Habitat Improvement Efforts on Michaux State Forest

By: Bob Eriksen, NWTF Regional Biologist

Nowhere in Pennsylvania has there been a more long-term, dedicated and cooperative effort by local chapters than on Michaux State Forest in the south-central part of the state. Establishment and maintenance of brood habitat has been a labor of love for the Michaux-Yellow Breeches Chapter, the Mason-Dixon Chapter, the Fort Chambers Chapter and the Adams County Longbeards. Volunteers from the Michaux-Yellow Breeches Chapter have logged countless hours of their precious spare time out of concern for wild turkey populations on the forest and surrounding areas. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have also been active in trying to determine how to improve turkey habitat on the forest.

Michaux State Forest lies in the area of South Mountain and was formerly designated as Turkey Management Area 7B (TMA 7B). Game Commission biologists recently revised the management areas in the Commonwealth and this area is now referred to as Wildlife Management Unit 5A (WMU 5A). In the 1980’s Game Commission biologists and local turkey hunters began to notice that turkey populations were declining on the Michuax. Game Commission brood surveys on the area showed a dramatic decline from 80 broods in the summer of 1988 to only about 10 broods in 1996. Concern about the falling number of turkeys resulted in the establishment of the TMA 7B Task Force in 1997. The task force was comprised of local chapter members, Game Commission and DCNR personnel and other local sportsmen. The members of the task force determined to work at finding a solution to declining turkey flocks. The group met for six years and helped to formulate a multi-faceted approach to improving the situation for wild turkeys on the Michaux and surrounding areas.

Game Commission wild turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena and a crew of wildlife technicians designed and initiated a study of wild turkey survival and nesting success on South Mountain in the summer of 1999. The study was completed in the winter of 2001-2002 and the results demonstrated what biologists had theorized to be the problem. Survival of adult turkeys was lower on the Michaux than researchers in other areas observed. In addition, survival of broods on South Mountain was poor. In order to improve the situation, mortality of hens had to be addressed and conditions had to be improved to encourage better brood survival. The issue of increasing hen survival was addressed first by shortening the fall turkey season in the management unit and more recently by closing the fall season to reduce pressure on local turkey flocks. Improving brood survival will be an ongoing challenge that will require work to be done on an annual basis. Habitat enhancement is the ticket to changing the outlook for brood survival.

Several individuals became seriously involved in work with the task force and habitat improvement on the Michaux. Most notably, Spencer Miller and Don Heckman of the Michaux-Yellow Breeches Chapter, and Phil Varndell and Mike Kusko of DCNR have been instrumental in the planning and accomplishment of brood habitat improvement on the forest. Many other volunteers and state agency personnel have been vital in the completion of work each year and they deserve much credit too.

There are forty wildlife openings scattered throughout the 85,000 acre state forest. The openings range in size from one to four acres. The openings, called Special Wildlife Management Areas (SWMAs) could play a vital role in the reproductive effort of wild turkeys on the forest if they were properly established and maintained. The care of the openings is a major undertaking that can be quite costly. However, if the situation is to be improved for wild turkeys, the openings are essential. Local chapter members realized the critical importance of the openings early on and began to sponsor habitat improvement projects through the Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Super Fund as early as 1989. The Michaux-Yellow Breeches Chapter even established a tree nursery on which to start crabapple trees and other shrubs and trees to use in the openings. Local chapter members began to volunteer time to work on maintenance of openings, assisting with road closures during the brood-rearing season and conducting brood surveys around the same time.

The investment of time and energy by the local chapter members is nothing short of incredible. Between 1996 and 2001 more than 5,700 volunteer hours were spent on the Michaux by chapter members. More than forty local chapter habitat projects have been completed on the forest in an effort to enhance brood habitat and help to encourage a turkey population increase. Projects included mowing of SWMAs, placing lime and fertilizer on openings to help maintain established stands of grasses and legumes, pruning crabapple and other trees planted in the openings and re-establishing suitable ground cover on older openings. In addition, chapter members volunteered to place bait stations in local orchards to reduce the incidence of accidental pesticide poisoning among wild turkeys in the region.

The work on Michaux State Forest is far from complete. In the past two years, Bureau of Forestry personnel have worked with local chapters to develop eight habitat improvement projects on the forest. Foresters and chapter members have endeavored to keep the costs on this work as low as possible by utilizing volunteers and “shopping around” for prices on lime and fertilizer. Re-establishing or creating new openings is more costly than maintaining existing openings by mowing and “top-dressing” with lime and fertilizer. However, it is critical that the older openings be re-conditioned to keep them productive. In 2003 and 2004, 17.9 acres of brood habitat has been re-established and maintained through Super Fund projects costing $9,147.

Think about the effort that has been expended on this state forest. More than 5,000 volunteer hours, thousands of dollars in materials and untold numbers of hours of staff time have gone into this effort. Michaux State Forest is within easy reach of the metro areas around Harrisburg, Carlisle and Chambersburg. Visitation of the state forest by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders is at an all-time high. Local hunters use the forest extensively. South Mountain is the stronghold for turkey populations in the region. This cooperative effort must continue in order to encourage wild turkey populations on this area and local chapter members will see that it does! The tireless energy of local chapter members in this work is an example to chapter members all over the Commonwealth. The jury is still out on how turkey numbers will respond to changes in fall hunting regulations. We are optimistic that the season closure will help. There is no doubt, though, that our state and local chapters have gone far beyond the call of duty to assist turkey flocks on the Michaux. NWTF members can make a difference and those of you who have worked on this project certainly have. Congratulations on a job well-done!