H20fwler
5 year old buck +



Here is a BHS that deer browsed in the two weeks between planting and caging, just nipping ends off, you can see the white sap tips.
They will grow back even thicker and the cage should protect fine for the next few years until they are well established.
Also a group of white pines planted in a “clump” for future thermal cover and screen. All in one big enclosure that I referred to in post #10. Biggest trees in the clumps are maybe 7’ tall now.
And a pic of a pine right along the road with no protection, I will get to caging the rest of the confers this winter to stop that.
On a do-over I would not plant any white pines at all only Norway and BHS.
White pines are pure deer candy and loose there bottom branches after fifteen to twenty years. Mature pines have zero thermal value for me or screening benefits, I’m sure there is some wildlife value though….just not as good as the spruce IMO.
Also I have no conifers naturally growing in my county…so the deer are drawn to them.