How many of you hinge cut? I started doing it last summer because the property I hunt lacks good quality bedding areas. And it really seemed to help thicken the ground floor. Anyone else have luck doing this? I actually might go out and do some more tomorrow since it’s supposed to be so nice.
I have a 17 acre sanctuary and I hinge cut some areas. It’s a strategic in placing round bales, limb/brush piles, and keep everyone the heck out
I started hinge cutting 1 to 2 acres about 5 years ago. Do it every year in February. Makes a ton of woody browse. I had spots you see for 150 yards and barely any ground growth. Now it’s thick which provides cover, food and bedding.
Really can’t say enuf good about doing it. I cut some completely off and not hinge them. Removes some huge crowns to let light in.
I paid for a web site membership to a couple guys in Michigan that explained how to do it and more important, how to do it safely. Best money i ever spent !
Try it, you’ll love the results.
I did a couple of test trees last winter, but I want to do much more this year.
So you guys that did it, what’s considered to be the best spot to lay down some hinge cut trees?
I was looking at one spot that is a long, south facing slope. it has big popple trees on it and deer already use it as a bedding area. Cut here or leave alone?
I also have more rolling areas that I was thinking of laying down some trees on the tops of the small hills. To me it feels like the deer would want to bed where they can see, but I’m not a deer. Thoughts?
Grouse
I do most of mine where the big trees shade the ground so much, nothing grows under them. There’s no cover. I completely drop some of the big ones to the ground and hinge cut some so they lay on top and are still growing for years. They use it for bedding and the new growth provides woody browse. My favorote are big basswoods. The big leaves are like candy to deer. In the fall, does can hide from those pesky little bucks and the bigger bucks cruise around it smelling for hot does and they feel safe having cover to jump in if needed.
I also like to take saplings, bend them over and tie them to make bedding areas underneath.
I dont think there are bad spots to do it but it’s really all about creating cover, food source and getting light to the ground to provide more natural growth.
I do most of mine in the winter. It’s cool to back a couple weeks later and see how they’ve been eating the buds and there are deer beds galore!
Great topic!
I use it to thin out area’s and provide a winter food source, we have ample security and bedding cover. Did a bunch in early November a couple fall’s ago before the deer season. The deer where hitting it almost right away which surprised me. Have done a fair amount for seven years. It’s a good tool, with a lot of benefits for not only deer, but other critters and birds. Plus it really helps out tree’s you want to save. It’s especially useful with area’s full of aspens, which is what we have. Grouse absolutely love it too.
Have had good luck doing it the fall and late spring. When I’ve done it in the winter, have more brake off or crack because of being frozen, that’s why I do it in the fall or late spring. Would like to know a preferred time frame when it’s most beneficial for the tree to survive the longest? Still learning all the in’s and out’s.
Like everyone has said Grouse, it’s very helpful tool to thin out large canopy trees where there is little to no undergrowth. I have done it quite a bit to release oaks that were being shaded out by huge maples and tons of smaller maples. Basswood and maples are great winter browse for the deer. Most of mine has been done in late February or March. Haven’t had great luck with hinging maple, most of them break or do not continue to grow, but the basswood hinging has been very successful.
Grouse
Here is a quick random listing of a few things that have proven itself as very successful at my place. I have to get rolling to an appt, so rushing through this.
1. My focus is creating grazing/bedding area that faces to the south / southeast
2. Easy and concealed short travel to food plot/annual food sources
3. OPEN that canopy up. Your not hunting in this, your proving sanctuary so the deer have every reason to remain on your property. Long term, thicker is better
4. I have a source for round bales that are molded/damaged.. so I’ve placed a few along the north lip /edge of the bedding area. Not everyone has this available and I understand. But if you can place a few, deer use it to bed in during the worst of winter and they last for years.
5. Tree planting – If you can plant a few evergreens along the northern edge of your sactuary/bedding area, you’ll provide an awesome wind break from the miserable north winds.
6. Don’t work too hard on relocating bedding areas. Work smarter by enhancing what they are already using.
7. Besides the hinged trees, make brush piles that are 20 to 30 feet long and 8 to 12 feet tall. These piles additionally make wind breaks and they will bed around them as weather dictates.
8. if you have food plots right next to your bedding area, make additional brush piles along the edge of the opening. It funnels the deer to specific areas and provides cover as they enter/leave the plot.
Few pics of things I’ve done at my place
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pic files are too large, so multiple posts
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more
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This is all good stuff, thanks guys.
So critique this plan per attached photo. Since I’m working by myself in the winter, I have to focus on improving 1 or 2 areas at most.
I’m thinking of improving existing bedding areas 1 and 2 as shown, by dropping/hinge cutting trees in a V shape to block winds from N and W.
I have special high hopes for area 1 because this area is a long shallow slope with mature popple and from a stand on the west edge of the south plot, I can look into this area and see deer heads and ears sticking up. My hope is to make this area even more appealing by blocking wind and opening up canopy to thicken it up somewhat on the edges because it is getting very thin due to mature trees blocking sunlight.
Thoughts?
Grouse
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I like the over all plan. Always hard to see everything from a satellite view.
Nice thing is you don’t need to get hit all done in 1 year. Yes, it’s nice to bang it out and get on to other projects. But I would take the most promising area and work on that first. Won’t take a lot of time, but see how the deer respond. From there, keep enhancing it. Unfortunately for me, it’s been a process over the last 25 years. But from what I learned, I can make small changes and see pretty quick results. Your welcome to give me a call anytime to talk through what’s worked well at my farm. 262 617 5161
100% agree with Randy, don’t plan to get all this done this winter. Start with your #1 spot and knock down the big mature trees that are create the most canopy. The hinge cut some smaller trees to fill in gap in the wind/weather break. See how the deer respond this summer and fall and then proceed accordingly.
Most of all once you create this are for bedding stay out of it all summer and fall and only go in there in the spring to do additional hinge cutting or other improvements and maybe shed hunt. Make it thick and nasty and then keep it human scent free.
I did a large are of super thick mature maples in our sanctuary in 2014. I thought it was a perfect are for a hinge cut because they liked bedding there. I knocked down a lot of huge maples then filled in with smaller ones(see pic below). To my surprise they didn’t browse the limbs much or use it for bedding that first spring, but now it is a mecca for them to bed.
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How high do most of you hinge cut the tree? I usually try to do around chest to shoulder height so the deer can still walk under. Is that to high?
How high do most of you hinge cut the tree? I usually try to do around chest to shoulder height so the deer can still walk under. Is that to high?
#1 – safe working height. Doesn’t do any good if you get seriously hurt!
I haven’t really noticed any difference in the last 15-20 years that is mattered much. What I have noticed for a height is their perception of concealment. If its just a bit taller than they are, all is good.
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