What to do with south-facing terraced, brushy side-bank?

[Derek Reese 29]

Hello everyone,
I have ~2-2.5 acres of a fairly steep, but terraced south-facing side bank above my house. It is covered in some kind of woody shrub that still is holding red berries that ranges in size from about 4-12' or so (it might be winterberry, but I am not sure). There are also some mature maples and oaks towards the top of the bank, and some smaller hardwood trees as well. I have found deer beds on the top of this side bank near my food plot (0.5 acre now of a 2.5 acre hayfield-more to come later). I would love to turn this into a better bedding area. My thoughts were to cut some of the shrubs out, then maybe blow the leaves out with a leaf blower, then see what kind of existing vegetation come up. I would also like to hinge some of the smaller trees, but don't want to take a ton of them. I am less worried about the food aspect with the hinging and thinking more about the cover. Also, is there anything I could plant in this spot (shrubs/berries, etc.) that would add to its value as cover? Thanks for your help!

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Are you sure you want deer bedding that close to your house?

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Are you sure you want deer bedding that close to your house?

They walk up the driveway to lick the deicing salt, eat my grass and ground cover, and are comfortable within 10-15 feet (sometimes even less) of the house now so it isn't a big deal if they are bedding that close. I have a goodly supply of Permethrin now and spray down whenever I go up there to work. Right now that bank seems to open for good bedding and I want it to thicken up as a kind of sanctuary for them.

 

[Angus 1895]

Sounds like a good place 4 grapes?

my terrace area is north facing

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Hello everyone,
I have ~2-2.5 acres of a fairly steep, but terraced south-facing side bank above my house. It is covered in some kind of woody shrub that still is holding red berries that ranges in size from about 4-12' or so (it might be winterberry, but I am not sure). There are also some mature maples and oaks towards the top of the bank, and some smaller hardwood trees as well. I have found deer beds on the top of this side bank near my food plot (0.5 acre now of a 2.5 acre hayfield-more to come later). I would love to turn this into a better bedding area. My thoughts were to cut some of the shrubs out, then maybe blow the leaves out with a leaf blower, then see what kind of existing vegetation come up. I would also like to hinge some of the smaller trees, but don't want to take a ton of them. I am less worried about the food aspect with the hinging and thinking more about the cover. Also, is there anything I could plant in this spot (shrubs/berries, etc.) that would add to its value as cover? Thanks for your help!

I am becoming more and more of a fan of arrowwood viburnum. Otherwise, ROD is great as it would provide cover and browse. You could also try american plum. It grows quickly, forms a thicket, and provides some food.

 

[b116757]

I have a little brush thicket 100yds from the house that an 8point Buck has bedded in since last spring I’ve jumped him out of there a bet half dozen times. He just seems to like that spot he has killed ornamentals in my yard rubbing on them

 

[Teeder]

How about some pockets of spruce on the benches?

 

[Derek Reese 29]

How about some pockets of spruce on the benches?

I was thinking about some conifers. I am just worried that they might not get enough sunlight due to the larger hardwoods around. I would like the diversity and the thermal cover as well. I might try to open up some spots to put a few in next year. If I could intersperse maybe a half dozen of those with some kind of decent cover shrub I could at least get a start on making a decent bedding area/thicket. I think my first step needs to be removing a fair number of the woody shrubs that don't do anything for cover.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Upon further review this fall, I have found that this little patch is overrun/invaded by Amur Honeysuckle shrubs, some of which are calf-thigh thick at the base and 15-20 feet tall. I think before I do anything major on this hillside I am going to have to get rid of these. I may do some winter cutting of the bigger ones just to open up the hill to the sun, but it appears I will have to paint the bases with gly in the spring before the cut stumps start shooting sprouts....I may just take them up to my top fence row and pile them there for thicker cover

 

[PatinPA]

Upon further review this fall, I have found that this little patch is overrun/invaded by Amur Honeysuckle shrubs, some of which are calf-thigh thick at the base and 15-20 feet tall. I think before I do anything major on this hillside I am going to have to get rid of these. I may do some winter cutting of the bigger ones just to open up the hill to the sun, but it appears I will have to paint the bases with gly in the spring before the cut stumps start shooting sprouts....I may just take them up to my top fence row and pile them there for thicker cover

The honeysuckle doesn't provide good cover? I know it's invasive but if it works it works. I've had a tough time getting conifers or any shrubs to grow at my place but I'm on the north slope. I've got all the black birch you can handle though. I will say every place where there is a small hemlock in the midst of the birch there are deer beds though. So I'd definitely put in conifers of some sort. I'd really like to get some more to grow. I don't think I had any survival of the 50 norways I planted last year. I have a bunch of hemlocks and white pine growing naturally. I think next year I'll just try to transplant some of them instead. As for hinge cutting, for me the softer smooth barked trees hinge better. Poplar, maple up to 8" diam.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

The honeysuckle doesn't provide good cover? I know it's invasive but if it works it works. I've had a tough time getting conifers or any shrubs to grow at my place but I'm on the north slope. I've got all the black birch you can handle though. I will say every place where there is a small hemlock in the midst of the birch there are deer beds though. So I'd definitely put in conifers of some sort. I'd really like to get some more to grow. I don't think I had any survival of the 50 norways I planted last year. I have a bunch of hemlocks and white pine growing naturally. I think next year I'll just try to transplant some of them instead. As for hinge cutting, for me the softer smooth barked trees hinge better. Poplar, maple up to 8" diam.

The honeysuckle is ok cover but I think conifers or even other shrubs would be better...there's so much in there that I will have to do it in sections..might start farthest from the house then work up doing some hinging of a few smaller maples as a I go. I also want to release the native vegetation/briars as well and those honeysuckle make that ground pretty dark in spots. I thought about transplanting some white/red pines from a friend's place up the road, but planting food plots and fruit trees is just alot more fun...

 

[Bowsnbucks]

all the black birch you can handle though. I will say every place where there is a small hemlock in the midst of the birch there are deer beds though. So I'd definitely put in conifers of some sort.

Agree with Pat. Tough to go wrong with conifer trees. Evergreens draw deer for bedding / windbreaks. Not only for deer, but all kinds of other critters & birds too. More tweety / song birds = less bad insects to eat your fruit trees. Another good tree for thickening things / cover / food is Washington hawthorn. WH would do well in your described location. The red berries draw grouse and turkeys every fall, as well as other beneficial birds for nesting cover. Deer will bed in thickets of WH too!!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Agree with Pat. Tough to go wrong with conifer trees. Evergreens draw deer for bedding / windbreaks. Not only for deer, but all kinds of other critters & birds too. More tweety / song birds = less bad insects to eat your fruit trees. Another good tree for thickening things / cover / food is Washington hawthorn. WH would do well in your described location.

thanks Bows! I have some hawthorns in the screen planted above this brushy patch..there are 9 in a row that I hope will get thick and nasty to form a living wall, that will also be outstanding bedding with some conifers and manchurian crabs...when my grandpa heard I was putting in the screen he told me the old farmer that hacked that field out of a woods is turning over in his grave...

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Deer really like south facing slopes in the winter, especially when there are conifers to block the wind and snow.

I would clear all the brush out of a small area or two and see what happens when sunlight hits the ground. Just getting sunlight to the ground might get some new growth that could draw in deer.

 

[PatinPA]

The honeysuckle is ok cover but I think conifers or even other shrubs would be better...there's so much in there that I will have to do it in sections..might start farthest from the house then work up doing some hinging of a few smaller maples as a I go. I also want to release the native vegetation/briars as well and those honeysuckle make that ground pretty dark in spots. I thought about transplanting some white/red pines from a friend's place up the road, but planting food plots and fruit trees is just alot more fun...

You'll probably be battling that honeysuckle forever. If you do cut it out, I'd get something you want in there immediately that can smother it. Sounds like a good spot though. Get a doe bedroom for your doe factory. Put in a little buck trail on the downwind side of it.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

You'll probably be battling that honeysuckle forever. If you do cut it out, I'd get something you want in there immediately that can smother it. Sounds like a good spot though. Get a doe bedroom for your doe factory. Put in a little buck trail on the downwind side of it.

the food plot and trees are to the north of this spot and the stands are to the East

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Just to give a better idea...the brushy patch is to the West (left of the house) and above it. The slope runs down from the field towards the road at the bottom. Food plot is in the former hayfield above towards the smaller end of the triangle and the tree screen is about where the hay wagon is going straight up and down (N/S). Thanks again for all the input.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I have some hawthorns in the screen planted above this brushy patch..there are 9 in a row that I hope will get thick and nasty to form a living wall, that will also be outstanding bedding

We love our hawthorns. I know of a couple other properties that I've hunted (for small game) over the years that had patches of hawthorns. Most times I'd approach those hawthorn patches hoping to flush a grouse or two, and several deer would go busting out of the haws. That's one of the major reasons I planted haws at camp going back some 25+ years ago. If deer liked haws that much for bedding/security cover - plus grouse loving haws for food & cover - I thought we ought to have some on our land. I think you'll be glad you have haws planted at your place.

 

[j-bird]

Upon further review this fall, I have found that this little patch is overrun/invaded by Amur Honeysuckle shrubs, some of which are calf-thigh thick at the base and 15-20 feet tall. I think before I do anything major on this hillside I am going to have to get rid of these. I may do some winter cutting of the bigger ones just to open up the hill to the sun, but it appears I will have to paint the bases with gly in the spring before the cut stumps start shooting sprouts....I may just take them up to my top fence row and pile them there for thicker cover

As soon as I read your original post about the shrubs that where there already - I figured it was the nasty bush honeysuckle. The worst part about the stuff is that it actually chokes out anything native that hasn't grown above the shrubs. You are going to have your hands full with this stuff because you have to kill the roots as well. Cutting it off alone won't do it. And I suspect the birds have helped spread the seed far and wide for you. Other ways to find it....it is one of the first plants to green up in the spring. It produces a yellow/white flower in the late spring that you can see at a distance. It holds its leaves really late into the fall and early winter. The little red berries also are a good sign. The larger stems when cut are also hollow. The smaller ones also tend to have a fairly shallow root system if you have some desire to pull them out. I am at a constant battle with it here, because the neighbors place is covered in it. I mostly cut them off with my clearing saw and treat the stumps.

Typically south facing slopes are draws for deer in the winter months as the sun will hit the ground more directly in those areas. Keeping it in some form of mixed habitat may be nice....if you can ever get control of the nasty stuff.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

As soon as I read your original post about the shrubs that where there already - I figured it was the nasty bush honeysuckle. The worst part about the stuff is that it actually chokes out anything native that hasn't grown above the shrubs. You are going to have your hands full with this stuff because you have to kill the roots as well. Cutting it off alone won't do it. And I suspect the birds have helped spread the seed far and wide for you. Other ways to find it....it is one of the first plants to green up in the spring. It produces a yellow/white flower in the late spring that you can see at a distance. It holds its leaves really late into the fall and early winter. The little red berries also are a good sign. The larger stems when cut are also hollow. The smaller ones also tend to have a fairly shallow root system if you have some desire to pull them out. I am at a constant battle with it here, because the neighbors place is covered in it. I mostly cut them off with my clearing saw and treat the stumps.

Typically south facing slopes are draws for deer in the winter months as the sun will hit the ground more directly in those areas. Keeping it in some form of mixed habitat may be nice....if you can ever get control of the nasty stuff.

I intend to both cut and remove the shrubs then "paint" the cut stem with straight 42% gly (have a fair amount left over from spraying, saw it on a growing deer episode). It is easy to identify on my place from all of the above that you had mentioned (leaves, berries) and it also has kinda flaky bark. (plus it is everywhere so if it is a decent sized shrub its getting whacked). I just don't know if my 300cc wheeler will have enough oomph to pull out a 15 foot tall shrub.

I am wondering though, would blowing/raking the leaves off the ground help in the spring for the native vegetation to come back once I get rid of the honeysuckle? This hillside is pretty thick with leaves from all the hardwoods that are in and around the honeysuckle. I'm willing to try about anything if it helps make it thicker and having more native briars/shrubs.