In winters such as the one we are having, woodland brush piles are the equivalent of a Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Seek out a brush pile while there is snow on the ground and you are certain to see tracks around the perimeter where a variety of small mammals and birds have sought shelter from the inclement weather.

Aside from dense cedar thickets and honeysuckle tangles, a brush pile is one of a few places where some species can find relief from deep snow if they do not rely on underground burrows or hollow tree cavities.

Brush piles are most often an afterthought to us – something only necessary after a storm has prematurely brought down a shade tree in the back yard or a bulldozer has been used to clear out some undergrowth.

No matter if brush piles are created out of necessity or want, wildlife benefit from having them throughout their habitat for shelter, security from predators, nesting places and areas to safely rear young.

I often encounter game animals – young wild turkey poults in the summer, quail at all times of the year, and multitudes of rabbits – around piles of woody refuse on the farms. The woody stacks act as magnets for songbirds as well. Wrens, brown thrashers, catbirds and field sparrows all frequent the dark tangles, safely scratching around within the piles’ confines for seeds and insects.

Purposely constructing a brush pile may come as a surprise to some folks, but the management practice is a popular and basic venture that many property owners utilize. Perhaps the greatest feats in building a brush pile are not the labor and forethought that go into its construction, but rather committing yourself to keeping the pile around for subsequent years.

Most brush piles are made of debris in an effort to consolidate a mess and then burned at a later date when the conditions are suitable. However, if you don’t mind having a handful of piles scattered around and tucked in corners where they do not pose a threat as an eyesore, they can be one of the finest and least expensive habitat improvements available to you.

There is really no wrong way to build a brush pile; however, because it is likely that a concentration of groundhogs and rabbits will rapidly take up residence, I wouldn’t suggest putting a pile near your home or garden. Instead, concentrate on field edges and corners, also inside woodlots, where the heaps won’t be in the way of mowing, grazing or agricultural practices.

Additionally, since brush piles are meant to be a safe haven for small animals and song birds, take effort to keep brush piles distanced from power lines and dead trees where hawks and owls will wait in ambush for the piles’ patrons.

Building a brush pile can be conducted in any manner, yet adding some terra cotta tiling, wood pallets or concrete blocks as a base for the planned brush pile will not only make it last longer, but also give rabbits and other critters immediate avenues for safe travel.

With all of today’s deserved emphasis on food plots, timber management, nest boxes and such, it is easy to overlook a project as simple as making a brush pile. Nonetheless, in the summer months when young animals are just getting their feet beneath them and in the deep winter when shelter comes at a premium, a good brush pile has its place in every management plan.

The Southern Kentucky Chapter of Quail Forever will have its annual banquet at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Mammoth Cave National Park Hotel. For more information, visit www.southernkentuckyquailforever.org or call 270-282-5102.

— Geordon T. Howell is outdoors columnist for the Daily News. He may be reached by e-mailing highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.