In many of my post you see me saying know your trees ,plants. The absolutely best tool as private and public land hunters you could ever have is a plant and tree identification book. I have been able to track deer and turkey movements by seeing what plants/trees have popped up on my place. Patches of may apples in the spring. When in large groups it tells me turkey and or deer hang out there and I can track directional movement. Seeds from droppings taking root. Even blk night shade, yep turkey and deer will eat the fallen shiny blk. Berries from this toxic plant and deposit it them across the property. All parts of plant and the green berries can kill them. Though the very ripe fallen ones are edible. This to my utter annoyance because I then have to spend way too much time pulling or spraying them to avoid further spred. The nieghbors are sick with the stuff. I get the poop left overs. though like with Chinese garlic I can manage when I'm diligent. Kill and remove before it flowers or fruit ripens. . So many times I see THP guys going in by food and wondering what this or that plant being eaten is. Know your plants and herbs. If you were to have an accident far from the road. Know what you have near before help gets to you to stem bleeding stave off infection. Run out of water? Know what plants can give you that needed boost getting back to your starting point. IMO the most valuable hunting tool I ever took advantage of. Oh and if you spring bear hunt, learn about skunk cabbage.
Worked for department of forestry you had to know your trees and shrubs and grasses. Big part of finding the spot on the spot.
I think the bigger ones are trees and that concludes my knowledge on the subject. In fact I prove my ignorance Every year and reep the benefits with 2 weeks of ivy
I have one swampy area that is a tangle of ivy and wild rose I mean I can not navigable unless I'm carrying pruning shears. I won't remove any of it and it holds all kinds of critters. You can tell a poison ivy vine in fall/ winter because the seed heads look like fluffy balls. Very much like clematis vine seeds. Yesterday I was out checking where I'm starting wood work today. I decided to take pics of the deer and turkey trails as a record of land travel. The heavy verses the lighter trails and where they enter and leave our place. This being shown in the snow by print direction. By next fall I tend to forget this. The pics pin point these and give me that reference when needed. I also found the winter woods food they are digging. Certain grasses that remain green. Plants they are taken down to the root and or corms,violets., ferns, ect,ect PS. I'm lucky I have little to no reaction to poison ivy.
Ridgerunner, thanks for making a point. No I did not offer any names. I often tell people to Google. I'm in NYS. Even within my state, my region will give different plants to other areas of the state. The plants and trees from north to south differ widely.
I was always disappointed with the national books that showed me pictures of burr and pin oaks that did not match what I actually had, even though I knew they were burr and pin based on acorns not the leaf structure accurately matching.
