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Come read 'em:

THE FORESTER (under the Current Topics tab on this site)

Well, I don't know the answer to that question for your particular neck of the woods. I would have to hear your answers to some of these questions before I could judge...

1. What is present on your forest's floor level (from ground to 5 feet high)?
2. What have you done in the last 10 years to supply natural vegetation (food) for your wintering deer herd?
3. How many deer did you see the first day of the hunting season last year? How many doe? How many buck? How many "yearlings," or fawns?
4. Do you have a large amount of "competing plants" in your woods (such as striped maple, birch, or fern)?

If I could hear your answers to these questions, I could probably tell you whether your deer herd is in trouble this winter or not. Really, it is simple. An average deer needs over 6 pounds of "browse," or woody vegetation/buds, per day to maintain a healthy diet. Of course this winter the farm crops are gone and the acorns are buried under snow and ice, so if there is no woody browse to eat, guess what??? the deer are in trouble and so may be your future hunting possibilities. What is the answer? Well, it certainly isn't a big pile of corn (read To Feed or Not to Feed). The ANSWER is YOU...and your resolve to improve the health of your forest! Check out THE FORESTER on this site - look under the Current Topics tab! At THE FORESTER, you can find many articles that discuss improving forest health and improving the foundational elements of your forest to create a healthier deer herd. Of course, its not all about deer hunting, but most of the improvements we make for deer hunting will benefit other wildlife as well! Don't forget to leave a comment or ask a question while you are there!

Whoa! Wait! Stop! Hold On! Halt!

You get the point, I hope! There should never be a rush to sell your trees. There should never be a rush to harvest. Take your time, consider all your options, and be patient while you gather information. This site, Trees of Pennsylvania, is a good place to start gathering information and making contacts with others who have already gone through the process. Also, check out THE FORESTER, available here under the Current Topics tab. When you get to THE FORESTER, you'll need to at least check out these articles:

With most of our surrounding area blanketed in snow, it may seem like a strange time to talk about forest regeneration, or the small seedlings that (hopefully) exist on your forest's floor level. I think its a great time to talk about seedlings. In the past, I've seen where seedling growth after a long-term "snow pack" like we're having this winter is phenomenal. I think a primary reason for this is decreased predation on new acorns (and other seeds) and decreased browsing on last year's seedlings (both by our friendly neighborhood whitetailed deer). The deer are not moving much this winter and we will see increased seedling survival come spring and summer. This is good news for those of us who are concerned about forest health issues. Check out Keep Your Head Down an article at THE FORESTER, available on Trees of Pennsylvania, under the Current Topics tab. This and other articles at THE FORESTER are designed for you to start thinking like a forester as you walk through and make plans for your own forest. Don't forget to post comments and questions about the articles you read!