why doesn't the INDR plant food plots on forestry?

Hi Lawcobowhunter,

Not a dumb question at all. I have also asked myself this question. I think it comes down to money and costs. The State has enough money to give big business like Wal-Mart Tax breaks, and built roads & Highways like I-69, but when it come to wildlife area improvements there is very little State Money.

I think I have seen in some of the HNF and on some state ground where they have cleared areas and posted signs as wildlife habitat or something to the likes. Basically grassy/scrubby spots in some of the older forest. I know I hunted one in the HNF last year. And I believe I have seen them in YellowWood but I could be mistaken on that.

Camby I think you will find the DNR does some plantings in F&G areas. I know the resevoirs have farm areas where some of the crops are left for the wildlife. On the HNF they make small lakes for wildlife, plantings there would be nice though.

That is a good question Jack..Personally I think that food polts are over rated as "helping" wildlife out.

So tell what is wrong with planting a field or two that once use to be in clover and is now nothing but saplings and almost every mast producing tree has been logged out of the place.If money is a factor,how do they afford all these set aside programs.Just curious,and I'm not looking for an argument.

I'll drop it,it really doesn't matter to me really.I hardly ever hunt on there anymore anyways.

It is a good question. Maybe not for HNF, but for the F&W areas. I know that there used to be places planted in Sugar Ridge back when it was still called Patoka. Money is the issue I am sure.

What I don't understand is why Kentucky can afford it on their WMA's

I agree with Woody that food plots are somewhat over rated, but think of all the people you would draw out of the woods and around the food plots during deer season.

Also LCB, if the state was really worried about the wildlife and not the money, they wouldn't have had all the mast producing trees cut in the first place.

I was referring to some of the new properties the HNF purchased from a logging company after they clear cut everything in site around 3 or 4 years ago.I hunted a couple areas for years until last year when the under growth was so bad you could hardly walk through it,I thought about cutting a trail but didn't know if that was legal to do or not.

LCB, those clear cuts may not be pretty but they do provide food and cover for deer. That cover probably allows more deer to survive than would normally. I'm not sure about the legality of cutting a trail, but I would think that it would depend on how much cutting was done and what was being cut. The Multi-flora roses often found in old logging areas are invasive so I doubt anyone would object to some pruning. If you do clear a trail, it will probably become the hottest deer trail in the place since it makes it easier for deer to travel as well.

Camby, the areas I've seen have been part of the HNF for a long time, but you may be correct about the Knob Creek area. Also, in one of the areas I mentioned a pond/marsh with nice bass, crappie, and assorted other fish was drained, only slightly altered, rebuilt, and finally re-stocked with bass, crappie, and assorted other fish.