toddyboman Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Yup we have discussed this a couple times but I have some questions.. I am really wanted to create more bedding/thicker cover on my property. We have the food plots we have water but I think we are lacking the thick wooly nasty cover the deer want and need. SO..... Whom has took their chainsaw and started chopping trees? Did it help? By that I mean did the area become thicker and the deer start bedding in that area more? How long did it take for the area to become thicker?? What time of year did you chop the trees? Was there a certain type of tree you did or did not cut? Did you leave the trees somewhat attached so the tree could still be somewhat alive....I think its called a hinge or wedge cut? Any input suggestions and/or help would be great. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I have like minded interests in improving the 60 acres I hunt in NY's southern zone. I bought on Amazon, a book of the native trees in my area, ID'ed some and cut the junk.This project is still underway. Dragged the tops toward the swampy land I have, which is all hard hack, thorns, berries and other nasty stuff. This area is a bedding area already and we stay out until the end of gun season, for drives. Some of the immature maples were 3/4 cut and bent to allow them to live( hinge cut as you say). I got this info from the NYS DEC site http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7205.html We have seen an improvement in the amount of rabbits since the brush piles were created. The deer ate all the browse they could get to. I too am trying to make my deer paradise:D Have you logged and food plotted yet? The deer are digging the snow to get to the greens where the plots are on my land.Planted Secret Spot alot of lime... Chicken/cow fertilizer, turn the soil and plant...organic, no chemicals This is what I'm trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted January 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Have you logged and food plotted yet? Logged- NOPE Food Plots- yes we have been putting food plots in for 3 or 4 years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SRA Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 i did quite a bit of hinge-cutting. you want to do this in the next month or two. make your cut up about 5' and cut thru just enough to where the tree tips over...this will create a living brush pile that will last a couple of years. cut several small "pockets" like this (about 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size) throughout your property, and postion your stands between these small bedding areas. the regrowth is almost instant...it will get fairly thick the 1st summer and just gets better after that. if you want, when your done with your cuts, throw some fertilizer in there for more growth...good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SRA Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 oh yeah...never tromp thru these areas either....unless to recover a deer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted January 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 icut several small "pockets" like this (about 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size) throughout your property, and postion your stands between these small bedding areas. so your suggestion to do a bunch of SMALL pockets and not ONE big area... Is there a certain type of tree you make sure to cut or not to cut....of do you just cut all in your designed area?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coydog316 Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 A biologist once told me that when you hinge cut, of course let all fruit and nut trees go, but try and identify junk trees by the branches. He says that if the branches on a limb are straight across from each other, it can be cut down. Now your maples and other trees will have branches alternating up the limb, I don't know if this helps but I have been using this method for a couple of years and works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SRAII Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 so your suggestion to do a bunch of SMALL pockets and not ONE big area... Is there a certain type of tree you make sure to cut or not to cut....of do you just cut all in your designed area?? i suggest picking areas that are suitable for cutting according to tree types and stand placement. you don't wanna cut all your nut trees down and leave the junk stuff if u know what i mean. but yes, you need to cut everything down in those areas. if you make your hinge cuts high (5') try dropping trees on the hinge-cut part of other trees. this will create a canopy that the deer feel free to move about and bed under. also helps to keep rain and snow off of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 One thing i've been thinking of, is to just plant pines in a big pasture or something. Never bush hog in between or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QDMAworks4me Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 One thing i've been thinking of, is to just plant pines in a big pasture or something. Never bush hog in between or anything. That is ok, we have done this, but I would not plant pine trees because the deer will eat them long before they get a chance to grow, and they take between 10 to 15 years before you will get what you want. I planted white spruce transplants last year and the deer don't eat them, they have grown but it is a slow process. This year we are taking out some big maples and some other trees to get the undergrowth to grow again and open up the canopy. After the berry briars come up this will give a nice place for the deer to travel through and feel comfortable. Atleast that is what we hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 That is ok, we have done this, but I would not plant pine trees because the deer will eat them long before they get a chance to grow, and they take between 10 to 15 years before you will get what you want. I planted white spruce transplants last year and the deer don't eat them, they have grown but it is a slow process. Never had a deer to eat one of our pines that we have planted, though they have killed quite a few by rubbing. Do know cows will eat em. Actually, i think the deer feel more comfortable in them when the pines are 3-8 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ousoonerfan22 Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 Cedars grow well you might try a grove of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted January 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 One thing i've been thinking of, is to just plant pines in a big pasture or something. Never bush hog in between or anything. Our Big pastures are in CRP so we can't plant trees in them...So thats why I want to chop some trees down to make this better bedding area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ousoonerfan22 Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 Can you plant blackberry and sumac patches in the crp fields? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Can you plant blackberry and sumac patches in the crp fields? Not sure honestly..... Probably not. A few years ago we was given some "native grass seeds" that we had to plant. It mainly consisted of big/little blue stem. The deer travel through it but they don't seem to bed in it all that much... Which really surprised me, cause I have heard a lot of good things about that stuff. Plus I think the crp fields have to be mowed down every so often....Part of the rules I think...My dad cares for the crp fields since the land is his:o So I don't think I can do to much with them....but the timber is fair game. So thats why I thought about chopping trees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QDMAworks4me Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Do you know anyone who is a QDMA member? After I read this post and replied I got the mail and in the Quality Whitetails magazine there is a really good article about this very topic. It is on page 28 and 29. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Do you know anyone who is a QDMA member? After I read this post and replied I got the mail and in the Quality Whitetails magazine there is a really good article about this very topic. It is on page 28 and 29. nope :( I was surfing around their site the other day and they don't even have a office or a rep anywhere close to where I am.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Kind of curious to see what type of results you get with whatever you do. Have a few brush piles here where we know deer use to bed, however they are not as thick as they used to be and are not used nearly as much. Wonder if laying down some of the trees in them might serve the same purpose as the suggestions here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QDMAworks4me Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Never had a deer to eat one of our pines that we have planted, though they have killed quite a few by rubbing. Do know cows will eat em. Actually, i think the deer feel more comfortable in them when the pines are 3-8 years old. You may have more natural browse then we do here and they don't go after your pines. My buddy planted a bunch of them and the deer ate them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest blindhog Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Since its a crp field will they let you do a controlled burn in it ? Normaly native grasses are very tolerant of such and is actually very bennificial to them because it kills non native species plus returns nutriants to the soil . Also have you ever harvested any of your timber before ? If you do have them to pile the tree tops and brush togeather in rows creating travel corridors, My mother lives on the edge of a 355acre cutover that is about 10years old . I have paths cut out along their normal travel routs . It works like a charm and funnel them right to me . I also pile up the cuttings make brush piles . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 I've made some "chainsaw messes" and they are very effective. I study the area and make them in an area where deer tend to bed anyways. Generally on an east-facing slope. I also make them in an area that allows me an effective way to hunt the deer that are coming or going. I generally cut everything that will not make a harvestable timber tree and will not produce a mast crop. I cut trees off at the ground and do my best to criss-cross them. Briars and saplings will have the area choked in 2-3 years........which is when the areas become the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MissouriHunter Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 I do a lot of chainsawing in the winter months like now because its cold out and I would hate to be chainsawing when it's warm plus it's a lot easier moving around when everything is dormant or dead. I like to leave the fruit or nut-bearing trees like the oaks, pecans, & persimmons. I cut the hedge, locusts, elms, and maybe some maples or ashes if that's what's growing. You can get an easy tree id guide from the Missouri Department of Conservation. I also like to keep the small cedars growing because I have noticed deer and quail along with other wildlife to use these as cover but if they are over 14 foot tall I would cut them down. I also want to add that the trees with opposite( branches coming off exactly across from one another) branches and those with alternating branches ( where the branches are staggered along the the trunk or limbs) does not determine whether or not a tree is good or bad. NOTE: MAD HORSE( Maple, Ash, Dogwood, and Horse Chestnut, also called Ohio Buckeye tree). These are the only opposite trees in Missouri. Dogwoods are great for cover for any wildlife and personally I like buckeye trees because you get buckeyes from them and they are pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 Have several fairly large sycamore trees growing at the edge of and some inside of an existing brush pile that encompasses probably close to 3/4 of an acre. The sycamores would be good to cut down like suggested here right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SRAII Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Have several fairly large sycamore trees growing at the edge of and some inside of an existing brush pile that encompasses probably close to 3/4 of an acre. The sycamores would be good to cut down like suggested here right? cut them down in a heartbeat william....but be careful....big trees freak me out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted February 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Another Question..... Should I cut in areas deer already use for bedding....or cut in new areas hoping they will start bedding in the new area.... If I cut these new bedding areas will the deer then go to these new areas?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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