Save the trees!

By Dan Armitage, OCJ outdoors writer

Your live-cut Christmas trees can be repurposed as habitat for various species of animals, so before you discard your tree, remember that it can find life after the holidays for creating fishing honey-holes and habitat for birds, mammals, and more.

What’s great is, each winter, recycled live-cut Christmas trees are donated to the Division of Wildlife and placed at select wildlife areas and public lakes around Ohio to do just that. The trees are bundled together and weighed down so they sink to the bottom of lakes, attracting fish and providing cover. Many species are attracted to this dense cover, including crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass.

An interactive lake map showing where trees are placed to attract fish is available at wildohio.gov and on the HuntFish OH mobile app. Anglers can target these spots, which are often productive for both panfish and their larger predators.… Continue reading