I have 30 acres in Southeast Tn. I had a forester thin my pines and burn 2 years ago. My woods have exploded with green vegetation where it was nothing but pine needles. I’m going to burn every 2-3 years to reset the growth. I have lots more turkey and deer on my property and I get way more daylight pics than at night now. Thanks for the great video!
I took your advice only 40 acre block I’ve got in a creek bottom-timber was cut off 20 years ago and the hunting has been excellent until the last three years. (closed canopy) I went in in February and March and hinge cut pockets of trees and put a lot of structure on the ground. It made all the difference in the world-deer everywhere now! Thanks guys💥
Love how you put the deer model and camera level for the deer eyes and you really get the deer perspective on cover and what is wrong with different areas for bedding
You guys bring up great points from the whitetail deer's perspective..I love how you are bringing understanding of the habitat. Cover, forage, shelter, and ease of transit to cover/wind shelter
I've noticed that deer do like those younger cedar thickets for cover and bedding. While I agree with your point about the ground being barren in there on the floor I do think that deer like the horizontal branch structure between the trees as a barrier for predators to quickly navigate through and allow them time to escape. Im in an area where I don't think there is much thermal cover needed for survival yet the deer still bed in these areas very frequently as well as the other habitat types mentioned.
What age of forest would you recommend for a property? Would you have any closed canopy? Some diversity within your land? If a guy has 80 acres, 90% wooded. Would you create successional growth throughout?
Diversity is key, let the terrain be your template, if you have any west or south facing slopes thin them down to be similar to the last site in the video. You can keep some closed canopy on the north and south slopes but we would still wouldn't keep the entire slope closed canopy.
I have a question about moving around in that thick growth. There is a tremendous amount of forage in the video but if you look past the green stuff and down below it, it sure seems to be impossible to walk through. Tree tops, hinge cuts, and trees down in general gives a lot of light and protection for plants growth but how do deer and other wildlife traverse through it. There has to be some type of corridor, path or something to allow the animals to move through it. What strategies do you put in place when you cut down a bunch of trees for sunlight and have all this down timber at ground level? Pile it up and burn some and leave the rest?
The tree tops and felled trees don't bother the deer at all. But to answer your question we typically follow up on these sites with prescribed fire. After a burn or two most of the woody structure that was laid down to let the sunlight in will be consumed. So after a few years most of the trees and the tops are consumed. Sure, a deer might use a different trail if theres a tree laying in the one it usually uses, but it's not going to avoid an area because of this, especially with the additional food and cover that come with it.
When you open up the canopy will direct sunlight knock back the ferns? My property was mature timber and ferns. Got a cut and am hoping to get rid of these ferns. Thanks
Ferns are shade tolerant. Once you open the canopy and allow more sunlight the ferns will have more competition with other forbs that will grow. It won't eliminate them, but it will certainly change the composition of plants.
Yes we incorporate that when implementing TSI. We usually cut them off lower than that, but either way.. We like species like elm, oak, maple. But deer will utilize the woody browse from tons of species of trees. Also, the new growth provides good cover even after just one growing season!
I'm on a 40 acre piece and I have about 8 acres of it that is so thick with honeysuckle, briars, large sapling and other stuff that I don't see how doe get though it (they do though) more less a buck getting through it. I have a forestry mulcher attachment for my JCB skid steer. Should I just cut it down to the ground and manage it every couple of years by cutting it to a few feet tall in the early spring? Parts of it is so thick this time of year it's pitch black under the canopy at mid day full sun.
Cutting it back would only be a temporary solution. If you were going to cut it all down we would suggest treating the stumps with herbicide, and then managing the area with prescribed fire. Depending on the size of the plants you could potentially set them back significantly with a late dormant season prescribed fire. We have a bunch of videos on prescribed fire specifically talking about controlling invasives! ua-cam.com/play/PLb5o-rUKMbQ7_33hpC-y79uzAT9T-OuQv.html
@Whitetail Properties hey thanks a lot I'll check that out and maybe give it a try. I've never done a prescribed fire on any property before. I've been scared to death always thinking maybe I'll burn a entire property down 😄
@@brandonyoung7760Lol, we hear ya. If you have good fire breaks and proper conditions they really are a very safe thing to do, and incredible for the habitat!
I have 30 acres in Southeast Tn. I had a forester thin my pines and burn 2 years ago. My woods have exploded with green vegetation where it was nothing but pine needles. I’m going to burn every 2-3 years to reset the growth. I have lots more turkey and deer on my property and I get way more daylight pics than at night now.
Thanks for the great video!
Sounds like you have it dialed in!! Thanks for watching!
I took your advice only 40 acre block I’ve got in a creek bottom-timber was cut off 20 years ago and the hunting has been excellent until the last three years. (closed canopy) I went in in February and March and hinge cut pockets of trees and put a lot of structure on the ground. It made all the difference in the world-deer everywhere now! Thanks guys💥
That's awesome! We love seeing people getting out and improving habitat!!
Love how you put the deer model and camera level for the deer eyes and you really get the deer perspective on cover and what is wrong with different areas for bedding
Good information. You two dumbed it down for me so I could understand. Thanks. I got a ton of cutting ahead of me.
You guys bring up great points from the whitetail deer's perspective..I love how you are bringing understanding of the habitat.
Cover, forage, shelter, and ease of transit to cover/wind shelter
Yes! That's what we were trying to do!
@@Whitetail_Properties keep up the good work!
@@francisconti9085 10-4, will do!! Thanks for the positive feedback!
I've noticed that deer do like those younger cedar thickets for cover and bedding. While I agree with your point about the ground being barren in there on the floor I do think that deer like the horizontal branch structure between the trees as a barrier for predators to quickly navigate through and allow them time to escape. Im in an area where I don't think there is much thermal cover needed for survival yet the deer still bed in these areas very frequently as well as the other habitat types mentioned.
Love ur videos very active keep it up
Thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching!
What age of forest would you recommend for a property? Would you have any closed canopy? Some diversity within your land? If a guy has 80 acres, 90% wooded. Would you create successional growth throughout?
Diversity is key, let the terrain be your template, if you have any west or south facing slopes thin them down to be similar to the last site in the video. You can keep some closed canopy on the north and south slopes but we would still wouldn't keep the entire slope closed canopy.
Great video!! Are you guys hunting inside of the cover or on the edge ?
Really depends on the entire setup of the farm, but typically on the edge or in transition areas between the cover and food.
0:30 how did the cameraman not see that huge buck?
Nice video!
Awesome Video
I have a question about moving around in that thick growth. There is a tremendous amount of forage in the video but if you look past the green stuff and down below it, it sure seems to be impossible to walk through. Tree tops, hinge cuts, and trees down in general gives a lot of light and protection for plants growth but how do deer and other wildlife traverse through it. There has to be some type of corridor, path or something to allow the animals to move through it. What strategies do you put in place when you cut down a bunch of trees for sunlight and have all this down timber at ground level? Pile it up and burn some and leave the rest?
The tree tops and felled trees don't bother the deer at all. But to answer your question we typically follow up on these sites with prescribed fire. After a burn or two most of the woody structure that was laid down to let the sunlight in will be consumed. So after a few years most of the trees and the tops are consumed. Sure, a deer might use a different trail if theres a tree laying in the one it usually uses, but it's not going to avoid an area because of this, especially with the additional food and cover that come with it.
When you open up the canopy will direct sunlight knock back the ferns? My property was mature timber and ferns. Got a cut and am hoping to get rid of these ferns. Thanks
Ferns are shade tolerant. Once you open the canopy and allow more sunlight the ferns will have more competition with other forbs that will grow. It won't eliminate them, but it will certainly change the composition of plants.
Has anyone tried cutting trees off at knee height for new growth shoots? If so what tree and size did you try or have success with.
Yes we incorporate that when implementing TSI. We usually cut them off lower than that, but either way.. We like species like elm, oak, maple. But deer will utilize the woody browse from tons of species of trees. Also, the new growth provides good cover even after just one growing season!
Good video thanks
Thanks for watching!
I'm on a 40 acre piece and I have about 8 acres of it that is so thick with honeysuckle, briars, large sapling and other stuff that I don't see how doe get though it (they do though) more less a buck getting through it. I have a forestry mulcher attachment for my JCB skid steer. Should I just cut it down to the ground and manage it every couple of years by cutting it to a few feet tall in the early spring? Parts of it is so thick this time of year it's pitch black under the canopy at mid day full sun.
Cutting it back would only be a temporary solution. If you were going to cut it all down we would suggest treating the stumps with herbicide, and then managing the area with prescribed fire. Depending on the size of the plants you could potentially set them back significantly with a late dormant season prescribed fire. We have a bunch of videos on prescribed fire specifically talking about controlling invasives! ua-cam.com/play/PLb5o-rUKMbQ7_33hpC-y79uzAT9T-OuQv.html
@Whitetail Properties hey thanks a lot I'll check that out and maybe give it a try. I've never done a prescribed fire on any property before. I've been scared to death always thinking maybe I'll burn a entire property down 😄
@@brandonyoung7760Lol, we hear ya. If you have good fire breaks and proper conditions they really are a very safe thing to do, and incredible for the habitat!
hurricane Ida did this to my property in about 5 hours lol
Yikes!!