Habitat Improvements - What to do after a clearcut?

[easger]

Hi everyone, new to the forum here but have been learning a lot.

I have a 220 acre property in the below triangle shape. The gray areas, mostly on the left, right and top sides, are mature hardwoods. In the middle of the property colored in green, we clearcut last week (~60 acres). The property was clearcut 35-40 years ago and was never replanted. The reason we clearcut was the regeneration was stunted and provided no cover for wildlife as you could see completely through the timber. We never see deer in the middle of the property. To the right of the property is public land, with mature hardwoods and a large creek running through. The left side of the property is a neighbor who never replanted, and the regeneration provides a decent amount of cover for wildlife.

My question - what should be replanted on the clearcut? I live in the Carolinas with clay soil. After reading here, I would like to provide as much cover as we can (maybe pines?), but should I also be replanting sections of sawtooth or chesnut? I plan to implement some strategic food plots with fruit trees/bushes on the edges. Important note, I love deer hunting, but like Turkey hunting as much, if not more, then deer. So I would really like to implement things that will attract turkeys as well.

Last question, my mature hardwood stands have no understory (can see right through). After reading here, I know I need to do hinge cuts and selective tree removal to grow the understory and increase mast production. However, If I increase the understory, will this decrease my turkey population? I have read that turkeys like to be able to see, so wondering if increasing the understory will make turkeys leave the property.



Thanks,
easger

 

[Wild Thing]

Here is a thread for a couple years ago which may help with creating some food plots.

Another "Creating a Food Plot" thread:

Natural regeneration provides some awesome habitat under the right conditions, but I am not familiar with your neck of the woods so I won't comment on that.

I have several different types of habitat plus 16 acres of food plots on my 160 acres - some is fairly open hardwoods - some thick natural regeneration and the turkeys are all over my property.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Some of my very amateur thoughts as it relates to deer (know nothing about turkeys):

- I see conifers as cover for a couple things - Thermal cover (huge here in MN when snow gets deep) and visual cover. It seems a lot of pines are good when immature but provide poor cover as they get older and lose lower branches compared to spruce/cedar and but still prevent ground level cover and forage from growing by shading out.
- It's good to have some wide open mature timber because it results in a "dead zone" and concentrates deer travel in the areas of cover. IMO it's nice to have some bigger chunks of mature timber to allow you to layout your property and travel routes by cutting small portions.
- I would put your largest (destination) food plot as close to the center of your property as you can. Keep your common human travel corridors away from it. Design the property around bedding cover on the edges with deer travel corridors towards the destination food in the center.

I just read Jim Brauker's Extreme Deer Habitat book and found it excellent in helping me make decisions on the how/what/where to cut questions.

 

[Wild Thing]

Some of my very amateur thoughts as it relates to deer (know nothing about turkeys):

- I see conifers as cover for a couple things - Thermal cover (huge here in MN when snow gets deep) and visual cover. It seems a lot of pines are good when immature but provide poor cover as they get older and lose lower branches compared to spruce/cedar and but still prevent ground level cover and forage from growing by shading out.
- It's good to have some wide open mature timber because it results in a "dead zone" and concentrates deer travel in the areas of cover. IMO it's nice to have some bigger chunks of mature timber to allow you to layout your property and travel routes by cutting small portions.
- I would put your largest (destination) food plot as close to the center of your property as you can. Keep your common human travel corridors away from it. Design the property around bedding cover on the edges with deer travel corridors towards the destination food in the center.

I just read Jim Brauker's Extreme Deer Habitat book and found it excellent in helping me make decisions on the how/what/where to cut questions.

Nothing "Amateur" about your comments at all Wind Gypsy. Those are all very solid recommendations IMO.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Nothing "Amateur" about your comments at all Wind Gypsy. Those are all very solid recommendations IMO.

It's a disclaimer because my input is mostly based on a lot of recent reading and what makes sense to me rather than significant real world habitat work experience. But thank you!

 

[Angus 1895]

I would suggest studying the prevailing winds during hunting season (s).

I would also modify my fences to funnel deer through areas you want them to cross.

a soil test would be good to help you select your planting plans.

best of luck

 

[ruskbucks]

I agree with the turkeys liking more open cover. I have seen them pass thru some thick woods but they seem to like open areas where they can watch for predators from a distance and able to fly away from danger. The birds I hunt seem to like to roost where they can fly down into a opening. You could leave some roosting tress next to a future foodplot/ grass area. It would probably be a good hunting spot. I'm not familiar with southern trees but they like white and red pines and oaks for roosting up here. As far as planting trees, plant a diversity of mast produceing trees such as oaks, chestnut, maybe some small crabs. I wouldn't think they would leave your property but I think if you make some areas that stay open it would definitely help hold more birds.

 

[easger]

Here is a thread for a couple years ago which may help with creating some food plots.

Another "Creating a Food Plot" thread:

Natural regeneration provides some awesome habitat under the right conditions, but I am not familiar with your neck of the woods so I won't comment on that.

I have several different types of habitat plus 16 acres of food plots on my 160 acres - some is fairly open hardwoods - some thick natural regeneration and the turkeys are all over my property.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

This was a very insightful thread, thank you. I will look to perhaps leave some areas as regeneration, and from other's comments may look to leave some spots open timber, and some with plenty of understory.

 

[easger]

Some of my very amateur thoughts as it relates to deer (know nothing about turkeys):

- I see conifers as cover for a couple things - Thermal cover (huge here in MN when snow gets deep) and visual cover. It seems a lot of pines are good when immature but provide poor cover as they get older and lose lower branches compared to spruce/cedar and but still prevent ground level cover and forage from growing by shading out.
- It's good to have some wide open mature timber because it results in a "dead zone" and concentrates deer travel in the areas of cover. IMO it's nice to have some bigger chunks of mature timber to allow you to layout your property and travel routes by cutting small portions.
- I would put your largest (destination) food plot as close to the center of your property as you can. Keep your common human travel corridors away from it. Design the property around bedding cover on the edges with deer travel corridors towards the destination food in the center.

I just read Jim Brauker's Extreme Deer Habitat book and found it excellent in helping me make decisions on the how/what/where to cut questions.

Good thought on using open timber as divert deer to where I want them. Will also definitely center the destination plot toward the center and keep cover on the outside.

 

[easger]

I would suggest studying the prevailing winds during hunting season (s).

I would also modify my fences to funnel deer through areas you want them to cross.

a soil test would be good to help you select your planting plans.

best of luck

I will get a soil test done soon. Working to get that setup through the extension office. Thanks!

 

[easger]

I agree with the turkeys liking more open cover. I have seen them pass thru some thick woods but they seem to like open areas where they can watch for predators from a distance and able to fly away from danger. The birds I hunt seem to like to roost where they can fly down into a opening. You could leave some roosting tress next to a future foodplot/ grass area. It would probably be a good hunting spot. I'm not familiar with southern trees but they like white and red pines and oaks for roosting up here. As far as planting trees, plant a diversity of mast produceing trees such as oaks, chestnut, maybe some small crabs. I wouldn't think they would leave your property but I think if you make some areas that stay open it would definitely help hold more birds.

I think I will keep some open areas, near food plots, and then have some hardwood bottoms that have more understory. Agree that a diversity will bring both turkeys and deer. Thanks!

 

[BrushyPines]

Regarding turkeys, I have hardwood bottoms and upland pines on my property. The pines have been thinned, so the understory is on the thick side. All of the turkeys on my property roost in the mature trees of the hardwoods bottoms. So I do agree that turkeys like open areas to roost and travel in. Also, once my pines were thinned, how deer used my property was totally different than before the thinning. Something to keep in mind when scouting for next season and stand locations.

 

[easger]

Regarding turkeys, I have hardwood bottoms and upland pines on my property. The pines have been thinned, so the understory is on the thick side. All of the turkeys on my property roost in the mature trees of the hardwoods bottoms. So I do agree that turkeys like open areas to roost and travel in. Also, once my pines were thinned, how deer used my property was totally different than before the thinning. Something to keep in mind when scouting for next season and stand locations.

Could you speak more to how the deer used the property differently? I have another track of land that we will be thinning in the next few weeks. It also is just regeneration with is mostly pines and some white oaks. Would be interested to hear how they adapted to the thinning. Thanks!

 

[BrushyPines]

Could you speak more to how the deer used the property differently? I have another track of land that we will be thinning in the next few weeks. It also is just regeneration with is mostly pines and some white oaks. Would be interested to hear how they adapted to the thinning. Thanks!

Before the thinning, I had the deer patterned from where they traveled from food to cover. After the thinning, they used different travel routes to food from cover. Took a lot of scouting the property and a lot of not seeing deer in the stands I already had up to figure out where they traveled to and from. I will say this, with the lanes and decks the loggers cut, it helped tremendously with turkeys using the property more.

 

[PatinPA]

I didn't clear cut but it was a pretty heavy cut and the understory is coming up thick. The turkeys avoid the thick areas entirely. I see tracks in the snow that walk the borders or the roads and go into the neighbors open woodlots. You'll want them for deer anyway but I would put in the travel corridors through the clear cuts or bordering for the turkeys linking the mature hardwoods to whatever food sources you're planning.