Edge Feathering and bedding areas

[dbltree]

On good soils with plenty of moisture, regeneration can be rapid once canopy is opened up via hinging or TSI! These little red cedars are only a year old and popped up everywhere after I hinged the area quite radically.

in 8-10 years I'll have to thin these or they will end up being way to thick

Lacking seeding trees you can easily interplant conifers into your hinged areas to vastly improve your bedding areas

Oak regeneration is also rapid where seed trees are present

In many areas I go in and hand plant oaks among downed tops

These however are all naturally regenerated seedlings that will also have to be thinned every 10 years or so

The oaks will be heavily browsed when small so they are multipurpose when small and thinning should not be done to early. Open grown oaks will have poor timber value so once again follow a foresters advice and thin at the proper stages.

You can combine a couple EQIP/WHIP practices to thin weed trees (via hinging) and then plant/tube/herbicide seedlings in the thinned areas.

FOREST STAND IMPROVEMENT-Practice Code 666-Manual control of undesirable woody species (weed tree removal or weeding) on forest land. $113.00 per acre
TREE / SHRUB ESTABLISHMENT-Practice Code 612- Field planted to trees and shrubs for wildlife habitat
and/or timber production. $270 an acre (canopy cannot be greater then 25%)

 

[dbltree]

Here's a series of pics from a stand of mostly shingle oak a year after hinging...

Tremendous amount of screening cover and browse

The stumps send up new growth that is really more valuable then the hinged tree

and the opened/reduced canopy allows the whole area to explode with new cover and browse, while the adjacent oaks acts as seed trees to encourage oak regeneration.

The whole place is full of tracks and beds where there was little activity previous to hinging

You can see the young red cedars coming up as a result of the open canopy

We have 2 feet of snow and a week ahead with temps dropping near minus 10 every morning so browse is essential this time of year!

Each tree species reacts differently to hinging and not all will produce the kind of growth you see on those shingle oaks. Maple trees don't hold their leaves but do send up plenty of high protein browse so each has advantages. Those species that do not hold their leaves only make adding conifers even more important, so give some thought to inter-planting some cedars or spruce trees if your timber is lacking this element....

 

[dbltree]

I've always had Poulan saws but I bought a new one 3 weeks ago and it blew an oiler pump within a week and yesterday broke the drive shaft so I picked up a Jonsered saw and they promised me they are way more reliable then the Poulans.

Jonsered

Stihl is a great saw but a little pricey and the dealer/service centers are not convenient for me. One thing is certain, running a saw day in and day out working TSI projects will put it to the test, so we'll see how it does. The Poulans are probably fine for weekend use but I'm sure not happy with the ones I have for commercial use....

 

[KSHUNTER]

You should be happy with the Jonsered, I have several buddies that run them, and run them hard. They sell hedge for extra cash in the winter(a lot of it), and they are hard on stuff. If they were not tough saws, they would not be running them.

I was going to buy one for use on my farm, but my wife bought me a Stihl for Christmas. Were lucky that service centers are close for both saws.

 

[Qdmaer]

Just bought a stihl farmboss, so far it pretty sweet.:drink2:

 

[dbltree]

Just bought a stihl farmboss, so far it pretty sweet.:drink2:

The red saw performed flawlessly yesterday but I will say if my local service/sales shop had sold Stihls I would have owned one...:way:

 

[LANDROBBER13]

First, thank you for all you add to the site. I've used some of your information and have found it very beneficial.
Concerning saws, I think you'll be very happy with the Jonsered; we did away with the Poulans and Homelites in the 70's, started with the Jonsereds in the 80's and by mid 80's switched to Husky's for heavy cutting and Stihls for climbing and continue to the present with this system. As a forester/arborist I think all three are fairly similar and it just comes down to preference and SERVICE. Thanks again for your help.

 

[dbltree]

First, thank you for all you add to the site. I've used some of your information and have found it very beneficial.
Concerning saws, I think you'll be very happy with the Jonsered; we did away with the Poulans and Homelites in the 70's, started with the Jonsereds in the 80's and by mid 80's switched to Husky's for heavy cutting and Stihls for climbing and continue to the present with this system. As a forester/arborist I think all three are fairly similar and it just comes down to preference and SERVICE. Thanks again for your help.

Good information...thanks!

The little red saw has been getting a work out!

The knee deep snow has been tiring to work in and I'm grateful for the warm weather!

How many trees can one hinge in a year...in a lifetime? I'm not sure but thousands in a year I am certain, all of them cut on an angle like this

Cutting on an angle has proven to be the safest and most effective means of hinging for me. The tree can only go one way and if it tries to tip the wrong way it simply comes to rest against the bevel and I let the wind take it on over.

This is a solid 12"+ tree easily and safely hinged

I have completed over 130 acres of TSI/hinging this winter alone not including my own and I have nearly 50 acres yet to do so it stands to reason I would not be foolish enough to work all day alone hinging trees by any method other then the safest one.

Working on different farms with different species on everything from low lands to steep ridges gives me a unique perspective that few will ever experience

Any time we so much as fire up the chainsaw there is inherent danger, so there is no such thing as "safe", only methods developed over decades of hinging trees that give me confidence that I am using the method safest for me.

Severe cold weather is the #1 reason trees break off so whenever possible work on hinging on warm days during the winter months

Working during the summer and fall months increases the likelihood of infections such as oak wilt so winter and very early spring is best and all it takes is a sliver to keep the tree alive...note the white oak that I released and protected with the hinged tree.

When you can work with a friend, then using a push pole can be helpful but there are also dangers involved with two people. The person cutting can simply step aside and is intimately familiar with the "feel" or "reaction" of the tree to the saw. In a split second I can move safely aside but a second person attempting to push the tree and concentrating on that can be at risk, so just be cautious in these situations not to "bite off more then you can chew".

Hinging professionally gives me the opportunity to share many facets of hinging and timber management and there is no better time to share pictures and information then winter, so I'll try to post more pics each day. TSI, blocking, funneling, stand setups, browse, hinging red cedars and more will be shared so...stay tuned...

 

[Nontypcl1]

What have you guys found to be the best bet for killing shagbark hickory in the winter? I've been hinging tons of it but now I've got into an area where there are too many crops trees to safely hinge most of them. I double girdled numerous but have to say with so many hickories in this area I start getting dizzy after a while. Will a hack and squirt work using tordon or straight gly? Any other suggestions?

 

[dbltree]

What have you guys found to be the best bet for killing shagbark hickory in the winter? I've been hinging tons of it but now I've got into an area where there are too many crops trees to safely hinge most of them. I double girdled numerous but have to say with so many hickories in this area I start getting dizzy after a while. Will a hack and squirt work using tordon or straight gly? Any other suggestions?

Either of those options will work but I usually use Tordon RTU on hickories...they die hard!

Trail Blocking

Used as part of creating or enhancing a funnel, trees can be hinged to literally block off runways you don't want them to use. These are a few examples.

Before

After

Before

After...large shingle oaks and small red cedars hinged

Before

After...note hinged trees beyond the edge

No better time to check for "extra" runways then winter when snow cover makes things very obvious and easy to block off! :way:

 

[dbltree]

Hinging cedars

Haven't tried it before so I decided to give it a shot

Not sure what the long term result will be but I'll keep you posted!

Red cedars often get too thick and need to be thinned so I'm curious how these trees will react to being hinged?

 

[Qdmaer]

Thick stand of Pin oaks

Dbltree, I have a lot of pin oaks that are park effect and i wanna hinge to thin and get better acorn production. I basically want a hinged bedding area underneath properly spaced oaks. What distance should i space my better crop trees at to also have good sunlight to the ones i hinged? Thanks

 

[dbltree]

Dbltree, I have a lot of pin oaks that are park effect and i wanna hinge to thin and get better acorn production. I basically want a hinged bedding area underneath properly spaced oaks. What distance should i space my better crop trees at to also have good sunlight to the ones i hinged? Thanks

Do a 4 sided release..in other words make sure there is clear canopy on all for sides by either hinging or girdling competing trees. I'll be posting more info in the TSI thread soon but look for the best crop trees with a full round shaped crown versus a thin spindly crown.

Look for tall healthy, strong crop trees to release...:way:

 

[dbltree]

Timber Edge Feathering

Edge Feathering in an excellent way to block runways, increase screening and browse as well

Tipping over cull trees along the timber edge blocks off runways immediately

Not real important if they are hinged or not

The tree will block runways for years and new growth will explode all along the edge

This is 4 year old growth

Heavy blackberry growth makes a gnarly and impassible mess that helps funnel deer to the runway left open.

Federal cost share is available to boot! Block the excess runways, feed deer and screen their bedding areas and get paid to do it...sweet!

EARLY SUCCESSIONAL HABITAT DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT
Practice Code 647
Timber Edge Feathering:
Management for early plant succession to benefit
desired wildlife communities and increase structural
diversity/habitat using timber edge feathering as the
primary management tool.

$145.50 acre EQIP/WHIP

 

[IQDM]

Hinging cedars

Haven't tried it before so I decided to give it a shot

Not sure what the long term result will be but I'll keep you posted!

Red cedars often get too thick and need to be thinned so I'm curious how these trees will react to being hinged?

I don't have any red cedars where I am, but I have tried to hinge a pine or two... Hinging didn't for me with pines...

But what did seem to work is when I took my Gehl skid loader and pushed this pine over. Leaving the trunk whole, I was able to just pull some of the roots up.

I know that this isn't a very practical way to do things, but for trees that just don't like to be hinged, it may be the only way?? This pine has been alive for 2 years like this.

While edge feathering/blocking field entrances I tipped over a couple poplar trees using this push method... I have had little luck hinging this type of tree and will keep you posted as to if this works or not.

 

[IQDM]

Here is a before after picture of my field entrance blocking...
Before

After

This edge feathering was done 2 weeks ago, but as of the next night deer were filing around the ends of this field block right past the stands on each end...
Also it is amazing how fast they start to browse on the downed tops! 2 weeks and most of the twigs look like this!:way:

 

[dbltree]

Great pics IQDM...thanks for posting!!

Funnels

This sketch shows how I laid out a funnel and perhaps the following pictures will make sense after looking at it. The brown line is the path I use, not the lines where deer use to travel and the only one left that they are forced to use now.

The first pics are of the north fence line and show fence crossings and runways I blocked off

I had this blocked off last year but a few deer started slipping through the cracks so to speak

I severely hinged shingle oaks to create a living fence and close off any remaining spots they might slip through

This leads along the fence line to the main runway that leads under my stand and creates the -L- shaped funnel

My stand on the funnel, note the trees left standing behind it so I am not silhouetted

Base of the stand tree with runway to the far left

"Mess" behind the stand tree to keep deer from traveling behind me

Main fence crossing

Main runway leading past tree stand

Elevated cam to monitor runway.

Few late winter bucks using the funnel

and boat loads of deer

Eventually deer adapt to using the funnels and the need for complicated hunting strategies vanishes, hunt the wind and kill em when the walk by. Simple and effective! :way:

 

[dbltree]

Overhead cover

As I have shared with pictures of natural bedding choices, whitetails may or may not choose overhead cover for various reasons. When the can, they often choose to lay under the overhanging branches of red cedars or shrubs in my area but at the same time some prefer open ridge tops where they can see danger approaching, using little more then a downed log or branch as cover.

When hinging I find it's hard not to create some overhead cover if there is enough trees to hinge, but that varies widely with the type of trees, soils and maturity of the timber. The following are from two different farms that I have done TSI or Weed Tree Removal (via hinging).

I typically hinge trees at waist to shoulder height depending on the situation, because often the ground is very steep and getting around on slippery snow/mud covered slopes can be treacherous.

Where there are lot's of trees the hinged trees will land on uncut trees forming an overhead canopy

Often deer use hinged trees as a screen rather then overhead cover and I found this shed

In a bed on this side of this old log where he was able to lay in the sun and see down the slope

These pictures are from a friend who killed a 191" buck this winter that had spend the past several years living in these hinge cuts

There is little if any overhead cover but the downed trees and subsequent re-growth provide cover in an otherwise wide open, very mature oak wood lot

Every timber is different and each landowner may have different species and terrain to work with but even if the place is clear cut, the resulting regrowth will attract and hold whitetails.

Adding conifers to hinged areas can increase screening and thermal cover and make a huge difference in holding deer. When possible hinge trees high enough that they provide overhead cover as well as screening but use caution and put safety first! :way:

 

[dbltree]

Recent pictures from the weed tree removal job I'm, working on now...plan calls for all weed trees (virtually everything but oaks and walnuts or trees over 14" DBH) to be felled...perfect situation for hinging! Some trees will be treated but others will be left to re-sprout but in either case it's also a great time to do some fantastic trail blocking!

Clumps of American Basswood...

Shagbark and shellbark hickories

Some areas are almost solely shingle oak that looked like this

But I can completely block off multiple runways by hinging all these shingles

You can also see how this screens the deer bedding on the back side from the landowner entering via a trail thru the timber

The terrain varies of course and the large white and red oaks tend to be up higher on the ridges, so killing the understory will encourage oak regeneration. Deer love to feed on and bed in young oaks so this is a win win for both whitetails and the timber itself.

A friend wondered why I cut a black walnut in a previous picture and here's an example of why...can you pick out the black walnuts and the burr oak??

We have two black walnuts and a nice burr oak in a spot you could cover with a coat! Always we are releasing crop trees and in most cases we choose oaks over BW or better BW's over ones with poor form. In this case the burr gets the nod because both BW's have not the greatest form and in this area, there are BW's a plenty but very few burrs....all things to consider

Black walnut

Burr Oak...note that you have to be able to identify species even at young ages and without leaves!

Can you see the shed?

I leave whatever I find for the landowner but it's always fun to spot them!

Every day, every property it's something new, the same only different and I thoroughly enjoy enhancing the landowners timber and habitat at the same time... :way:

 

[IQDM]

Overhead cover

As I have shared with pictures of natural bedding choices, whitetails may or may not choose overhead cover for various reasons. When the can, they often choose to lay under the overhanging branches of red cedars or shrubs in my area but at the same time some prefer open ridge tops where they can see danger approaching, using little more then a downed log or branch as cover.

10 - 4 on the over head cover Paul! :way: