The tops of the trees offer a lot of food in the form of newly grown buds and branches. Hinge cutting makes open areas thicker and creates feeding, bedding and cover for deer. This thread is about the practice of hinge cutting or falling trees in a variety of places to create screens, encourage new browse, create bedding areas, block off runways and funnel deer. We started with the largest trees then cut the smaller ones on top in a circle. Most hinge cutting techniques involve cutting partially through a tree and laying it to the ground to create a living, horizontal habitat structure. If you are planning to plant a single type of plant then this one should definitely be the one. Cutting at shoulder height, allows deer passage under the tree. Ladder tree stands can be set in place and left behind, so you won’t have to drag it in and set it up every time you want to go whitetail deer hunting. If the phragmites are controlled (by using specific herbicides), the deer might rapidly adapt to the next most suitable bedding cover. Sign Up. Doing so keeps the tree alive, giving the buck not only more security, but also food. or. If you’re hunting on your own land, or on land you’ve leased, and if you’ve found a productive spot, ladder tree stands might be your best bet. Hunters can scout for deer trails entering and leaving the tree line. Its branches are spreading and it tends to grow in areas that are moist and even dry. Hinge cutting trees involves only cutting partially through the trunk and simply tipping the tree top over. “It is a great way to turn otherwise low-value trees deer will browse, such as tulip poplar, maple and sweet gum, to a productive use. To hinge-cut a tree, cut halfway through a small tree 5 to 6 feet above the ground. The hybrid willow screen trees came packaged in bundles of 100 cuttings. Next, make a flat spot with a shovel. Facebook. Hinged trees will provide the overhead cover desired accompanied with creating new browse and thickening the forest floor once sunlight is able to reach it. Hinge cutting also enables mast-producing trees to get more nutrients and water to produce more acorns and soft mast for the deer. I doubt by hinge cutting some trees, you will change where deer bed in your area. Strategic hinge cutting trees can create bedding areas, thicken or screen sanctuaries, screen the edges of food plots or hunter-access routes, block trails or other travel routes to manipulate deer movements to favor hunting, and more,” said Thomas. A tree that is hinge-cut will provide good bedding cover, and even food for whitetails. How to Plant a Seedling Shrub Make sure roots stay moist until you’re ready to plant. More is not always better. Do not drop too many trees. Hinge-cutting trees away from the trail you’re cutting can be a good way to really encourage deer to use your trail. Photo by Charles Alsheimer This month, most deer fanatics have food plots on the brain. On the other hand, if closed-canopy forest was the only cover type within the home range of those deer, they would readily adapt to using the hinged cut trees for cover. See more of New Hampshire Deer Hunting - and more on Facebook. For non-firewood cuttings that are done strictly to benefit deer, cutting should be confined to trees and shrubs with stems 1" to 3" in diameter. Get Comfy It doesn't take much effort to produce prime big-buck bedding areas. Check out Dr. Jim’s Habitat Blog. Related: How to hinge-cut trees to enhance deer habitat. I doubt by hinge cutting some trees, you will change where deer bed in your area. “This is going to be my deer trap. Cutting at waste level works great for screening and blocking but supresses deer travel. Cut the trunks up into manageable pieces and haul them off to the side to bring back out for fire wood. This will allow the cut tree to continue to be nourished by the roots and enhance sprout growth of the top and stump (see photos). The stem should be cut about two-thirds of the way through and then pushed over. Hinge Cutting for deer is the latest trend for deer cover & for deer food. This area is currently used for deer bedding, including doe beds and buck beds, but so is the other side of the hill. Jump to. We dropped a good sized maple tree all alone about 100 yards from where we were doing the rest of the hinge cutting. Ash trees are dying on my place at a rate faster than I can keep up. Hinge Cutting itself dates back some 2000 years as a form of hedge-laying. First, by hinge cutting he’s leaving the tree top at deer level which provides great screening and cover. Simply start cutting trees down, felling them away from the intended food plot interior. Create New Account. The process of hinge cutting allows you to improve the quality and quantity of thick cover in your timber areas. It also grows in rocky upland forests as well. Having bedding areas on a property is a huge step toward enticing whitetails to call your property home, but as any land manager knows, beddings areas come and go. This technique may be modified and placed appropriately to produce different results. See more of New Hampshire Deer Hunting - and more on Facebook. Cedar trees make nice bedding areas. Before embarking on a hinging project it is imperative that you consult with your area forester and discuss what your goals are for your timber. Cover the roots even with or slightly deeper than they were growing. I want to discourage bedding on the other side because deer can observe my approach to my deer stand from there. I wanted to keep as many oaks as possible, so we mostly hing cut hickory. Also, tracks should be noted up, down, or across ridges. Deer love safe, secure cover. The tree remains alive for several years and wildlife benefit from increased forage and bedding cover. Bedding areas can be created quickly and effectively by using chest high hinge cuts. Next » Creating Beddings Areas For Deer. If the phragmites are controlled (by using specific herbicides), the deer might rapidly adapt to the next most suitable bedding cover. Yearling does establish home ranges near their mother, while yearling bucks … The deer travel through it, but only use it when the acorns are dropping. Get creative. My son and I started hing cutting a few years ago. Put them in near stream, pond and river edges, along low hillsides and near deer bedding areas. or. Ward’s bedding areas give deer a sense of security and plenty of food. Pop-up style blinds can be placed near the intersection of two trails. While it won’t provide wildlife with food, it will still open up the canopy. On the other hand, if closed-canopy forest was the only cover type within the home range of those deer, they would readily adapt to using the hinged cut trees for cover. Forgot account? This video shows the cutting of over 100 trees by one man in 2 hours on a south facing hillside. We dropped a good sized maple tree all alone about 100 yards from where we were doing the rest of the hinge cutting. A hinge cut tree brings the food from the tree top and leaves to the ground for deer to use as feed, and it also provides substantial cover. Keep all hard and soft mast trees that benefit deer. Properly cutting down a tree in a manner that leaves the trunk partially intact to the stump will keep it alive for a couple of years. EXTREME DEER HABITAT is an educational site dedicated to helping landowners get the most out of their deer habitat, with an emphasis on the use of a chainsaw to shape your property.Dr. Pile the slash (unusable limbs and brush) into specific spots around the plot. To hinge cut non-valuable trees, we use a chainsaw and cut into the tree, but we don’t cut all the way through the tree. Trails and Staging Areas With a bedding area in place, Ward embellishes an existing deer trail leading to a food plot. 1 / 1. Accessibility Help. Jake and I were lot doing some chain saw work a few days ago and Jake came up with the idea of documenting how important woody browse is to deer in winter. We made ours in a pin wheel shape. Go up underneath the hinge-cut — close to the base of the tree — and clear all debris, creating the flat, bedding spot. “On my deer trail, I’m hinge-cutting trees at knee high. Ninebark. Deer Browse on Hinge Cut Trees in Winter Like It’s Candy. The tree will drop to the ground, continue to grow, and offer browse for the deer to feed on. Do you hinge cut trees for bedding areas Be careful. But at the same time, it still allows them an easy escape route off the trail, which makes them feel safer from predators. Many times, I've found beds that are canopied by one thing or another whether it be an outcropping or fallen tree. Use either a tree planting bar, spade or narrow shovel and dig a hole as deep as the root. This not only provides additional forest floor forage for deer but also provides bedding cover and opens up the canopy for new growth to flourish. Email or Phone: Password: Forgot account? “Hinge cutting” is the act of partially cutting a tree, and then pulling the tree top down to the ground, while keeping the trunk intact. Jim is a leading expert on the subject of hinge cutting trees for deer habitat. This tall shrub provides maximum deer cover and it’s categorized as a small bushy tree. Hinge cutting is the act of cutting a small tree part way, so that you can bend it over to the ground while still keeping the tree alive. Along with planting the line of screen trees we planted several clumps of seven willows to break up the openness and create more preferred bedding areas. 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