Tag Alders

[Terrific_tom]

For any one that doubts that Tag Alders hold deer. While shed hunting this weekend went into the tags. My wife was taking pics and didn't have boots on so she stayed on edge and dry area but there were trails all over along with numerous rubs.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Gotta love THAT !! The bucks obviously do. Just imagine trying to see a deer 30 yds. away in that stuff. Security ++.

 

[Terrific_tom]

Tags and tamaracks hold deer on my place year round...getting them to come out and offer a shot is the only hard part

Tell me about it. I have a buck that I have been after for a few years that beds in those Tags that will not come out in daylight. I am sure he is one of the bucks making the rubs.

 

[wiscwhip]

In our area, places like that hold as many if not more deer than any other type of habitat. I have never understood when guys tell me that their deer don't use areas like that, because they are among the most heavily used areas around us. Hard to hunt, but you just know the deer are in there.

 

[Rally1148]

I'm growing some from seed this year! I've got a swampy area that'll be great for bedding once it's thickened up.

 

[bat man]

I have areas that look identical that my Silky went to work on for blockades/funnels to try get the bucks were I can see and at least call to them as they travel by plots scent and sight checking for does.

 

[bowhunternw]

Yep bucks love brush, I think small to medium sized pockets are best though as they are mainly used for bedding IMO. That was a one thing I looked for when buying land.

 

[Tree Spud]

We have a very large area of Tad alder, tamarack, sumac, & RDO. Phenomenal bedding and cover area. I am looking for the buck that did this last fall. Those are 2.5" tag limbs he thrashed ...

 

[ruskbucks]

I went into the tags that run on both sides of the ridge on my land last weekend. There was 50 + rubs in this strip that's about 75 yds wide and 250 yard long. I was thinking about clear cutting some to get some new regrowth going. I just decided to do a bunch of hinge cuts 3-4 feet up on the tags here and there. I hope I will get some regrowth with the hinge and keep the area thick for the bucks.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Tree Spud - looks like that buck was pretty jacked-up and frustrated. Little peepers don't do that kind of damage. Broken limbs = big neck !! I hope he hangs around for you & you get a crack at him. He should be a bruiser !!

 

[sandbur]

Cutting a deer trail thru the tags has worked well for me.
Make it 30 inches wide and 6 feet high. Deliberately make it too narrow for a 4 wheeler. Connect some small clearcuts in the tags with the deer trail-like a rosary. Route it by a place or stand you can slip into with a good wind.

 

[dipper]

After hinging and cutting mature clumps I've noticed increased bedding. Mature tags aren't bad, but pockets of hinged and cut tags are great

 

[Tree Spud]

Tree Spud - looks like that buck was pretty jacked-up and frustrated. Little peepers don't do that kind of damage. Broken limbs = big neck !! I hope he hangs around for you & you get a crack at him. He should be a bruiser !!

BnB ... yes he took out some frustrations and must have some bulk on him to deliver that type of destruction. Would have been cool to have a camera on video mode when that was occurring ...

 

[Shedder]

Does anyone know what the tag in tag alder refers to? I can't find it.

 

[wiscwhip]

This is all I could find Shedder, and I still don't know what "tag" has to do with fruit hanging through the winter?

"The fruit, which is ovate, often persists throughout the winter and gives rise to the name "tag alder"

 

[Shedder]

This is all I could find Shedder, and I still don't know what "tag" has to do with fruit hanging through the winter?

"The fruit, which is ovate, often persists throughout the winter and gives rise to the name "tag alder"

Agreed. It is still obscure but it must have an origin as many different alders are called that. Strangely I can't think of other plants that are.

https://www.wordnik.com/words/tag

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=tag&searchmode=none

"small, hanging piece from a garment," c.1400, of uncertain origin but probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian tagg "point, prong, barb," Swedish tagg "prickle, thorn") and related to Middle Low German tagge "branch, twig, spike"), from Proto-Germanic *tag-. The sense development might be "point of metal at the end of a cord, string, etc.," hence "part hanging loose." Or perhaps ultimately from PIE *dek-, a root forming words referring to fringe, horsetail, locks of hair" (see with tail (n.1)).

It seems to have something to do with something hanging from a twig, in this case, the seeds, but many plants are like that.

I have often wondered about this name since we have loads of alder here but I have never heard it called tag alder.