Tulip poplar
- Thread starter Yarg
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Tap
5 year old buck +
X2. Freshly fallen poplar leaves are a top food source.
Boll Weevil
5 year old buck +
I've got quite a bit of tulip poplar growing on my place. They grow fast, tall, straight, and make a good log. And as others have mentioned, deer will indeed utilize leaves and flowers.
j-bird
Moderator
I will second the timber value....tulip poplar is the state tree in IN and brings a decent price at times in the timber world. I had several trees that you could not reach around and we got 2 or 3 full 12' logs per tree out of them! They grow straight and fast, the wood is pretty light and is great for using for starting fires for those that burn wood. I can't speak to the deer value of them as I can't say I have ever seen the deer eat the leaves specifically.
loshonhora
5 year old buck +
roymunson, if your yard is open and windy, you might want to think twice about tulip poplar for transplanting. in the open , they tend to get torn up by wind.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Not crazy about them. Okay to have a few around.
Tap
5 year old buck +
[QUOTE="j-bird, post: 179141, .....I can't speak to the deer value of them as I can't say I have ever seen the deer eat the leaves specifically.[/QUOTE]
I can. One of the longest days I've ever spent in a tree was the time I got 6 feet off the ground when climbing into a prime and active rut patch. The place was alive with deer activity and I actually had trouble even getting to the stand because I saw shooter bucks right near my tree as I approached. When the coast was clear, I started climbing the tree only to have 2 fawns walk in and begin eating...no gorging...on poplar leaves. I got pinned down on a branch, 6 feet off the ground while I waited for them to leave. I didn't want them to bust me because I could hear rutting activity just out of sight. Those 2 fawns spent 6 hours eating, bedding, chewing cud...and repeating. Right in my lap, 15 yards away. All the while, I stood on a tiny branch hoping to not be seen or winded. It was exhausting but also very educational. I already knew deer liked freshly fallen maple leaves, but they REALLY loved poplar leaves. I've since come to observe deer eating yellow, fall poplar leaves many times.
The Wensel boys have written about how much of a deer's october diet consists of freshly fallen leaves. I believe its one of the main reasons for the "October lull". Deer don't have to move much when there are fresh leaves laving all over the ground.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
I can. One of the longest days I've ever spent in a tree was the time I got 6 feet off the ground when climbing into a prime and active rut patch. The place was alive with deer activity and I actually had trouble even getting to the stand because I saw shooter bucks right near my tree as I approached. When the coast was clear, I started climbing the tree only to have 2 fawns walk in and begin eating...no gorging...on poplar leaves. I got pinned down on a branch, 6 feet off the ground while I waited for them to leave. I didn't want them to bust me because I could hear rutting activity just out of sight. Those 2 fawns spent 6 hours eating, bedding, chewing cud...and repeating. Right in my lap, 15 yards away. All the while, I stood on a tiny branch hoping to not be seen or winded. It was exhausting but also very educational. I already knew deer liked freshly fallen maple leaves, but they REALLY loved poplar leaves. I've since come to observe deer eating yellow, fall poplar leaves many times.
The Wensel boys have written about how much of a deer's october diet consists of freshly fallen leaves. I believe its one of the main reasons for the "October lull". Deer don't have to move much when there are fresh leaves laving all over the ground.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
Last edited:
Dan Maranto
Yearling... With promise
X2 they love them at my place...i hinged a handful around a small plot last spring and they tore up anything the could reach.
I am in the process now of having my property thinned and as soon as the loggers leave for the day, the deer flood in and are eating on the fresh leaves
I am in the process now of having my property thinned and as soon as the loggers leave for the day, the deer flood in and are eating on the fresh leaves
I'll second this. They grow straight and fast, but are weak and die young.
The Fishman
5 year old buck +
I grew up climbing a big tulip poplar in my grandmother's front yard. That was 40 years ago and the tree has only gotten bigger since then.
I didnt realize how much deer love them. I may need to grow some.
I didnt realize how much deer love them. I may need to grow some.
j-bird
Moderator
I can. One of the longest days I've ever spent in a tree was the time I got 6 feet off the ground when climbing into a prime and active rut patch. The place was alive with deer activity and I actually had trouble even getting to the stand because I saw shooter bucks right near my tree as I approached. When the coast was clear, I started climbing the tree only to have 2 fawns walk in and begin eating...no gorging...on poplar leaves. I got pinned down on a branch, 6 feet off the ground while I waited for them to leave. I didn't want them to bust me because I could hear rutting activity just out of sight. Those 2 fawns spent 6 hours eating, bedding, chewing cud...and repeating. Right in my lap, 15 yards away. All the while, I stood on a tiny branch hoping to not be seen or winded. It was exhausting but also very educational. I already knew deer liked freshly fallen maple leaves, but they REALLY loved poplar leaves. I've since come to observe deer eating yellow, fall poplar leaves many times.
The Wensel boys have written about how much of a deer's october diet consists of freshly fallen leaves. I believe its one of the main reasons for the "October lull". Deer don't have to move much when there are fresh leaves laving all over the ground.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
Tap - I know you have touted the deer value of them (eating the fallen leaves) in the past. I wasn't trying to say it wasn't true.....I was simply trying to say I have not personally seen this myself. I was in no way trying to discredit your statement. I have even tried to monitor it based on your observations....and still can't say I have seen what you have. There may be other things at play in my area that impact this, not sure.
This is why a national forum is so great - we all see, do and experience different things.
Tap
5 year old buck +
[/QUOTE]
Tap - I know you have touted the deer value of them (eating the fallen leaves) in the past. I wasn't trying to say it wasn't true.....I was simply trying to say I have not personally seen this myself. I was in no way trying to discredit your statement. I have even tried to monitor it based on your observations....and still can't say I have seen what you have. There may be other things at play in my area that impact this, not sure.
This is why a national forum is so great - we all see, do and experience different things.[/QUOTE]Oh no, I realized what you were saying. I didn't think you were disagreeing at all.
The more I'm on these forums, the more I realize how much different deer in different areas vary in behavior and diet. One man's nightmare weed is another man's free plot food.
Same with scrape tree species. Different area...different preferred tree species. There's a lot of other examples like those.
Whitetails are fascinating critters.
Have you observed deer feeding heavily on other species of freshly fallen leaves? Where I hunt in Ohio, poplar trees are common and preferred. Here at home in Pa, poplar are rare, but deer target fresh maple leaves and they like the red leaves better than the yellow leaves.
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Victor Van Meter
5 year old buck +
Would the seedlings have to be caged to protect them from deer?
V. Van Meter
V. Van Meter
Tap
5 year old buck +
Hard to say. Several posts in this thread have differed in the amount deer use poplar in different areas.
If your growing zone supports poplar species, but you can't find any young ones, then its a good bet deer are browsing them out of existence (if the dpsm is large).
Similar examples...young basswood are nonexistent around here because deer eat every sapling. Same with trillium.
My buddy's place 70 miles North of me is the same with oak saplings...its hard to find one because deer eat them all.
The point...areas vary. If a habitat CAN support a plant but you can't find any immature ones, then deer are most likely the reason why.
Plant a few and cage some. Then compare.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I've seen deer run to eat freshly-dropped maple leaves. We have native tulip poplars in upstate Pa., but I can't say I've ever seen deer eat the fallen leaves. That's not to say they don't - I just haven't watched it myself. I've also seen deer ( one at a distance of 15 ft. ) come in and eat the leaves off a fresh-cut aspen tree ( beavers ) that dropped at the edge of a swamp.
As a side note - wild tulip poplars are the very last trees to hold colored leaves in the mountains of Pa. All other trees will be bare, but the tulip poplars will glow with that golden "school-bus-yellow" in November in the mountains. They stick out like a sore thumb.
As a side note - wild tulip poplars are the very last trees to hold colored leaves in the mountains of Pa. All other trees will be bare, but the tulip poplars will glow with that golden "school-bus-yellow" in November in the mountains. They stick out like a sore thumb.
j-bird
Moderator
Tap - I know you have touted the deer value of them (eating the fallen leaves) in the past. I wasn't trying to say it wasn't true.....I was simply trying to say I have not personally seen this myself. I was in no way trying to discredit your statement. I have even tried to monitor it based on your observations....and still can't say I have seen what you have. There may be other things at play in my area that impact this, not sure.
This is why a national forum is so great - we all see, do and experience different things.[/QUOTE]Oh no, I realized what you were saying. I didn't think you were disagreeing at all.
The more I'm on these forums, the more I realize how much different deer in different areas vary in behavior and diet. One man's nightmare weed is another man's free plot food.
Same with scrape tree species. Different area...different preferred tree species. There's a lot of other examples like those.
Whitetails are fascinating critters.
Have you observed deer feeding heavily on other species of freshly fallen leaves? Where I hunt in Ohio, poplar trees are common and preferred. Here at home in Pa, poplar are rare, but deer target fresh maple leaves and they like the red leaves better than the yellow leaves.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
Ok - I just wanted to make sure I had not stepped on toes.
I can't say I have seen deer focus on one type of fallen leaf over the other. I can't say I have seen them specifically eating fallen leaves of any particular species to be honest. In my area we have far more food than the resident deer can ever eat. With my area being 70% corn or soybean field, coupled with my plots, hard mast in the woods and soft mast where they can find it as well as the "weeds" I have even in the woods due to recent logging efforts and my field buffers there is just food everywhere. I see the deer browse as they do on many things thru the year, but I can't say I have ever seen them just hammer a specific fallen leaf type. If I did I would certainly try to use that to my advantage. I have poplar and hard maple on my place so I don't think its a lack of opportunity. I will certainly keep the poplar in mind when I am hunting in the areas where I have it. I see a deer eating one of those odd shaped yellow leaves.....I'll certainly think, "Yep - Tap said they would".
This is why a national forum is so great - we all see, do and experience different things.[/QUOTE]Oh no, I realized what you were saying. I didn't think you were disagreeing at all.
The more I'm on these forums, the more I realize how much different deer in different areas vary in behavior and diet. One man's nightmare weed is another man's free plot food.
Same with scrape tree species. Different area...different preferred tree species. There's a lot of other examples like those.
Whitetails are fascinating critters.
Have you observed deer feeding heavily on other species of freshly fallen leaves? Where I hunt in Ohio, poplar trees are common and preferred. Here at home in Pa, poplar are rare, but deer target fresh maple leaves and they like the red leaves better than the yellow leaves.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
Ok - I just wanted to make sure I had not stepped on toes.
I can't say I have seen deer focus on one type of fallen leaf over the other. I can't say I have seen them specifically eating fallen leaves of any particular species to be honest. In my area we have far more food than the resident deer can ever eat. With my area being 70% corn or soybean field, coupled with my plots, hard mast in the woods and soft mast where they can find it as well as the "weeds" I have even in the woods due to recent logging efforts and my field buffers there is just food everywhere. I see the deer browse as they do on many things thru the year, but I can't say I have ever seen them just hammer a specific fallen leaf type. If I did I would certainly try to use that to my advantage. I have poplar and hard maple on my place so I don't think its a lack of opportunity. I will certainly keep the poplar in mind when I am hunting in the areas where I have it. I see a deer eating one of those odd shaped yellow leaves.....I'll certainly think, "Yep - Tap said they would".
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