters: The Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative. In: Shepperd, Wayne D.; Eskew, Lane G., compilers. 2004. Silviculture in special places: Proceedings of the National Silviculture Workshop; 2003 September 8-11; Granby, CO. Proceedings RMRS-P-34. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 110-126
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/7218