hinge cutting questions

[Buck-Man]

On my property I have about 7 acres or so just for a sanctuary .all it is is a section of the 100 acres that I decided we should stay out of .nothing fancy ,some ravines, some thicker areas, but all woods.
now should i hinge cut in there or leave it be?
And is it beneficial to venture out to other locations and hinge cut areas besides the sanctuary.
Also I wanted to hinge cut some trees along the property lines to block in my woods so deer feel more secure in mine ,is this a wise decision.

 

[Buck-Man]

no one is a hinge cutting pro / land manager on here?????

 

[Crimson Arrows]

Yes, a great decision. Although be sure to have a consult from a professional to ensure you dont cut valuable trees etc.

Edge feathering is a great idea, as is adding to your sanctuaries. Look for finger ridges and areas that would be better with more ironwood, hickories and ash.

Good luck.

 

[slopoker]

http://iowawhitetail.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15487

This should help explain the thinking and the process

 

[Buck-Man]

im not too concerned about value of timber as I am about making my place a better hunting habitat. I ve got alot of trees to spare I guess.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

im not too concerned about value of timber as I am about making my place a better hunting habitat. I ve got alot of trees to spare I guess.

It actually goes hand in hand so if you're destroying valued trees then you are likely destroying habitat. You definitely do not want to hinge any of the oaks except for the black oaks. Those are the only ones that don't really have any value for deer since their acorns are toxic. Even shingle oaks are desirable to deer.

FWIW, on our property most of the trees I hinge are maples, ironwood, shagbark hickory, and locusts. I rank my oaks in this order...white, bur, red, then shingle. If one or the other is competing with one, then I hinge the one with the least value. The only time I hinge a white oak is if its competing with another white oak.

Ideally your goal should be to hinge all of the weed trees like I listed above and then keep the good trees that provide food for the deer. Doing this will create thick bedding areas with lots of food which will make your property more attractive to deer. You want to hinge areas that you want to create bedding. Open timber is OK from a strategic standpoint but in our open areas we still make sure to feather the edges to encourage deer to use a certain trail out into the fields.

 

[GOARMY]

Do the papery/shag oaks have much value????