retiredmurph
Member
dbltree great post lot of ideas for my own timber, I have done some edge feathering for quail and I've cut down a couple thousand cedars. Planning on more wore next year,
LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
Pretty easy to see the difference in hinged timbers and not...
dbltree
Super Moderator
The value of screening our timber cannot be underestimated and there is no faster way to do it then hinging trees both along the edge and the interior. The following are pictures of timber where we did radical hinging to help screen the bedding areas from outside field activity (farming, food plots, approaching stands etc.)
This area is not one where we really needed to do a lot of trail blocking so screening was the primary intent
Every hinged tree is very alive and sending up a massive amount of cover and browse and unlike previous to hinging, we no longer see whitetails fleeing from the area as we pass by for normal farming activity.
That compared to a timber where conventional TSI was done....it's wide open!
We have to drive by this timber to work in the fields and deer run from it every time we do so....a problem easily fixed with a chainsaw!
Hinging cull trees is important for all facets of our habitat program because it creates thick bedding areas, plentiful browse, screening that insulates them for the outside activities and can be used for trail blocking as well....
This area is not one where we really needed to do a lot of trail blocking so screening was the primary intent
Every hinged tree is very alive and sending up a massive amount of cover and browse and unlike previous to hinging, we no longer see whitetails fleeing from the area as we pass by for normal farming activity.
That compared to a timber where conventional TSI was done....it's wide open!
We have to drive by this timber to work in the fields and deer run from it every time we do so....a problem easily fixed with a chainsaw!
Hinging cull trees is important for all facets of our habitat program because it creates thick bedding areas, plentiful browse, screening that insulates them for the outside activities and can be used for trail blocking as well....
LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
Edge feathering done in March 2011 - the results a few months later
TSI and hinge cutting done in March 2011 - the timber was thicker almost instantly!
TSI and hinge cutting done in March 2011 - the timber was thicker almost instantly!
Central Iowa
Life Member
Nice work Jordan looks good.
Sent from my DROIDX using IW
Sent from my DROIDX using IW
LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
And a massive amount of acorns falling into that browse! And all for a little fun...
dbltree
Super Moderator
October 7th, 2011
I don't normally get out the chainsaw in October but some of the farms I manage need some screening/blocking work done before the rut starts so I've been working away at it. The purpose here is not create bedding but start creating a safe bedding area beyond by edge feathering/hinging trees along the edge to roughly 50-75 yards in and to block off multiple runways at the same time.
Started out looking like this...deer can see anyone approaching/traveling along the timbers edge which is wide open across the width of it!
A short time later...standing in the exact same spot it looks like this!
next year it will begin to really thicken up with new under growth as blackberries, shrubs and stump sprouts explode to life.
but already the edge is completely blocked off from sight and travel
Deer can feed, travel and bed along the interior edge feeling secure and safe
the area beyond will eventually be hinged to create a more desirable bedding area
The interior "edge" will become a new runway in time and only the best opening(s) will be left to make hunting more productive.
With some exceptions...only the oaks and walnuts are left standing
and the difference in canopy is obvious
Plenty of oak seedlings that would never have survived will eventually rise above the mass of undergrowth
The previous landowner had wisely planted red cedars along the edge and in time they will further screen and insulate the bedding area.
Not only will these area eventually hold more deer but will be more likely to hold mature bucks which in turn will be easier to harvest when funneled through one or two openings. Late March is a great time to work in the timber but early October can also be a good time to get some runways blocked off to increase hunting success this fall....
I don't normally get out the chainsaw in October but some of the farms I manage need some screening/blocking work done before the rut starts so I've been working away at it. The purpose here is not create bedding but start creating a safe bedding area beyond by edge feathering/hinging trees along the edge to roughly 50-75 yards in and to block off multiple runways at the same time.
Started out looking like this...deer can see anyone approaching/traveling along the timbers edge which is wide open across the width of it!
A short time later...standing in the exact same spot it looks like this!
next year it will begin to really thicken up with new under growth as blackberries, shrubs and stump sprouts explode to life.
but already the edge is completely blocked off from sight and travel
Deer can feed, travel and bed along the interior edge feeling secure and safe
the area beyond will eventually be hinged to create a more desirable bedding area
The interior "edge" will become a new runway in time and only the best opening(s) will be left to make hunting more productive.
With some exceptions...only the oaks and walnuts are left standing
and the difference in canopy is obvious
Plenty of oak seedlings that would never have survived will eventually rise above the mass of undergrowth
The previous landowner had wisely planted red cedars along the edge and in time they will further screen and insulate the bedding area.
Not only will these area eventually hold more deer but will be more likely to hold mature bucks which in turn will be easier to harvest when funneled through one or two openings. Late March is a great time to work in the timber but early October can also be a good time to get some runways blocked off to increase hunting success this fall....
dbltree
Super Moderator
Here's an example of using edge-feathering to block multiple runways and funnel deer by a stand...
There is more to this picture of course but deer had been using multiple runways coming straight out to the feeding area and rutting bucks ran helter skelter as they pleased, taking the shortest route to the next bedding area. So we took advantage of an old clearing, cleaned it up and are in the process of establishing clover. I blocked one side part way in and left the other side open. the edge is mostly young white and red oaks and is heavily used as a scrape line.Now...ALL deer must pass thru the clearing/funnel within 20 yards of the stand.
This is a view up the clearing which is now in the rye/oat/pea/radish mix to establish a perennial stand of white clover and is being heavily grazed. A cam that sends pics directly to the landowner without visiting the cam reveals heavy usage of the scrape line as well. Note also the young red oaks which are dropping acorns to add to this beautiful setup! Fruit trees could also be easily added to increase the effectiveness of drawing deer to this clearing first...
I hinge or fall ALL trees except for oaks and walnuts and where necessary I go in to the interior 50-80 yards to get a complete block. The exterior trees will almost always be leaning towards the field so eventually I will use the tractor and loader to push them around parallel with the field edge.
Because it's a new clover seeding around the field edge I'll wait til freeze up to move the trees but the edge is fully blocked already!
Trees are primarily honey locust, elm and hedge trees
and they create an impenetrable living fence which will only get better as sunlight and spring rains bring a flush of new growth this coming year!
This winter I will push the trees around with the tractor and loader but one could cut the limbs off and pile them by hand if equipment was not available.
The edge feathering will not only block/funnel deer but creates an awesome screen that allows deer to bed feeling safe and secure. It helps cut down on trespassing and poaching problems because it is nearly impossible to get thru the thorny mess without getting cut to ribbons...(don't ask me how I know... )
In cases where the edge is primarily oaks, there may be some that need to be thinned, lower branches that can be cut off or logging done (in which case push the tops in to create the blocking effect). Edge feathering will also create a plethora of new browse as shrubs and blackberries spring up and allow crops to grow near the edge without being shaded.
Keep track of deer movement this fall and see what areas of frustration you can eliminate with a...chainsaw....
There is more to this picture of course but deer had been using multiple runways coming straight out to the feeding area and rutting bucks ran helter skelter as they pleased, taking the shortest route to the next bedding area. So we took advantage of an old clearing, cleaned it up and are in the process of establishing clover. I blocked one side part way in and left the other side open. the edge is mostly young white and red oaks and is heavily used as a scrape line.Now...ALL deer must pass thru the clearing/funnel within 20 yards of the stand.
This is a view up the clearing which is now in the rye/oat/pea/radish mix to establish a perennial stand of white clover and is being heavily grazed. A cam that sends pics directly to the landowner without visiting the cam reveals heavy usage of the scrape line as well. Note also the young red oaks which are dropping acorns to add to this beautiful setup! Fruit trees could also be easily added to increase the effectiveness of drawing deer to this clearing first...
I hinge or fall ALL trees except for oaks and walnuts and where necessary I go in to the interior 50-80 yards to get a complete block. The exterior trees will almost always be leaning towards the field so eventually I will use the tractor and loader to push them around parallel with the field edge.
Because it's a new clover seeding around the field edge I'll wait til freeze up to move the trees but the edge is fully blocked already!
Trees are primarily honey locust, elm and hedge trees
and they create an impenetrable living fence which will only get better as sunlight and spring rains bring a flush of new growth this coming year!
This winter I will push the trees around with the tractor and loader but one could cut the limbs off and pile them by hand if equipment was not available.
The edge feathering will not only block/funnel deer but creates an awesome screen that allows deer to bed feeling safe and secure. It helps cut down on trespassing and poaching problems because it is nearly impossible to get thru the thorny mess without getting cut to ribbons...(don't ask me how I know...
)In cases where the edge is primarily oaks, there may be some that need to be thinned, lower branches that can be cut off or logging done (in which case push the tops in to create the blocking effect). Edge feathering will also create a plethora of new browse as shrubs and blackberries spring up and allow crops to grow near the edge without being shaded.
Keep track of deer movement this fall and see what areas of frustration you can eliminate with a...chainsaw....
dbltree
Super Moderator
One of the great things about hinging for blocking is that you can get very accurate trail cam surveys and often even a relatively small area can be "funneled" up in 10-15 minutes with a chainsaw. I did that very thing for a friend recently where bucks were coming up out of a draw and filtering out thru a 50 yard wide area making it impossible to catch them all on the cam.
When I got done...they all have to walk down this runway!
it took only minutes to tip over shingle oak, elm and hickory along the edge to create a simple but effective barrier
In this case the funnel is actually reversed with the funnel being out in the field but still....deer will have no choice but to walk thru the funnel...
and right by the trail cam!
Funnels are an extremely effective tool to make harvesting your deer easy and efficient so with a little more work you can funnel them by a trail cam AND your stand! For the third year in a row I have harvested a nice buck with my bow as he traveled thru a funnel I built several years ago. Each year it gets easier it seems and I killed my buck after only hunting two days this year! I passed him in the same funnel last year, noted that he continued to use it this year thanks to the trail cam and then killed him at daylight on October 21st, 2011...pictures and story at this link...
2011 Buck in a Funnel
Funneling deer will significantly lower your frustrations during hunting season and allow you to more accurately monitor deer using your property...all for the cost of some sweat equity on a Saturday afternoon....
When I got done...they all have to walk down this runway!
it took only minutes to tip over shingle oak, elm and hickory along the edge to create a simple but effective barrier
In this case the funnel is actually reversed with the funnel being out in the field but still....deer will have no choice but to walk thru the funnel...
and right by the trail cam!
Funnels are an extremely effective tool to make harvesting your deer easy and efficient so with a little more work you can funnel them by a trail cam AND your stand! For the third year in a row I have harvested a nice buck with my bow as he traveled thru a funnel I built several years ago. Each year it gets easier it seems and I killed my buck after only hunting two days this year! I passed him in the same funnel last year, noted that he continued to use it this year thanks to the trail cam and then killed him at daylight on October 21st, 2011...pictures and story at this link...
2011 Buck in a Funnel
Funneling deer will significantly lower your frustrations during hunting season and allow you to more accurately monitor deer using your property...all for the cost of some sweat equity on a Saturday afternoon....
dbltree
Super Moderator
Example of a hinged tree...in this case cut for blocking but it shows how the hinged tree now also provides browse, screening and in the right area bedding
Little hard to see here but the area in the background was hinged last winter, so while you may not be able to see in detail...what you don't see is a wide open area that deer do not feel comfortable using.
This pic shows re-growth 4 years after hinging trees...this is rich low land soil so that often causes an explosion of new re-growth both from hinged trees and the reduced canopy. Typically where higher ground such as a ridge is immediately adjacent, deer will choose the ridge for bedding, if the area is all flat and low they will probably seek out subtle rises that are drier depending on the time of year. This area is primarily used for browsing and travel cover and they bed on the adjacent ridge. Note the thick blackberries and shrubby cover along the outer edge, further screening deer as well as providing edge browse.
One of our goals in managing our timber resources should be to promote quality oak timber growth and mast production through proper Timber Stand Improvement methods. Hinging can be a tool to help in this process especially in areas that may be 60-90% "weed trees" both to reduce canopy and competition but also to promote regeneration and where needed, allow for hand planting of oak seedlings.
Regeneration will vary by soils and level of seed trees in the area but here are some examples of my own timber where hinging has been ongoing for 4-5 years now. Young oaks are reaching up thru the mass of undergrowth...
Often the perception is that due to the resulting thick undergrowth that oak regeneration is not possible and there are extreme cases where invasives do make regeneration impossible so each landowner must monitor the results of their hinging project and be prepared to take steps to control invasives which could include everything from Reeds Canary grass to Honeysuckle.
In most cases in my area the hinging itself has released the seedlings by reducing canopy and they quickly spring to life. You can see that there is simply no competing canopy from this hickory, yet it provides bedding and browse for whitetails where once there was zero of either.
Beds abound in the hinged area which means that the presence of deer will also mean increased browsing of the young oaks
Seedlings in the wide open are far more likely to be browsed then...
Those coming up thru hinged tops
and resulting blackberry brambles
Young oaks can endure some shading when young yet will survive to grow above the blackberries
On this farm the oaks consist of primarily burr (white species) oaks and black (red species) oaks....neither of which are the ultimate in either hardwood or mast preference
So I started native white oak and red oak acorns from seed in Rootmaker cells from trees noted for good mast production and had planted them this fall amongst the hinged trees. An 18 cell RM tray and carrier is roughly $6-8 and there was no cost for hand picked acorns...$3-5 for a tube and stake means every landowner could easily add a dozen or two oaks to their hinge cuttings every year.
I also added some Dwarf Chinkapin oaks (white oak) for diversity
but often found it difficult to find a spot where young oaks were not already growing!
Hinging cull or weed trees can be extremely beneficial in providing increased bedding and browse and holding mature whitetails on your property and if done correctly we can also promote oak regeneration which long term will increase the value of our property and further enhance our habitat with increased mast production.
Monitor the resulting "aftermath" of your hinging and be prepared to kill invasives with herbicides and hand plant oak seedlings, using tubes and herbicide to protect them both from over browsing and competition from invasives. Timber is one of our most valuable resources and yet the most often overlooked...look yours over from your tree stand this fall and start making plans for improvement when season is over....
More details on growing oaks from seed here: Acorns - Growing Oaks from Seed
Consider adding some chestnut seedlings while your at it but be certain to tube them and eventually fence them or deer will decimate them.
Little hard to see here but the area in the background was hinged last winter, so while you may not be able to see in detail...what you don't see is a wide open area that deer do not feel comfortable using.
This pic shows re-growth 4 years after hinging trees...this is rich low land soil so that often causes an explosion of new re-growth both from hinged trees and the reduced canopy. Typically where higher ground such as a ridge is immediately adjacent, deer will choose the ridge for bedding, if the area is all flat and low they will probably seek out subtle rises that are drier depending on the time of year. This area is primarily used for browsing and travel cover and they bed on the adjacent ridge. Note the thick blackberries and shrubby cover along the outer edge, further screening deer as well as providing edge browse.
One of our goals in managing our timber resources should be to promote quality oak timber growth and mast production through proper Timber Stand Improvement methods. Hinging can be a tool to help in this process especially in areas that may be 60-90% "weed trees" both to reduce canopy and competition but also to promote regeneration and where needed, allow for hand planting of oak seedlings.
Regeneration will vary by soils and level of seed trees in the area but here are some examples of my own timber where hinging has been ongoing for 4-5 years now. Young oaks are reaching up thru the mass of undergrowth...
Often the perception is that due to the resulting thick undergrowth that oak regeneration is not possible and there are extreme cases where invasives do make regeneration impossible so each landowner must monitor the results of their hinging project and be prepared to take steps to control invasives which could include everything from Reeds Canary grass to Honeysuckle.
In most cases in my area the hinging itself has released the seedlings by reducing canopy and they quickly spring to life. You can see that there is simply no competing canopy from this hickory, yet it provides bedding and browse for whitetails where once there was zero of either.
Beds abound in the hinged area which means that the presence of deer will also mean increased browsing of the young oaks
Seedlings in the wide open are far more likely to be browsed then...
Those coming up thru hinged tops
and resulting blackberry brambles
Young oaks can endure some shading when young yet will survive to grow above the blackberries
On this farm the oaks consist of primarily burr (white species) oaks and black (red species) oaks....neither of which are the ultimate in either hardwood or mast preference
So I started native white oak and red oak acorns from seed in Rootmaker cells from trees noted for good mast production and had planted them this fall amongst the hinged trees. An 18 cell RM tray and carrier is roughly $6-8 and there was no cost for hand picked acorns...$3-5 for a tube and stake means every landowner could easily add a dozen or two oaks to their hinge cuttings every year.
I also added some Dwarf Chinkapin oaks (white oak) for diversity
but often found it difficult to find a spot where young oaks were not already growing!
Hinging cull or weed trees can be extremely beneficial in providing increased bedding and browse and holding mature whitetails on your property and if done correctly we can also promote oak regeneration which long term will increase the value of our property and further enhance our habitat with increased mast production.
Monitor the resulting "aftermath" of your hinging and be prepared to kill invasives with herbicides and hand plant oak seedlings, using tubes and herbicide to protect them both from over browsing and competition from invasives. Timber is one of our most valuable resources and yet the most often overlooked...look yours over from your tree stand this fall and start making plans for improvement when season is over....
More details on growing oaks from seed here: Acorns - Growing Oaks from Seed
Consider adding some chestnut seedlings while your at it but be certain to tube them and eventually fence them or deer will decimate them.
dbltree
Super Moderator
Deer...especially mature bucks have different personalities so it's impossible to have a "one size fits all" answer to that question but...it is possible to make the area so think that some deer may not bed there.
However I have jumped whitetails in the thickest, nastiest mess of blackberry and multiflora rose brambles that I find it hard to say that one could make an area so thick that NO deer would use it.
I like to make areas very thick with small areas that are less so, often they just naturally have a large tree or perhaps a single red cedar already being used by deer.
I would suggest doing the area in sections and varying the extent of hinging to give some diversity in your sanctuary...
dbltree
Super Moderator
A few posts back (October 23rd, 2011) I posted pics of funnel I made with the chainsaw in about 10-15 minutes solely for a trail cam survey. Deer were coming in and out of a draw over a 50 yard area but did have one major runway so I funneled them into that runway from each side and put up a trail cam...only a few weeks later the cam had an amazing 750 pictures of whitetails traveling through this funnel. They "checked it out"...especially does, sniffing things over but then continued on their way and quickly adapted to using the funnel...made simply by hinging wed trees at the edge.
These are just a few samples of deer using the runway/funnel...something you can all do to more accurately determine what deer, especially mature bucks...may be using your property or an area of your farm.
if one has enough weed or cull trees it is a simple matter to hinge trees in a manner that will funnel deer past a camera or better yet...past a stand! I was blessed to be able to harvest my second Iowa archery buck when a doe led him through the funnel past my stand.
Dbltree's Dream
Building funnels not only makes it easier to manage your deer herd and habitat but makes hunting them less frustrating and more rewarding as well...
These are just a few samples of deer using the runway/funnel...something you can all do to more accurately determine what deer, especially mature bucks...may be using your property or an area of your farm.
if one has enough weed or cull trees it is a simple matter to hinge trees in a manner that will funnel deer past a camera or better yet...past a stand! I was blessed to be able to harvest my second Iowa archery buck when a doe led him through the funnel past my stand.
Dbltree's Dream
Building funnels not only makes it easier to manage your deer herd and habitat but makes hunting them less frustrating and more rewarding as well...
dbltree
Super Moderator
November 20th, 2011
Funnels...the more I use funnels accompanied by trail cams the more I learn and then the more successful I am at harvesting mature deer. The following are pictures from a funnel that is 3 years old now and as a trail cam on it 24-7. I use the Bushnell Trophy cams because of 1 year battery life which allows me to place them and forget them until such time as I feel it appropriate to check them. I don't disturb bedding or travel by constantly checking these funnel cams but what I learn is indispensable.
Every funnel is different or can be at least and this funnel which lies between bedding and feed experiences zero use by mature bucks from may through early October, which could be misleading if one look at cam pics all summer! Why hunt here...not a single buck uses it?! So all spring, summer and early fall...doe groups parade thru this funnel every day like clock work until mid October at which point things take an about face! This is the last doe that came through this funnel...on October 31st
This is the first buck that came through on October 18th after which there was a steady parade of bucks that lived on my farm but used entirely different bedding areas.
Each property is unique and different including my own so we will experience slight variations but in this case the bucks tend to live in NWSG and small fingers and draws during the period of antler growth through mid October.
I know they are there via trail cam surveys using salt licks which then helps me identify and age the deer
When the rut approaches however the entire situation changes dramatically and young bucks relentlessly harass does until they begin to seek out safe haven in the same haunts that the bucks used all summer.
The bucks however know where the girls live and they know where they feed and thy begin to pound the trails leading between the two.
As does come into heat the bucks do their best to push them into areas such as open fields, far away from other bucks but in doing so....they tend to go back thru the familiar runways and bedding areas.
Using cams to monitor these funnels then gives me the confidence to hunt them knowing the odds that a mature bucks will travel them are high. perhaps only one buck may pass thru a day and one mature animal every 2-4 days but I know that if I put in my time...it will pay off.
You can see that bucks of all ages an sizes pass through the funnel, every deer within 15 yards of my stand
There is no other way, no other travel route with the exception of wide open fields
and trail cams on the food sources 200 yards away reveal that only rarely do any of these bucks show themselves in the open during daylight hours.
yet the odds of daylight movement go up remarkably where they feel safe in the timber that is heavily hinged on all sides
Because I provide year around food sources that cause all deer on my property to go to ONE feeding place, they all adapt to this
and deer young and old travel the same runway thru the same funnel, day after day, year after year.
This was my target buck who almost never entered the timber....almost never, but he could not resist a doe coming into estrous and later this same day I killed him as she brought him back thru this funnel.
That funnels are effective is obvious but they can be so much more effective when combined with trail cams on duty 24-7
and year around food sources that keep deer coming down these runways rather then constantly changing up to find feed in different fields.
Success is never about ONE thing it is about a myriad of habitat improvements and providing for your deer year around and then hunting your target animal where he is most likely to appear in daylight hours. Trail cams on funnels take the guess work out and give you confidence to put in long hours where the odds are highest.....not only the area, but the time period....
Funnels...the more I use funnels accompanied by trail cams the more I learn and then the more successful I am at harvesting mature deer. The following are pictures from a funnel that is 3 years old now and as a trail cam on it 24-7. I use the Bushnell Trophy cams because of 1 year battery life which allows me to place them and forget them until such time as I feel it appropriate to check them. I don't disturb bedding or travel by constantly checking these funnel cams but what I learn is indispensable.
Every funnel is different or can be at least and this funnel which lies between bedding and feed experiences zero use by mature bucks from may through early October, which could be misleading if one look at cam pics all summer! Why hunt here...not a single buck uses it?! So all spring, summer and early fall...doe groups parade thru this funnel every day like clock work until mid October at which point things take an about face! This is the last doe that came through this funnel...on October 31st
This is the first buck that came through on October 18th after which there was a steady parade of bucks that lived on my farm but used entirely different bedding areas.
Each property is unique and different including my own so we will experience slight variations but in this case the bucks tend to live in NWSG and small fingers and draws during the period of antler growth through mid October.
I know they are there via trail cam surveys using salt licks which then helps me identify and age the deer
When the rut approaches however the entire situation changes dramatically and young bucks relentlessly harass does until they begin to seek out safe haven in the same haunts that the bucks used all summer.
The bucks however know where the girls live and they know where they feed and thy begin to pound the trails leading between the two.
As does come into heat the bucks do their best to push them into areas such as open fields, far away from other bucks but in doing so....they tend to go back thru the familiar runways and bedding areas.
Using cams to monitor these funnels then gives me the confidence to hunt them knowing the odds that a mature bucks will travel them are high. perhaps only one buck may pass thru a day and one mature animal every 2-4 days but I know that if I put in my time...it will pay off.
You can see that bucks of all ages an sizes pass through the funnel, every deer within 15 yards of my stand
There is no other way, no other travel route with the exception of wide open fields
and trail cams on the food sources 200 yards away reveal that only rarely do any of these bucks show themselves in the open during daylight hours.
yet the odds of daylight movement go up remarkably where they feel safe in the timber that is heavily hinged on all sides
Because I provide year around food sources that cause all deer on my property to go to ONE feeding place, they all adapt to this
and deer young and old travel the same runway thru the same funnel, day after day, year after year.
This was my target buck who almost never entered the timber....almost never, but he could not resist a doe coming into estrous and later this same day I killed him as she brought him back thru this funnel.
That funnels are effective is obvious but they can be so much more effective when combined with trail cams on duty 24-7
and year around food sources that keep deer coming down these runways rather then constantly changing up to find feed in different fields.
Success is never about ONE thing it is about a myriad of habitat improvements and providing for your deer year around and then hunting your target animal where he is most likely to appear in daylight hours. Trail cams on funnels take the guess work out and give you confidence to put in long hours where the odds are highest.....not only the area, but the time period....
dbltree
Super Moderator
While there are many great reasons to hinge trees, the principle reason is to create safe, secure bedding in the form of thick ground cover both from the hinged trees themselves and the thick re-growth that results from opening up canopy. During the rut however bucks may only rarely actually use these ares for bedding on;y because they take time on;y for quick "cat naps" in their relentless search for the next hot doe. November 15th is considered peak rut in much of the mid west so these pictures give one an idea of the short time any buck is likely to spend resting...
The Bushnell cam was set on 3 pic bursts at 1 second intervals which amounts to the next best thing to video and this buck never actually "slept" but rather rested briefly which is common behavior during November
Roughly 30 minutes and...he was on his way
The cam was overlooking a scrape...something I never hunt but I have this farm farm for sale and the purpose was merely to collect pictures of bucks. The spot was already thick with young shingle oaks which creates the same type of atmosphere that whitetails seek out for safe bedding. Several does also bedded within range of the camera but no deer spent a great deal of time there before getting up to feed again. They need to feed (at least on browse) roughly every 4 hours so deer are not apt to spend a great deal of time in any one place so hinge cut trees provide a safe place for them to both rest and feed...
This is an area I worked on for a landowner recently...mostly young shagbark hickory...
Under terms of the cost share plan I went thru and marked the crop trees
Girdled large trees that can severely damage other crop trees if felled (not to mention being dangerous to fall)
and then hinged the smaller trees using some care to "fence in" young oaks to help protect them from marauding bucks and winter browsing
Simply opening up canopy will encourage a flush of new under growth that will provide safe bedding and browse but hinging cull/weed trees will provide immediate bedding and browse and deer will often feed on the tops within hours after being felled in the winter months.
When possible try to avoid hinging on extremely cold days when trees are like icicles and may snap off and use care to hinge them waist to mid chest high for best results. :way:
The Bushnell cam was set on 3 pic bursts at 1 second intervals which amounts to the next best thing to video and this buck never actually "slept" but rather rested briefly which is common behavior during November
Roughly 30 minutes and...he was on his way
The cam was overlooking a scrape...something I never hunt but I have this farm farm for sale and the purpose was merely to collect pictures of bucks. The spot was already thick with young shingle oaks which creates the same type of atmosphere that whitetails seek out for safe bedding. Several does also bedded within range of the camera but no deer spent a great deal of time there before getting up to feed again. They need to feed (at least on browse) roughly every 4 hours so deer are not apt to spend a great deal of time in any one place so hinge cut trees provide a safe place for them to both rest and feed...
This is an area I worked on for a landowner recently...mostly young shagbark hickory...
Under terms of the cost share plan I went thru and marked the crop trees
Girdled large trees that can severely damage other crop trees if felled (not to mention being dangerous to fall)
and then hinged the smaller trees using some care to "fence in" young oaks to help protect them from marauding bucks and winter browsing
Simply opening up canopy will encourage a flush of new under growth that will provide safe bedding and browse but hinging cull/weed trees will provide immediate bedding and browse and deer will often feed on the tops within hours after being felled in the winter months.
When possible try to avoid hinging on extremely cold days when trees are like icicles and may snap off and use care to hinge them waist to mid chest high for best results. :way:
I have a section on my property that forms a gully with ridges on both sides, the bottom of the gully is probably aruond 120-150 feet vertically from the top of the ridges. How do you recommend hinging trees on the slope? Have them fall as gravity takes them or try to angle them so they form a crosshatch?
dbltree
Super Moderator
I usually just fall them down slope but if the slop is to steep they may use only the top of the ridge.
I try to hinge trees under 12" and girdle larger ones unless the large tree is leaning and won't crush or injure a crop tree when it falls. Remember that falling ANY tree can be dangerous and the larger they are the harder they fall! Don't take risks and get hurt or worse...start with small trees and get a feel for it and as you gain experience, work you way up.