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Wildlife Services

Increasing the presence of wildlife is quite possibly the number one goal for those taking an active role in the management of their land in Michigan.  With enough information about your land, it’s surroundings and techniques that work well, the goal is often within reach.  I currently serve as a board member of the Quality deer Management Association (Q.D.M.A.), Greater Cadillac area branch.

Let me apply the experience gained from observing techniques used on the largest and most successful hunting lands in Michigan to your property.  I use some of these techniques on my own property. Specific treatments can drastically improve game species habitat, thus increasing the presence of wildlife. I can provide you and your hunting camp with strategies that promote the presence of the species of your choice.

Affects of habitat improvement as seen from the office of Timberline Forestry Consulting.  Note computer screen in the foreground.

Wildlife habitat improvement: 

Whether you are a hunter or a birder, this service can increase the enjoyment of your land. If you would like to see more wildlife on your property for hunting or viewing certain wildlife species, the first step is to increase the habitat of those species on your land. There are all kinds of methods towards this, and not understanding the population dynamics and habitat needs of those animals is a sure way to spend lots of time and money and get little results.  Wildlife habitat improvement isn’t just about establishing “food plots”.  Food plots are a good tool if used properly, and all but worthless if not.  Possible problems caused by creating brush piles or other methods suggested by people who are not natural resource professionals can cause serious damage to your land!   If you are interested in some professional advice and/or assistance, please contact me by clicking here.

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Nature’s stealth fighter - a barred owl’s cryptic coloration pattern as seen from the office of Timberline Forestry Consulting.

Wildlife damage control

Maintaining a diverse wildlife population is important on any land ownership. When the populations are imbalanced relative to the habitat available, wildlife damage may become an issue. Controlling this damage can often save you time and money. If you witness damage done to your property, whether it is your house, your barn, your livestock or your vegetation due to the local wildlife,  there are several steps you can take to solve these problems.  To start this process, please contact me.

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Porcupines often den in tree or ground cavities in their natural habitat. By adding a simple deer blind as shown above that allowed for easy access to wildlife, the natural habitat was instantly altered. In this case, two porcupines occupied the shelter as a den, started to feed on the oriented strand board (OSB) door and sides of this shelter, and when the nutrition wasn’t sufficient for them, they started to feed on to the sugar maples shown on the right. This small patch of sugar maple trees stood alone within several thousand acres of mostly oak types and therefore were an important part of the overall forest. 

Wildlife surveillance systems installation

A common item on game ranches, surveillance systems are an excellent way to have an idea of what kind of wildlife is present on your land.  In 1998, I assisted a fenced-in deer ranch with a surveillance system (a camera with a infrared motion sensor attached to it). The owner had a problem with something that continued to break the fence. With the help of the surveillance, the owner found that he had bears accessing his property and were feeding on the deer feed.  The bears were trapped and relocated by the state game agency, the bottom of the fence was reinforced with cement and wire attachments, and the bear problems no longer exist.
The landowner was actually able to view footage of the bears trying, but failing to get through the fence!

Surveillance systems can be set up a number of ways, and can work to solve many wildlife or even security problems on private property. If you own land however (fenced or not), and have planted food plots on your land, or have a wildlife feeder and are interested in viewing what kind of game comes into feed at your plots, I would be happy to assist you by installing a surveillance system on your land and training you how to use it.  Many systems are available. For more information, click here.

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Forest insect damage inspection and control 

Insects play a very important role in the Ecology of the forests and for all they do toward the benefit of the forest, they are truly great.  That is, up until you get stung, bitten or have them feeding on your trees or other agricultural crops. Then they can be a real nuisance!  If you suspect insects are culprit in the damage done to your trees, I would be happy to assist you in this matter. Sometimes, I can handle these problems over the phone or by a simple E-mail, so give that a try first, but if more needs done, I will come to your land and perform an inspection on the trees that are affected.  In most cases, these problems can be solved by biological means, or by using Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a method of reducing insecticides by using other methods first.  For more information, click here.


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