Hinge cut height for bedding?

[westonwhitetail]

I would NOT try to hinge any basswood or sassafrass, no matter the DBH, but especially not any tree bigger than 6". We have a few of each species and they stump sprout like nothing else. Just cut them down during the winter and they will grow from the stump just fine. I have tried stubbornly to hinge sassafras. It is surely a fool's errand. There is NO benefit to hinging them over just cutting them off clean.

OK thanks

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[yellowdog00]

After 14 years of owning my property, I found most of my woods were looking like parks with very little bedding cover. I have been hinging parcels the past two years and use the following prescription.

1. I hinge cut trees up to 6-8" in diameter and find varying success in survival based on species. A lot of good advice here on species survival. I will use a habitat hook to pull trees down rather than cutting too deeply.

2. Trees larger than that, I cut down if I feel I can safely do so. Always wear chaps and helmet and face guard! Jim Braukers e-book on "Extreme Deer Habitat " is a good read and a suggestion of his is to read Jeff Jepson's book "To Fell A Tree". Easy read and so full of information on using a chainsaw safely. Most of us weekend warriors only know enough about chainsaw use to be dangerous. We owe it to our families to be safe! And wedges are your friend!

3. Trees that are large and scare me to cut (and I scare easily) get girdled and squirted with Garlon 4.

Disturbance + Sunlight = Diversity

 

[Tap]

read Jeff Jepson's book "To Fell A Tree". Easy read and so full of information on using a chainsaw safely. Most of us weekend warriors only know enough about chainsaw use to be dangerous. We owe it to our families to be safe! And wedges are your friend!

That's an excellent book. And it's not just for weekend warriors either. After reading it and learning the finer points of hinges (hinges for controlled tree felling, not "hinge-cut" hinges), I've come to realize that there are a lot of so-called professionals out there that don't know how to cut trees. Just observing the remaining stump will reveal a lot about the guy who made the cut.
There are several books that we habitat enthusiasts refer to, and a handful of them seem to be fairly common "go-to" books (Quality Food Plots for example) that are recommended as "must have" books. To Fell a Tree is one book that should be in the library of everyone that owns a chainsaw. Consider it as important as the saw, gas, oil, chaps, helmet, etc.
Cutting trees can kill you or, at the least, create many thousands of dollars in property damage. If you don't know how to safely use a saw, then you probably shouldn't own a saw.