I understand there is a cooperative study being done in the Bridgestone wildlife management area in White County Tennessee. It consists of the annual burning in the WMA. What the objective of the study is, however, is unclear to me. The signs posted in the WMA state that areas will be burned in the fall in cooperation with the University of Tennessee.
I do know that over the past several years the WMA has burned large areas every spring, and not in the fall. I am a conservationist as well as an outdoorsman and a hunter.
I have seen a drastic decline in animals and birds in my own back yard in recent years. I decided to look into the matter further and indeed, when checking the TWRA’s website with regard to animals (big game) Turkey and deer particularly there has been a severe decline in game checking statistics, an approximate 60% decline in turkey.
In my opinion, this is almost equivalent to a genocide or extreme cull of these species. I’m sure that this affects not only turkey but all other ground forging and nesting birds including quail, Pheasant, grouse and woodcock.
I have tried to impress my views on this matter by contacting the TWRA. They responded with irrelevant comparison to native plains Indians burning lands and boasted of belonging to a national burn council. As an outdoorsman, hunter for over 40 years, their analysis of ground cover being bad for these birds is completely false.
They also told me that the lands are only burned in a controlled rotational manner, ever few years. This is also incorrect. The lands are burned every spring when these birds are propagating (nesting-mating.) I have witnessed repetitive and consistent destruction of these areas year after year since 2009.
I was told quail were introduced or stocked on the WMA, but most of the birds are being forced into adjacent private land. I have no objection to the birds’ presence, but have to question the management practice of the WMA. Surely with over 10, 000 acres of land there could be adequate habitat if properly managed.
I have noticed the forage plot planted for the wildlife but it is planted within 50 feet of a public road where vehicles travel at 45-50 MPH.
The forage is approximately 10 feet wide by over one mile and alongside the roadway. I have had a personal experience of quail birds exiting the WMA and hitting my windshield. I slowed my vehicle enough however that I don’t think the birds were harmed.
Either these burn practices are not being properly conducted, are not effective at all, or must certainly are having a negative effect on the wildlife populations. I will continue contacting as many state and federal and private wildlife conservation organizations until this is address.