End of an era, and spring plans

Okee Serengeti

For over 30 years we have had a dedicated group of bow hunters harvesting deer off of Cave Bluff. Quite a few deer have been taken, but it hasn't made much of a dent in the deer population.

Since we opened the trail system to the public we have seen a large increase in foot traffic. Hunting occurs in the fall, and that is also the most popular time for hiking.

Given that, we've decided to end regular hunting on Cave Bluff as of the end of this last season. We may have some special short-term hunts in the future, and if that happens we will let people know. But otherwise you can assume that hunting is no longer occurring. Be aware that hunting does still happen on adjoining properties to the north and east.

We'd like to thank all of the hunters we've had over the years who have hunted responsibly and have been good stewards of the hill over the years.

Spring Plans

It is in the single digits today as I write this, but spring is coming! Our plan this winter was to clear invasive and overgrown brush - honeysuckle, buckthorn, barberry, locust, bittersweet, cherry, etc., and burn it. The clearing part has been going great, but the lack of snow has prevented safe burning. We are hoping late winter brings snow so we can burn, but if that

Lots of piles of brush around

doesn't happen we have other options such as chipping. Burning is cheaper and more fun, so pray for snow! In the mean time, you'll see lots of piles of brush.

In March, expect to see controlled burns happening in the prairie areas. Right now we plan on burning the Manchester prairie, the horse pasture (southeast section of the property), and possibly some areas near the top. We try to burn each prairie area every other year.

Manchester Prairie Burn in 2023

In April and May, we plan on doing some more forestry mowing to clear out black locust south of Manchester prairie and work more on the top of the hill. The strategy is to grind the locust to the ground, let it re-sprout over the summer, then hit it again in the late summer with a legume-specific herbicide to hopefully kill it for good. It's tough, but this strategy seems to be effective.

We will announce some workdays when we can. Without snow it's been difficult to plan burning days.

In the mean time, happy hiking!