Stumped on what to do

[Mibowhunter91]

Ok guys we have quite a few areas that were really thick young growth that in the past few years has really grown up and now is all but a few small spots young trees they are all about 12”-18” apart or so in the summer it’s very thick in there but his time of year standing in the ground you can almost look through these spots or so it feels. What would you guys do with these areas let them be as deer do still bed in them or any other ideas?

Here is a pic of one of these areas standing in the edge looking in

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sandbur]

Cut out strips and clumps. Then plant spruce in those areas. You need a plan. The strips of evergreens will eventually become travel lanes. Lead the deer in a general direction they want to go, but manipulate them just a bit so you can play the wind or create a funnel that works.

Clumps or circles of spruce for bedding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Maddog3355]

Looks like fire would girldle some of them. Have you thought about a prescribed fire?

 

[Chainsaw]

It looks at least like some of it is poplar in the picture. If so cutting an entire patch this winter while the life blood of the trees are stored in the roots could start the root regrowth process over again. I've not cut poplar that small so while I expect it would root sprout to thousands of shoots per acre as larger poplar does, I do not know for sure. For now though as long as the deer are still using the stand for bedding it would stay mostly in its entirety here. If it is not a poplar stand, I would cut a few around the sunny edge of the clump this winter and fence the resultant stumps to see whether or not they stump sprout. Young clumps like that are a real plus to have on a property.

Spruce as mentioned by Sandbur would be a good addition. Besides planting some within the clump, some away from the outside edge to provide screening to the areas they now bed in would be useful. In the open ground here(area not shaded) it took about ten years for a spruce planting to really take hold. It's good to keep in mind before removing anything that a spruce planting takes a long time. Thus spruce planting is more effective if it can be done as a plan in conjunction with mostly keeping what is already working as well.

The hillside in your picture looks like prime bedding real estate.

 

[sandbur]

Spruce will have to be released several times when planted in there. I like the idea of planting the outer edge with spruce.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mibowhunter91]

That hill is prime bedding the ground is mainly flat but both of these areas and on noticeable knobs that seem to hold does about all year the problem we run into is when winter rolls around the deer tend to move out of the farm I would really like to keep more deer here.

I think they are maple I’ll have to look again but I’m sure they are maple saplings. There are noticeable trails leading in and out and the spruce would be nice to compliment the trails that are huntable some of them lead to areas and in directions that make them are to hunt. The area pictured is in the woods that meets an edge of a swap on. The neighbors the other area is an island in a field fairly close to the road with fields around it the main woods is probably 60 yards from the other knob


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Corbin.clay]

Depending on how big of an area it is, I would provide some diversity inside the patch. From the picture to me, it all looks very similar in both plant makeup and density. Lots of options. Bush hog a few strip through to allow new growth to start. Clear some patches and plant some evergreens. Clear a path and simply disc the area to bring new seeds to the surface. Feather the edge by dropping the first 10-20 ft of trees around the edge.
edit: I have a similar area that is about 3 acres of cane break. When I get time, it will get some patches cleared out and disced to bring new seed to the surface.

 

[Bill]

I like sandbur's idea if getting some type of evergreen in or around that. I'd also cut them some trails through that thick stuff leading them right where I wanted to shoot one. A trail through an area like that "will" be used.

 

[j-bird]

Just spit-balling here......if the deer like bedding there as it is, I wouldn't screw with it any more than needed. The deer more than likely like the knoll and the fact that they can see out, but anything getting in without being detected is very limited. If they are maple (sugar maple) they are very shade tolerant. I would consider hinging the outer edge of these to help thicken that perimeter. Simply cut an exit and entry place or two and be done. Planting conifers will require making sunlight available and many will not compete well without full sun. Ready for a concept that I'm going to get beat-up for.....plant some vining honeysuckle. Again it will need sunlight.....but hinge that outer edge and plant the honeysuckle (which is nearly an evergreen here) and manage it and it will grow a wall of screening cover. A buffer of greebriar or even black/raspberries could help as well. Biggest issue is these all need sunlight. The big thing is that the deer like being able to see out enough to detect danger while it's thick enough to hide them. You may not even need to go fully around the perimeter, maybe only half way would be sufficient as well. One of the things I have seen with deer bedding areas is they like to be able to have cover to their back with the primary wind blowing to their back, while they can see well in front of them. Something else that can help is cut those trees off about knee to waist high and they will side spout into almost like bushes as well. All just "ideas" to consider...nothing written in stone.

 

[Mibowhunter91]

That’s kind of what we have been doin since they are using the areas I wasn’t sure what to do to improve them more... my fear is they will grow up into some of the woods around here with mature maples and I swear it seems like you can stand on one side of a 40 acre wood lot and look through it.

We hinged one side of the other area but these saplings are small not to many made it I think I will try again this year as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buckdeer1]

That may be such that deer can't even bed it it.What about opening up areas with basel spraying or as mentioned fire may be an option.We don't have poplar so know nothing about regrowth

 

[H20fwler]

I like the mixing in conifers and making some wide trails through it. I would also hinge a bunch to make good cover and browse. Diversity always sexies a woods up.