A wildlife management consulting client recently asked: On the Food Plots that we are going to make in the timber, what would you do with the trees we remove? Would you make a pile in the plots and then burn them ?

My advice to him:

The best plan is to have the trees and stumps removed and burned in the center of the plot. It takes a few tries and stirring the pile to burn everything but the stumps. Then I have the stumps buried in the center of the plot. Pictured below are the remains of one of our burn piles after creating a new food plot where the stumps remain after the burn.

Many folks try to save a bit of expense and push the pile to the edge of the plot. The pile often becomes a coyote condo and predators are living within yards of where you wish deer to feed. For me, it’s much better to do it correctly the first time.