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Forest Management for Wildlife Habitat Demo Sites Eau Claire County Forest Demonstration Site

Eau Claire County Forest Demonstration Site

The Eau Claire County Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Unit is part of the Eau Claire County Forest. Eau Claire County Forest manages 52,000 acres of land for a range of uses that include timber, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed protection. It is part of a collection of wildlife habitat demonstration units where integration of timber harvest with habitat management is being highlighted.

Eau Claire County Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Area.

Fast Facts

  • Location: Parking area located at 44°46’49.28″N, 91° 2’1.18″W
  • Size: 80 acres
  • Accessibility: Open to the public year-round

Management Goals

  • Provide deer habitat (improve hunting experience for hunters).
  • Increase age-class and structural diversity.
  • Generation of deer forage.
  • Regenerate oak.
  • Maintain cavity trees.

Focal Species

  • White-Tailed Deer
  • Ruffed grouse
  • Neotropical migrant birds
  • American Redstart

Special Considerations

  • Power line right-of-way.

Conditions Before Management

Mature Oak

(51 acres)

The oak stand was a mature oak stand with a component of other species (red maple and white pine) and pockets of aspen. 

Wetland Matrix

(8 acres)

Mixed species cover with components of aspen.

Right-of-way

(8 acres)

The aspen stands were dominantly mature aspen with a mix of red maple and oak species.

Younger forest cover

(13 acres)

The aspen stands were dominantly mature aspen with a mix of red maple and oak species.

Management Practices Implemented

To incorporate elements of deer habitat, the main focus was on diversifying horizonal and vertical structure. To explore how management practices were adapted in each ecosystem to incorporate habitat elements for focal species below.

Mature Oak

(51 acres)

The oak stand was thinned with a priority for reserve of white oak over red oak, due to white oak’s resistance to oak wilt.  Strong removal preference was used for mesic species to assist in maintenance of oak in the future regeneration of the site. Where pockets of aspen or established oak regeneration were present, group or patch selections were used to favor those species.  A shelterwood was completed south of the powerline to develop additional pockets of young regeneration for cover. 

Wetland matrix

(8 acres)

No harvest was completed in these areas to provide pockets of escape cover. 

Right-of-way

(8 acres)

Powerline corridor provides travel corridors important for deer and avian predators. Seeding not necessary as grasses were already there and the right-of-way is being managed by the power company.

Younger forest cover

(13 acres)

No harvest was completed in these areas to provide pockets of escape cover. Aspen is good for grouse reproduction, especially in a nearby dense area with an understory of brush to provide cover. Service, dew, huckle, and black berry all provide forage for young grouse. Hazelnuts provide food in the fall and aspen buds in the winter.

Structural Elements Created for Deer Habitat

One of the main elements needed for deer are areas of dense cover that allow for three main needs: escape from predators, locations for bedding, and cover perfect for hiding fawns. Additionally, these areas of cover also serve for breeding areas as well.

During winter in Wisconsin, extreme wind chill and snow depth can present issues for deer health. Protected areas to temporarily escape these conditions can be important for the deer population. These areas are referred to as “thermal cover” or “yarding areas.”
Examples of areas with good thermal cover can include

  • Dense pockets of conifers like cedar or hemlock.
  • Topographically protected areas, such as coves with tree cover.
  • Dense cover of regenerating trees or frozen wetland pockets with dense vegetation.

Maintaining areas of thermal cover can be achieved through landscape preservation or creation. Not harvesting timber to keep pockets of conifer cover is an example of preservation. An example of habitat creation would be cutting through pockets of rapidly regenerating species like aspen.

While deer food preferences change dramatically during the course of the year, woody browse usually places a constant role. During late spring and summer, deer feed more heavily on forbs and legumes with some use of nutritious grasses as well. During this window of time, there is often quite a bit of available forage for deer. As summer leads into fall, high-nutrient acorns and similar hard mast begin to play a greater role in the diet of the deer. In agricultural areas, crop residues play an important role during that time of the year. After that resource is depleted, winter reliance on woody browse is quite heavy. Managing sites so that they produce woody browse, native forbs and legumes as well as hard mast will improve deer condition and carrying capacity for a property.

SITE MAP

PARTNERS

Thank you to the following for their support of this demonstration site: