The National Deer Association (NDA) and several of their conservation partners recently commemorated the completion of a momentous habitat improvement project three years in the making. Collaborating organizations and volunteers successfully restored nearly 100 acres on the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) in eastern Kentucky, and in doing so inexplicably linked the birthplace of bourbon with the area’s rich deer-hunting tradition.
In this case, the deeply rooted connection is the mighty white oak tree, an important resource for both bucks and bourbon. White oak acorns are a favorite food for deer, wild turkey, gray squirrels, black bears, and a host of birds and other wildlife; and white oak lumber is the most highly prized hardwood species used to make barrels for the wine and spirits industries.
From 2023 to 2025 the NDA, along with the USDA Forest Service (USFS), Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Division of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Kentucky Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Robinson Stave Company/Cumberland Cooperage, Independent Stave Company, Home Depot Store #2303 of Lexington, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, and MeatEater Inc., used a combination of conservation staff, contractors, donations and hundreds of hours of volunteer time to restore 98 acres of white oak on the London Ranger District (LRD) of DBNF.
“This effort will benefit wildlife, forest health and the greater community for a very long time,” said Matt Ross, NDA’s Senior Director of Conservation. “The project is one of just a few full-circle moments in my career. We not only accomplished some amazing habitat work that’s good for deer and deer hunters, but there was also a clear vision of multi-use management and sustainable outcomes, and it involved local stakeholders from all walks of life that have a vested interest in our public lands.”
With a goal to create a more wildlife-friendly and resilient forest, the NDA improved nearly a mile of road access in 2023, implemented a commercial timber harvest to remove undesirable vegetation, and prepared the project site for planting. Then, during October of the same year, project partners hosted a volunteer event on LRD and collected over 700 pounds of acorns where mature white oak trees were already established. Those acorns were taken to the state tree nursery in Morgan County and grown for 18 months. Finally, in March of 2025, volunteers planted approximately 15,000 white oak seedlings that had resulted from the acorn collection into the prepared project area.
“We had deer hunters volunteering right alongside loggers, mill owners, bird enthusiasts, wildlife students and agency staff,” said Ross. “That kind of support shows how these resources matter to all Americans.”
Project activities were part of the Pine Creek Forest Restoration Environmental Analysis and support several critical goals listed in the DBNF Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, including to restore and enhance forest composition and structure, especially conditions that are rare or declining. Other goals include improving the DBNF road and trail network, as well as providing renewable forest products on a sustainable basis. Helping to establish a commercially viable white oak dominated forest ecosystem does exactly that. In fact, stave mills routinely purchase white oak timber sales on the DBNF from the NDA, and two such companies supported this particular project because they wanted to give back to the resource and do their part in caring for the National Forest.
“Supporting the oak tree planting project is important to Robinson Stave because sustaining healthy white oak forests is vital to the future of both bourbon production and wildlife like deer,” said William Larkey, Director of Log Procurement for Robinson Stave/Cumberland Cooperage. “We are proud to be part of an effort that promotes responsible forest stewardship for generations to come and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the NDA on future white oak initiatives.”
Restoring white oaks isn’t just a concern for the LRD and its surrounding community. In April, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) reintroduced the White Oak Resilience Act (HR 2405), bipartisan legislation which aims to prioritize and coordinate white oak restoration projects that support the Kentucky bourbon industry. The Bill’s provisions include empowering the USFS and Department of Interior to lead pilot projects on federal land, to help establish a formal white oak coalition and fund to support public-private partnerships, and to expand academic research, among other things.
It wouldn’t be hard to imagine that some white oak trees planted by volunteers this past spring on DBNF may someday find themselves at a local cooperage to become barrel staves and contribute to Kentucky’s heritage of bourbon production. In the meantime, those same seedlings will feed white-tailed deer and numerous other wildlife species, and a few lucky deer hunters may eventually reap the benefits of that attraction as well. Even more exciting is that DBNF staff have continued with additional acorn collection efforts, amassing an astounding 1,840 pounds just last month that will be used for future public land white oak reforestation projects.
For those interested in learning more, MeatEater released a film in September called “Kentucky Whitetail” about the project (watch below). In it, host Mark Kenyon highlights several elements of the LRD habitat restoration efforts, as well as a third event where partners organized volunteers in 2022 (the year the white oak seedlings were growing) and a November 2024 deer hunt on DBNF as culmination of the entire experience.
Few things bind comrades in goodwill like working hard toward achieving a difficult, long-term goal together. Accomplishing such is often celebrated with a toast and celebratory drink, and this time the beverage of choice is Kentucky’s finest bourbon. NDA symbolically raises a glass to everyone involved. Cheers!
Thanks especially to the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for financial support of NDA’s Public Lands Initiative and this project, which aims to address access, hunting and forest health issues across North America.