In the January 2011 issue of Deer & Deer Hunting, Tes Jolly presented an informative piece on how Southern landowners have used pre-established honeysuckle to their benefit as a deer browse source.
By Daniel E. Schmidt, Editor-in-Chief
One thing we should have done a better job at (and I will take blame for this) is that landowners elsewhere should not introduce this plant to their properties, especially in the upper Midwest.
My good friend Aaron McCullough of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was
kind enough to share his expertise on the dangers of honeysuckle:
Japanese honeysuckle readily invades open natural communities, often by seed spread by birds. An aggressive colonizer of successional fields, this vine also will invade mature forest and open woodlands such as post oak flatwoods and pin oak flatwoods. Forests with either natural or unnatural openings are often invaded by Japanese honeysuckle when birds drop seeds into these light gap areas. Deep shading reduces the amount of invasion.
2. Life History
Japanese honeysuckle climbs and drapes over native vegetation, shading it out. It is capable of completely covering herbaceous and understory plants, and climbing trees to the canopy. The semi-evergreen condition of this honeysuckle allows for growth both prior to and after dormancy of other deciduous plants.
The prolific growth covers and smothers vegetation present including understory shrubs and trees in forested communities. Although this prolonged growth period is beneficial to the plant, it is also beneficial in controlling the plant. Vegetative runners are most prolific in the open sun and will resprout where touching the soil, forming mats of new plants. This honeysuckle will display little growth under moderate shade. In deep shade, runners develop but often die back. Flowering
and seed development are heaviest in open-sun areas. Seedling establishment and growth is slow in the first 2 years of development of a new honeysuckle colony.
3. Effects Upon Natural Areas
This aggressive vine seriously alters or destroys the understory and herbaceous
layers of the communities it invades, including prairies, barrens, glades, flatwoods,
savannas, floodplain and upland forests. Japanese honeysuckle also may alter
understory bird populations in forest communities.
4. Current Status
Japanese honeysuckle is categorized as an exotic weed under the Illinois Exotic
Weed Control Act of 1987. As such, its commercial sale in Illinois is prohibited.
Please keep these factors in mind and opt for native browse plantings when planning
your next project.
Maximize Your Deer Season Planning With the 2015 Whitetails Wall Calendar!
From Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, the 2015 Whitetails Wall Calendar features the work of deer researchers Wayne Laroche and Charlie Alsheimer, who reveal the 2015 whitetail rut prediction, based on years of lunar cycle research. Utilize this deer moon phase calendar to find out which days the deer will be seeking and chasing, so you can time the rut for the best time to hunt.
The calendar features amazing whitetail deer photography, capturing deer in all the seasons and providing deer activity charts so you can plan your hunt. It’s not only the most useful calendar you’ll own, but quite possibly the ultimate gift for any deer hunter!
With the 2015 DDH Whitetails Wall Calendar you’ll learn:
- When the seeking, chasing and tending phases of the rut will occur for North & South
- Predicted dates of Major & Minor deer activity in 2015
- Daily 2015 Moon-phase data
- Peak rut activity for the 2015 season
- When to plan your vacation around the 2015 whitetail rut