Cedar for deer

[James P. Bipps]

With the last two major snow storms we’ve had I am feeling sorry for the deer herd here in Delta County, Mi. Will cutting down a few white cedar trees do any good? Or harm?

 

[j-bird]

I have not seen it first hand, but I have read that deer LOVE white cedar to browse on in the winter. I know around here you drop a preferred browse species while snow on the ground and the deer will hit it so hard it's tough to make out individual tracks in the snow a few days later. You can hinge them - I would suspect them to die and get that food down in reach but still up off the ground some and I am sure the deer will thank you. Put up a trailcam so you can see how fast things happen!

 

[Telemark]

Try a little one and see what happens.

 

[Wild Thing]

Your White Cedar over there will be like candy for them James P. I saw a deer standing on its hind legs today pulling down a Hemlock branch. I don't have many Hemlock or Cedar so I won't cut them for browse but I did get out with the chain saw a few days prior to the storm and cut some Maple for them.

 

[MojoRisin]

I have land in Delta County too and I cut cedars for the deer in early March and again a couple of weeks ago. The trees I cut in March were hammered on. There was deer poop all around them. My land has way too many cedars so I have no issues giving some up for the deer. We're always expanding the few openings we have taking cedars out. My friend sells the trees. He leaves the tops and the deer eat them all spring and summer long.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

I think dropping a cedar or two now would be a good idea. I've done it in the past, and like others have said, they clean it up in a hurry.

 

[sandbur]

This does not answer your question, but for the long term and if you have lots of cedar for winter cover... I would suggest long strips of browse on the downwind sides of the cedars. Maintain these areas in reachable browse, red osier, maybe some maple, very young Popple of less than three years of age.

Browse and white cedar have got Deer through bad winters for generations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[H20fwler]

As everyone has said if you have plenty of white cedar I think it is a decent idea, hinging them may be even better keeping the trees alive for a couple more years of food.
We normally don't get snow very deep for long down here, my area is almost devoid of any conifers except for red cedars and the deer don't seem to touch them for browse. The white cedar and white pines I put out are browsed hard in winter even with no snow.
I like sandburs idea of planting some shrubs specifically for future browse for the next hard winter.

 

[sandbur]

As everyone has said if you have plenty of white cedar I think it is a decent idea, hinging them may be even better keeping the trees alive for a couple more years of food.
We normally don't get snow very deep for long down here, my area is almost devoid of any conifers except for red cedars and the deer don't seem to touch them for browse. The white cedar and white pines I put out are browsed hard in winter even with no snow.
I like sandburs idea of planting some shrubs specifically for future browse for the next hard winter.

You may not need to plant anything in those areas with white cedar swamps. Just get some light on strips of ground and see what grows.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[James P. Bipps]

As mentioned, the deer hammered the dozen or so cedars that I cut. I cut these in two travel corridors that I have carved out. I have also cut red osier dogwood cuttings to plant in my main corridor. Our snow has mostly melted so I should be planting soon. Thanks for all the good advice.