Killing Invasive Bush Honeysuckle
Mistakenly, many hunters think that bush honeysuckle is a good plant for deer. It's true that they do browse on it occasionally, and that the foliage is pretty high in crude digestible protein. However, it is not necessarily a preferred browse and in most cases when you observe deer eating it, it's because other, better food/browse sources are lacking on the property.
Invasive shrubs, like bush honeysuckle and autumn olive, are a detriment to native wildlife habitat and can also dramatically affect a hunting property's value in a negative way. These plants form thick mono-cultures that dominate a timber stand and don't allow natural regeneration of any desirable trees, or shrubs.
In this episode of The Management Advantage, I explain how to identify Japanese bush honey suckle, as well as the most effective means of manually removing and killing this invasive species on your property. Give it a watch and let me know if you have any questions about what you see in this episode!
