Two new habitat projects for my zone 6 property

[tcook8296]

All of that new growth is now at deer level. Creates great bedding + tons of natural forage in the spring and summer and woody browse in the winter

[Matty]

I can kind of see waiting for a more severe winter, but it doesn't really matter.

 

As long as you leave enough of the cambium layer like tcook did in the pictures, the tree can continue to live and produce browse for at least a few years and they produce new shoots all around the stump too which will continue to grow.

[tcook8296]

I can kind of see waiting for a more severe winter, but it doesn't really matter.

 

As long as you leave enough of the cambium layer like tcook did in the pictures, the tree can continue to live and produce browse for at least a few years and they produce new shoots all around the stump too which will continue to grow.

Most of the time they live, sometimes die,sometimes they accidentally snap off, but it doesn't matter. As long as you are opening up the canopy new growth will fill in on the ground and the stumps will sprout new growth out the top

Edited December 27, 2015 by tcook8296

[Bucksnbows]

It should go without saying, but hinge cutting means that you are damaging any future high value timber in those areas.  Hence, don't cut where you want to grow nice, higher value trees.  But guys like tcook and I are going for deer habitat and not timber sales.  That I have plenty of already and my landowner doesn't care because he doesn't need the income from the land.  

 

My biggest issue with the land I manage is that I have to compete with the Newton Water Supply land and state WMA land, both of which have a lot of evergreens that the deer like to bed in.  My forest is mainly mature oak and hickory, so on top of planting spruce and white pines, I need to add the hinge cutting for increased deer bedding to keep more deer around. 

[outdoorslife]

Really cool thread, thanks for sharing bucksnbows. This is where Id love to gain knowledge and have the means/property to do so or help. Ive always wanted to learn about the woods, plants, trees, soil etc. There is so much more than just the actual hunt and this right here is what its about! Just hard to do so when little to no friends hunt and the ones that do could care less. They just want to hunt. Heck, I dont blame them but for me, I am just beginning to learn. Keep the posts coming and good luck with your property. Its amazing to see what youve done so far and what it creates. 

[Bucksnbows]

Really cool thread, thanks for sharing bucksnbows. This is where Id love to gain knowledge and have the means/property to do so or help. Ive always wanted to learn about the woods, plants, trees, soil etc. There is so much more than just the actual hunt and this right here is what its about! Just hard to do so when little to no friends hunt and the ones that do could care less. They just want to hunt. Heck, I dont blame them but for me, I am just beginning to learn. Keep the posts coming and good luck with your property. Its amazing to see what youve done so far and what it creates. 

 

Thanks outdoorslife.  I am blessed because I have a friend from the age of 5 that lets me do whatever I want with his property.  Even though we have that agreement, I still take him to lunch every year and tell him my plans just so he's in the loop.  He still doesn't care and trusts me implicitly, but we get a chance to catch up so it's all good.  I just wish I had more time to do all the work I want to get done.  But I am here if I can help anyone in any way.  

 

I'm always learning myself, and guys like tcook have also been inspirations to me to do more and different things.  That's what it's all about, teaching and learning how we can all be better stewards of the land.  Even if you don't own land, you can sometimes do habitat improvements on lands you have permission to hunt or volunteer with the Division or conservation organizations to help them with projects.  I also open the land I manage to show anyone that wants to see our work so that more of it can be done in other places.       

[tcook8296]

3 books I highly recommend. 2 are by a guy named Jeff Sturgis. "Food plot success by design" and "Whitetail success by design".

www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com He also just released a 3rd book which I haven't had a chance to read yet.

The other book you can pick up on the qdma website is "Quality food plots". I also like reading some material from a guy named Steve Bartylla. He has some videos on the deer and deer hunting webite. http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/grow-em-big-steve-bartylla I also like to read the qdma forum , habitat-talk forum as well as this one and NJH but not learning much over there

Edited December 30, 2015 by tcook8296

[Bucksnbows]

Food plots are something I have some good history with, but all in PA. I'm looking forward to our first in NJ next year.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited December 30, 2015 by Bucksnbows

[_X7]

Here's a good video by Steve Bartylla that almost anyone can do to draw deer.

 

[Zipper]

Growingdeertv is a great site. Dr Grant Woods is very informative.