Management of Northern White Cedar

[Maddog66]

My property has a large amount of NWC on it. I’m told by locals it was last logged sometime in the 50’s or 60’s. From what I can tell, after logging what appears to be some very large cedar, it re-grew as thousands and thousands of stump sprouts.

So what I have now are hundreds of cedar clumps containing from 6-10 trunks each. Some trunks are 14” diameter and others might be 1/2 of that. Some are only 2-3” because they could never get enough light before the canopy closed over.

In the summertime it’s almost dark at hi noon. In winter, only a fraction of our snowfall makes it to the ground. The clumps are close enough together that almost nothing grows underneath. It’s classic winter “yarding” cover in the snow-belt.

There are few balsams and an ironwood here and there mixed in, but it’s 90+% NWC.

The problem is, I have some great thermal cover, but not enough winter food to make it worthwhile being there.

So my questions revolve around managing my cedars to keep the thermal cover but also mix in some areas where the cedars are “managed” for some regeneration. Maybe let some light reach the ground in a few spots.

I was told one way might be to selectively cut each clump and leave the 1 or 2 strongest trunks to get more nutrients and light. Additional light to the forest floor should grow some deer food until the cedars close the canopy again.

Has anyone here managed their NWC for better hunting?

 

[Telemark]

Can you just clear around the edges of the cedars so the cover is surrounded by browse?

Thuja is excellent winter browse itself. Maybe top some on the edges and make them grow downwards?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Not sure how many acres you are talking about, if you clear cut 10%, say you have 100 acres, clear cut a 10 acre section, and let it start over from scratch. Deer love most species of NWC, and a clear cut of 10% may give you the browse you need. Then just do the 10% thing every 5 years.

 

[omicron1792]

Not sure how many acres you are talking about, if you clear cut 10%, say you have 100 acres, clear cut a 10 acre section, and let it start over from scratch. Deer love most species of NWC, and a clear cut of 10% may give you the browse you need. Then just do the 10% thing every 5 years.

This

 

[b116757]

How many acres of NWC are we talking about as slow growing as NWC tends to be I’d be much more inclined to clear cut around the NWC and leave it alone.

 

[Maddog66]

I have about 50 acres of it split in 2 major ‘lobes’ on the property, both are adjacent to my higher ground with food plots and AG.

We don’t have a high deer population at all, but I’m afraid there might be enough that clear cutting would end the cedar forever. Maybe there would be no harm in trying it on a small scale for my woods…… An acre or 2 in 2 spots to see what happens?

 

[Telemark]

How many acres of NWC are we talking about as slow growing as NWC tends to be I’d be much more inclined to clear cut around the NWC and leave it alone.

That's my thinking as well. I have a rather large swath of it, and I pretty much leave it alone.

 

[b116757]

With 50 acres of it you could probably try a small scale area just to see what happens if your so inclined. I would probably visit with a state forester a bit about it before making that decision. We had 3 NWC on my mothers place when I was a kid the farmer that rented our field cleared several acres just west of those NWC that had grown up in that area, returning it to ag production. Those 3 NWC have since died before the field clearing the area where NWC where growing was always damp and held water after the clearing that area no longer held water like it had. I can’t help but think the slight change in the water table in that area likely killed those cedars granted the field clearing was done 40-45 years ago and my brother told me last spring when making syrup that he was pretty sure we lost the last one of those cedars so it wasn’t a fast process and possibly unrelated at all to the clearing done in the 1980’s. I guess I’m just trying to say be careful with old stands of white cedar.

 

[Maddog66]

I’m going to do some small scale logging on another part of the farm this winter. A couple of 2ish acre clearcuts where I’m going to just drop everything big and leave it lay (basswood / maple). Then hinge cut a lot of the small stuff.

Maybe the food over there will encourage them to use my cedars more for bedding.

I have to admit, most of the online reading I’ve done has focused on maintaining NWC groves…..even where it’s common. Same with hemlock……which I have a BUNCH of also. But there really isn’t much out there as far as managing it.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

If you have other places to supply food, I would leave them alone.

 

[b116757]

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance/backyard/privatelandhabitat/managing_woodland_deer_flat.pdf

They pretty much say do not cut white cedar in this paper from the MN DNR

 

[Maddog66]

Thanks B116, I saw that one and a similar one from the Michigan DNR.

I left a message for my local forester to call me and discuss it.

 

[Tree Spud]

I would kill to have the amount of White Cedar you have on your property. Extremely hard to establish and slow grower. It provide great thermal cover, excellent canopy for snow protection, and critical winter browse.

How many acres do you have total?

 

[Maddog66]

I have about 50 acres of NWC out of 275 total. But in 3 years of owning it, I haven’t seen a single deer winter in there.

After a heavy snow or ice storm, there might be hundreds or thousands of pounds of cedar on the ground. I see it as the snow melts in the spring….un eaten.

 

[SD51555]

I have about 50 acres of NWC out of 275 total. But in 3 years of owning it, I haven’t seen a single deer winter in there.

After a heavy snow or ice storm, there might be hundreds or thousands of pounds of cedar on the ground. I see it as the snow melts in the spring….un eaten.

Do you have a browse line in there?

 

[Maddog66]

In the interior, not even ferns can grow. No food. The trunks coming off each clump are 30+ feet tall and are a solid light curtain from above. You can walk through it but from ground level up to 20’ it’s all dead branches almost touching between clumps.

Visibility at my eye level is 20 yards. But at bedded-deer level, you can see 75 yards minimum.

On the fringes of the cedars where they get light right to the ground? I’d say ‘some’ browsing but nowhere near what I’ve seen other places where 100% of all cedar is gone as high as snow cover allows.

There are a couple of nice runways in there, but impossible to hunt without blowing it up. I’d like to make it better for bedding cover, if I can.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

If you are looking to make it better cover, what I would do it leave the large ones, and cut off, and leave lay the smaller stump sprouts. Drop them in sections, with a walkway/path through them for trails. Make it so deer cant see far, and they will start bedding in the dropped trees.

 

[williams111]

I have no experience with nwc, but I am familiar with a section of erc. That section is very thick and creates a canopy like you are speaking of. It does block a lot of snow from hitting the ground, but also blocks the sunlight. I have been in there in late winter, early spring and it feels considerably colder under those cedars then it does out in the open. Cedar seems to be king around here for bedding, as long as its not closed canopy. I would experiment taking down every other one in a small section to increase the sunlight getting to the ground.

 

[b116757]

ERC and NWC are very different trees ERC grows like a weed and is practically invasive in its regeneration. NWC is very slow to grow and difficult to establish.

 

[williams111]

ERC and NWC are very different trees ERC grows like a weed and is practically invasive in its regeneration. NWC is very slow to grow and difficult to establish.

I guess I meant to convey that I have no experience with NWC, just a similar situation with closed canopy conifer. I am not in Northern Wisconsin either, therefore I am sure our winters are very different. I just know that in my area too many dense conifers creates a wasteland for deer, no bedding or food accept maybe around the edges. Again, I understand NWC are a preferred browse, but it doesn't sound like they are even eating them. Sparse conifer stands on the other hand create amazing and preferred bedding in my experience, here anyway. I get wanting to conserve the NWC, but in my opinion they way they are managed should be based on the goals of Maddog66. If his #1 goal is to improve deer habitat then it doesn't sound like they are currently accomplishing that. I wish I was in his situation with that many NWC to manage, the lowest hole in my "habitat bucket" is thermal cover. With all of that being said, maybe he has other habitat deficiencies that are keeping the deer from using the NWC stands.