The Farm is Sizzling

In our continuous effort to improve wildlife habitat and the hunting experience…we burned the farm. It may seem like the two elements are at both ends of the spectrum, but it really is interesting how intertwined wildlife management and forest management activities really are.

Fire, Rain & Time Change Everything

Mother Nature seems to know exactly what to do after the landscape is burned.  We’re so pleased with the results we are seeing on the farm in just a few weeks.

It isn’t hard to imagine that for thousands of years, Mother Nature used fire as a way to manage the forests.

When the undergrowth grew thick and the prevailing rains were sparse, a lightning strike would inevitably set in motion a burn that would renew the area and along with it, provide additional habitat and food for birds and animals.  Over the years, forestry managers have come to include fire as an integral element in wildlife management activities.  As a perfect example, northern bobwhite quail feed on the seeds and fruits that herbaceous plants produce following a prescribed fire.

With a large percentage of long leaf and loblolly pines at the Webb Farm, burning has become the cornerstone in our forest management portfolio.  The benefits of proper forest management activities yield not only wildlife improvement, but also improvements for our guests.

Here’s just a sample of the benefits a strong management program provides to the farm:

              • Burning encourages germination of plants beneficial to quail. 

              • Great walk up hunting is a result of a high tree canopy and sun-dappled ground cover.

              • Burned forests contain fewer chiggers and ticks!

 

Paul Kiker is a seasoned forestry veteran.

At The Webb Farm, we are lucky to have a seasoned forestry veteran as one of our celebrated guides. Paul Kiker, established Kiker Forestry & Realty in 1978 where, for over thirty years, Paul and his team guided private and corporate land owners in the management of their forest resources.  Over the years, Paul honed his expertise in forest management activities and leads the way in working with the Webb Farm to manage and manipulate forest resources to benefit our wildlife habitat.

Paul’s passion for and skill in forestry management is evident across every corner of our property.  As Paul often comments, “I enjoy sharing my knowledge and it makes me feel good to be able to contribute what I know to enhance the property.  But even more, I love my current job title…Quail Hunting Guide. I love to take people hunting and it gives me an opportunity to let my bird dogs do the work they love.”

 

One only need to look as far as the names of Paul’s bird dogs to know his passion for both worlds coexists in a wonderful manner.  Each dog is named after a tree found in our southern forests!  Come Hunt with Us and you just may get a chance to meet Cedar, June (short of Juniper), and all the others as Paul shows off their incredible skills. 

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