Thanks for feedback. I read where one person said they hinge-cut better than most trees, but other say they die. Hmmmm, so not sure who is the authority on this... Keep the help coming, because I don't want to make a big mistake. :)
There is not really an "authority" on this as everyone is sharing opinions and experience. Keep in mind that what occurs on one property may not translate to another property. I tend to agree with Stu that cedars are not prone to living after a hinge cut. Mo has even commented that a cedar is more likely to die than live based on his experience.
I would be very reluctant to clear cut those 2 areas. First, they appear to be only ~ 1 acre each in size. they may be the thickest cover there which is important. Second, you have buildings and human activity with what looks to be only a couple hundred feet away. These cedars may be critical visual and sound barriers. They may also provide protection from the wind and sun.
Unless you have a number of good large seed bearing trees (oaks, maples, shrubs, etc.), after you clear cut, the most likely regen species will be cedar. Conifer needles in general tend to increase acidity in the soil so regen may be limited.
If this was my property, I would consider the following ...
Inspect the under story. If most of the lower branching is dead, low to the ground, and restricting movement, go in and thin some 10'-15' wide trails through the under story to approximately 6' above the ground. Create a few wider thinned spots also. Try to connect entry and exit areas away from the human activity and moving from the creek and to food sources. Then set-up some game cams to monitor activity.
You could also selectively thin an open area, say 40'-50' in one of these areas high enough on a south facing slope to see if deer will bed there. Once again thin an under story trail leading to and away from to allow access. You could see some grasses in there also. Then put out a game camera to monitor deer activity. You can also observe what if anything regen occurs.
For both of the above, you may be able to locate stand sites on the trail exit moving to food or returning to bedding. This could be a very good area for bucks scent checking during the rut.
Hinging is a practice that can't really be undone. In some cases, you can do more harm than good. Test hinging a few trees and observing for a few years might provide evidence of what you could expect.
At the end of the day, deer relate to thick cover. Most of us spend a lot of time and resources trying to create it. If you already have it, you are ahead of the game.
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