Just like when it comes to food requirements every game species will have it's own requirements for cover. There are two main types of cover we'll be looking at and they are screening and thermal cover.
Screening cover is what wildlife use to avoid predation. Good screening cover will block the view of predators so that prey species can hide and feel safe. Different game species will have different requirements for screening cover. Some species, such as bison need practically no screening cover at all. Bison instead rely on their large size and their tendency to form large herds in order to protect themselves from predators. However other species such as whitetail deer generally will rely on dense screening cover as their main way to avoid predators. Most game species will need some form of screening cover unless, like the bison, they are adapted to wide open habitats. Good screening cover will usually consist of thickets of brush and trees that can easily hide wildlife. Deciduous and conifer cover work equally well for most of the year but conifers obviously win out during winter due to their evergreen foliage. When determining what kind of screening cover to use I would aim for planting tree and shrub species that double as a good food source. Some good examples may include roses, apples, hazelnuts, brambles, hawthorn, dogwood, serviceberry and pawpaw. Another great advantage of having a property with good dense cover is that you can more easily hide a homestead from wildlife, bringing them closer to you and allowing you to still have great wildlife habitat within close proximity to human settlements. This would help make use of more of your property especially on smaller parcels.
The other main type of cover is thermal cover. This type is especially important for areas that receive lots of snow and get very cold in the winter months. Again some species will require more thermal cover than others. Again for example the large size of the bison with it's wooly coat and thick hide will protect it from even the coldest winter weather. However other species like whitetail deer need thermal cover, especially in the more northern areas of their range. Good thermal cover consists mostly of thick stands of evergreen conifer trees. Some good species may include Cedar, Douglas Fir, Spruce and Juniper. Within their native range deer in northern areas will use what are referred to as “Yards” in winter where they can escape deep snow and still find some food under the thick canopy of these evergreen species. Unfortunately, most thermal cover species do not generally make the best forage for wildlife and will block out the sun so not much food will grow underneath the canopy. This means that these types of habitat should generally be reserved for properties that experience deep snow in winter and should be generally kept at no more than a few acres in size. Another thing to note is that this habitat type only works if it is grown as thick bunches of trees and will not work planted only as scattered individuals so keep that in mind when designing your property. In milder climates that get little to no snow I would recommend not planting traditional thermal cover because it is simply not needed. On another note if you can find plant species that could double as food and thermal cover and that could grow in your climate then it might be worth trying out. For example, there is an evergreen broadleaf tree called the Golden Chinkapin which is native to the west coast and is adapted to dry summer temperate areas, which I believe would make it adapted to my climate here in Idaho. This tree could provide screening cover, thermal cover as well as a food source since it produces nuts, similar to a chestnut to which it is closely related. This just goes to show you how important it is to do your research and figure out what plant species may be a good fit for your property and the game species that live there.
Not all game species will require dense cover, but most of the best staple game species we encourage managing for require at least some form of cover. After food, cover is generally the most important factor to consider when designing your wild game property and choosing the right cover plant species will help turn your property into a wild game mecca.
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