Pictured Above - Logging Clear Cut
Burning with wind speeds of 3 to 10 mph.
Burning with a relative humidity of 50 to 70 percent.
Burning at night when the humidity is higher, for safety reasons. (Note: Smoke is harder to manage at night, though.)
Burning with a backfire where possible.
Do not practice any of these during the critical March to August nesting periods for bobwhite quail, turkey, and other ground-nesting species of interest.
The goal is to keep fire between ground level and 18 inches high. Limit burning to fields or stands of pine at least 10 years old. Restrict fire from hardwood stands. Unlike southern yellow pines, the cambium layer of most hardwood species can stand only 120 °F of heat. The best wildlife burn is a patchy or incomplete burn, which will increase habitat diversity.
You can get professional help from state or federal agency wildlife biologists, forestry specialists, and private consultants. Many state forestry agencies will schedule and conduct burns on private lands for a small fee.
Openings
Openings are various-sized areas in the habitat where sunlight reaches the ground. Openings are critical for a variety of species. They provide low growth that attracts insects and provides green forage and other foodstuffs near ground level for deer, quail, turkeys, and other species. Openings can vary in size from a few square feet to many acres. A list of a few different openings might include pastures, agricultural fields, power lines, gas lines, road rights-of-way, and timber harvest areas. For example, turkeys can thrive in forested habitats that have anywhere from 15 to 60 acres of opening per 100 acres of habitat.
These areas naturally provide food and cover for wildlife but can also be controlled or planted to various crops. For example, you can strip plow or mow them and/or plant to foliage, such as
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