Norway spruce spacing and arrangement
- Thread starter Telemark
- Start date
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
For bedding, a lot of guys will say 12x12. That's more than will eventually be needed, but there'll be casualties. Or in my case, as Roy Orbison would say, there won't be many coming home.
Some use rows to maximize their area. Others have said clumps of several trees in grassy areas work great for bedding. I began planting them thinking I wanted more than just bedding, but areas of extreme sanctuary, where deer will beeline to when the war starts.
Some use rows to maximize their area. Others have said clumps of several trees in grassy areas work great for bedding. I began planting them thinking I wanted more than just bedding, but areas of extreme sanctuary, where deer will beeline to when the war starts.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
12 trees by 12 trees? Like 144 trees arranged in a square?
I was thinking this would be sanctuary as well. Would be nice to have about 50 acres of sanctuary along the neighboring properties. The neighboring properties get hunted pretty hard, so I thought having a nice sanctuary with easy access to food would end up a pretty attractive spot for pressured deer.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I'd say it depends on how much acreage you have to play with. For a clump, I personally like to plant 10 or 12 so there will be some gaps in between them for spots to bed. Grass and weeds will surely pop up & in my experience, that's a good thing. For border screens, we plant double staggered rows so no gaps to see through. I plant them on 8 ft. spacing in the rows so they fill in quicker, but figure on cutting every other one at some point down the road so they aren't crowded. 12 ft. between rows. If you have a corner of a field that you can plant for cover from pressure, why not dedicate that corner to spruce planted on 12' x 12' spacing and make it as big a patch as you want ??
If you plant spruce ...... the deer will find them and move in - or use them as travel corridors.
If you plant spruce ...... the deer will find them and move in - or use them as travel corridors.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
I have read from a few sources that planting a single 100-tree clump is not as effective as 4 25-tree clumps. Other sources say 10 10-tree clumps is better.
I plan to add more and more spruce year by year. Starting with 100 this year and probably adding about 25 trees per year. I have about 285 acres of land, and I would like to dedicate about 50 acres to tight spruce bedding/sanctuary.
Grasses tend not to grow when areas open up. It tends to be maples. Dense conifers seem to be where the deer like to yard up.
I plan to add more and more spruce year by year. Starting with 100 this year and probably adding about 25 trees per year. I have about 285 acres of land, and I would like to dedicate about 50 acres to tight spruce bedding/sanctuary.
Grasses tend not to grow when areas open up. It tends to be maples. Dense conifers seem to be where the deer like to yard up.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
If you are putting one large bedding sanctuary on a property lines you are creating the benefit for you and your neighbors. You would be better off creating screens (double row of pines, hybrid poplar/shrubs, Micanthus, etc) to put of visual barriers.
For Spruce plantings, consider making multiple clumps. On your size property I would target to have 10-12 clumps of spruces spread through-out the property. This would allow for more individual doe groups to exist and thrive. Look to locate these where there is a south exposure or adjacent to travel corridors and transitions to food. The # of spruce in each clump can vary from 15-50 trees. Planting in staggered rows and irregular patterns at 12' x 12' spacing allows the lower branches to survive which creates better thermal cover by blocking the wind. Once you have mature spruces, you can go in to the internal area and cut lower branches off to 5' above the ground. This creates over head cover for bedding from snow.
The goal with multiple interior bedding clumps, over one large sanctuary clump, is to encourage buck movement throughout your property as they move to scent checks multiple bedding areas. You can then position your bow or gun stands to intercept them.
For Spruce plantings, consider making multiple clumps. On your size property I would target to have 10-12 clumps of spruces spread through-out the property. This would allow for more individual doe groups to exist and thrive. Look to locate these where there is a south exposure or adjacent to travel corridors and transitions to food. The # of spruce in each clump can vary from 15-50 trees. Planting in staggered rows and irregular patterns at 12' x 12' spacing allows the lower branches to survive which creates better thermal cover by blocking the wind. Once you have mature spruces, you can go in to the internal area and cut lower branches off to 5' above the ground. This creates over head cover for bedding from snow.
The goal with multiple interior bedding clumps, over one large sanctuary clump, is to encourage buck movement throughout your property as they move to scent checks multiple bedding areas. You can then position your bow or gun stands to intercept them.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I agree with Spud on multiple clusters. That's what we did at camp to give does multiple places to bed with fawns. I agree with encouraging buck movement too, between clusters. We also did the property line double rows of spruce to block views, and planted the food plots, fruit trees and spruce clusters in the center of the property. No sense in creating a hot-spot for neighbors.
Nova
5 year old buck +
This is spot on!!^^^ I would even say your clumps can be smaller than 15 trees in some cases. Make a few with 6-8 trees for a single buck bedding area.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
There's nothing I can do about helping the neighbors. My property borders a lake on one side and other people's property on the other three sides, so the deer have to move through the neighboring properties to get to and from my place. I don't mind helping the neighbors, but I actually worry planting a screen on the property line will funnel movement and really show the neighbors exactly where to ambush deer.
I will plant a screen on one side where some jerk put his tower blind 10 yards off the line, but on the other side, where the bedding is, the movement is pretty unpredictable. And I am hoping that having the sanctuary on my property will give the deer a nice spot to hide when they get pressured by the neighbors.
I will plant a screen on one side where some jerk put his tower blind 10 yards off the line, but on the other side, where the bedding is, the movement is pretty unpredictable. And I am hoping that having the sanctuary on my property will give the deer a nice spot to hide when they get pressured by the neighbors.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
If you concentrate the clumps that close together, you will concentrate the feeding/browsing also and food sources may become over stressed or eliminated. Spacing and location can be dependent on property terrain, suitable soil for planting, and the fact that Norways will need full sun to do well. Visualize a clump per every 25-30 acres.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
There is no road access. There is actually only foot access at the moment. I will have to cut a path to get an ATV back there.
But why do you plant trees in a circle pattern for bedding? This is the first I am hearing about that.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Maybe I phrased it wrong. The trees after planting are in a group that is more circular than any other shape not literally in a circle with an opening in middle.
In that type of shape it gives good closed cover that offers protection and bedding.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
For screening I like 3 staggered rows of Norways - 8' apart. For bedding I like about 12' apart randomly with clumps of 10-12 trees randomly spaced.
