Running the saw some more today

[j-bird]

Below is a little before and after. I should have taken diff pics but I wasn't thinking at the time. Below is a wooded draw that is very near a foodplot. I wanted to free up the oaks (northern reds and burr) and remove the junk. I pulled the logs for firewood but left the limbs. I then hinged the smaller stuff. Most of what was removed was ash, hackberry and a few cherry that where never going to turn into much. I should have gotten more "close up" pictures to show the detial - sorry maybe next time. My intention is to thicken the cover so the deer will come thru it to the plot. I got one of my shooting houses to the right just out of the picture. I the background you see part of my ag field. Oh and FYI - ash don't hinge worth a ......toot. Buckeye and hackberry however hinge real well.

Before:


After:

 

[Native Hunter]

You put in a hard days work with that much cutting. That should really let the light to the ground.

 

[dipper]

Why did u cut them like that? Lots of open space, which is good but you could have taken the same amount of trees out, releasing trees over a greater area.

 

[sandbur]

Get us some close up pictures of the regrowth!

Is their room for a few Norway spruce along the upper edges of the draw?

 

[j-bird]

Today I finished what I started yesterday. I cut up all the logs - that's all I did - I have 4 or 5 face cords of wood at least! My poor stihl took a beating! My primary goal was to release the oaks. My secondary goal was to increase the cover in that area. That was why the smaller trees where hinged and not removed. The larger trees that served little purpose from a wildlife or timber perspective was taken down to help get some light on the ground. I intend on planting some of my white oak seedlings in there in the spring. And hopefully get some oak regen as well. Never considered planting conifers - I may. I have some cedars nearby that I could transplant as well. I tend to work in small areas and then work my way around as I can - I work by myself and I have something about having to complete things I start - so I tend to work in one area for a weekend or two and finish that project before I move on.

 

[sandbur]

I have never tried it, but I wonder if two or three conifers in a spot would focus where the deer left the ravine, especially after leaf fall.

 

[wiscwhip]

I have never tried it, but I wonder if two or three conifers in a spot would focus where the deer left the ravine, especially after leaf fall.

This can work very well sandbur, I saw this earlier, but didn't want to post from my phone. I was going to suggest that he rim the whole top edge of the ravine with conifers and make a corridor of them inside the rim from the natural travel lane that directs them under that tree at the top end on the right for a potential stand site.

 

[sandbur]

This can work very well sandbur, I saw this earlier, but didn't want to post from my phone. I was going to suggest that he rim the whole top edge of the ravine with conifers and make a corridor of them inside the rim from the natural travel lane that directs them under that tree at the top end on the right for a potential stand site.

Y

This can work very well sandbur, I saw this earlier, but didn't want to post from my phone. I was going to suggest that he rim the whole top edge of the ravine with conifers and make a corridor of them inside the rim from the natural travel lane that directs them under that tree at the top end on the right for a potential stand site.

Yup! If there is any finger in the ravine. plant a clump for bedding.

 

[wiscwhip]

J-bird, can you post a topo of that ravine and the surrounding area?

 

[j-bird]

I will see what I can do. I have a shooting house positioned just out of the picture to the right - so I don't really need a stand location - I also have other choices in there if I want one for bow season. This small ravine turns into a water way. The deer typically come out right under a larger norther red oak that is still there, but they will also follow the ravine as far as they can to stay out of sight. Like I said I may try to transplant some cedars in there and see how they do as well.



Ok - in the first pic this is roughly the square mile. The neighbors property to the west is a 15 year old oak plantation that serves as a sanctuary area. The creek that runs through essentially identifies the low ground from the high ground. My place is on the high ground. The blown up view shows the creek in blue, the property line in red, my clover plot in green, my annual plot (currently cereal grains and brassica - will be corn this coming spring) in yellow. The white square is my shooting house. The brown strip at the north end of my clover plot is a slash blockade that I recently added to keep the deer from skirting the back side. The bank with the creek in that area is literally a cliff (at least 50' vertical). I have also identified the neighbors mature oak flat - that area is like a park with huge oaks, but ZERO understory. I also identified my CRP field buffers that grow in weeds that are roughly 30' wide. The black arrow gives you a rough idea of where I was standing and the direction I was facing when I took the pics in the OP. The white line show the low points of the ravine - the topo I had didn't have enough def to show it well. This ravine pulls deer out of the bottom area and gives them a path to access my ag fields and plot. This area has been a great location for me. I also have/had a stand tree at the corned of the wood just west of the annual plot. That was the tree you saw my post about hanging another tree up in. We have killed deer on this setup from the very start. Below are the bucks - not monsters, but these have all come from this very spot on my place. We have also taken numerous does as well. Biggest down side is stand approach if from the south across or along the field - I hunt the shooting house the wind coming from the North or West.

 

[wiscwhip]

If they already exit the ravine in basically one location, you could get away with just a string of conifers running along the existing travel route, both to make them feel more safe and to screen any movements of your own. Although, rimming the whole edge with conifers would create a great screen and would give them a distinct edge to follow. It might also force them into stepping out into the open to sight check the plots to the west, as opposed to just the CRP weed buffer, which they can "hide" in and still see the plots. Definitely get a string of conifers in the area between the big red oak and the smaller cluster of trees to the right of it. You could continue it down the slope into the ravine to the left of the red oak a few yards as well, far enough down that they cannot yet see up over the lip of the field.

 

[j-bird]

I like that idea. I may have to start digging up some cedars! The hinging I have done sort of does the same thing, but obviously once the leaves drop it isn't as secure. This is one of those places I wish I had some beech trees, but I don't - never seem to have what you want where you want it! Will spruce do OK with the area already being hinged - or if I plant spruce should I remove all the hinging?

 

[wiscwhip]

I would think white spruce would be fine in the hinged area, but that depends exactly what size spruce you plant and on how much light will physically hit those trees. You could just overwhelm the area with numbers and get a bunch of plugs to put in, but I would transplant some larger trees(possibly your cedar transplants) in the area between the big oak and the small cluster to help that move along quicker. Keep the cedar out of the hinges(I'm have to assume you have Eastern Red CedarJuniperus virginiana), as they are intolerant of shade, if you had Western Red Cedar(Thuja plicata)on the other hand, being a part of the Thuja family, they do relatively well in shaded areas.

 

[j-bird]

Yep - I have eastern red cedar. I will select the type of spruce based on the soil conditions - it's pretty dry and course and drains pretty well up top, but it stays fairly wet in the bottom of the ravine itself. The use of the conifers is something I will really look into.

 

[wiscwhip]

Red spruce(Picea rubens), although not native to IN, grows very well in areas of WV and the Appalachian Mts. It is shade tolerant and a good possibility for use in your situation.

 

[j-bird]

How many colors does spruce come in? Black, white, blue now red! Never heard of red - I'll look and see.

 

[wiscwhip]

How many colors does spruce come in? Black, white, blue now red! Never heard of red - I'll look and see.

Funny thing is, they are all green?!!?:confused::D:p

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Good bucks J-bird ! I think you'll be happy with spruce if you plant them along that ravine. Deer here seem to use them like living walkways.