DBL-LUNG

Is there anyone out there that has some good tricks for creating bedding areas for whitetails...

I am planning on two areas, one is going to be 50 yards wide by 100 yards long right next to the river... The other is dead center of the property which we have about a half acre to an acre that we use as a small sanctuary!! I would like to make it thicker and bigger. Are there some neat ideas to make these better than just cutting half way through trees and laying them over, so there is about 3 to 4 foot under the laid down tree... I am working with about 20 acres...

Thanks in advance...

thundermug

It will be expensive!

First clearcut the area. Then replant withpines, two feet apart in every direction. In five years the growth will be so thick you can't walk thru it and the deer will start to use it as a bedding area. Mix in some briars when you replant

DBL-LUNG

I am limited on the equipment that I can get down into these river flats... I have planted 500 pine trees down in there before, and none of them survived!! Either deer ate them or the water level came up and froze the water around the base of the tree and that killed it... I am in Michigan remember, we get lots of snow and ice...

Rack-attack

Thats a tough job, for such a large area.

Cutting tops is probably the cheapest way - but doesn't sound that great to me. Then the beds are just dead wood. Deer still like to have some browse in there bedding areas. The tops will probably inhibit most brush and grasses to grow. Ideally I would want Live growth to be my major cover.

If you cleared a few small areas within the fallen trees that would allow the growth or planting of a hardy plant - like briar or such. Or something with some food value I think it would be much better.

Don't forget to leave a few trees standing for my Summit

osiris

Log out about half to three quarters of the trees, cut em up and and leave the tops lay. The added sunlight that will reach the ground will create an abundance of forbes, prickers and weeds. It will also allow saplings to begin to grow and creat a definate thicket. As other have mentioned you can also plant pines or other trees and shrubs to increase the amount of forage/ cover below 5 feet. You can also try "hinge cutting" of samller trees to allow more sunlight to reach the floor as well. I would also reccomend that you NEVER, EVER set foot in these areas. This has worked vcery well for us. Hope this helps you too. TGK

Fieldmouse

I have seen this done on state game lands. I don't know where you get the PVC growing tubes (for lack of a better name) but they use these tubes to protect the begining saplings from deer, other animals and harsh weather.

The tubes are about 4 ft tall with a hole in the bottom to allow excess rain out. They aren't solid as to not let in the sun but they aren't clear either so that the tree would bake. But they do provide a very effective growing area.

thundermug

OK if it is a bottom, swampy sorta area then you need fast growth...very fast. Try honeysuckle, greenbriar, or even (God forbid) Wysteria. Wysteria is a climbing vine with clusters of blue flowers that will eventually kill everything in its path. It is as bad as kudzu.

The only other option...wait a minute...if this area floods then you don't want a bedding area there! Move to an area next to this area and cut it and replant. You do not want to flood the bedding areas because this is where fawns spend ¾ of their time.

One type of food source you may want to consider is cranberry, and another is greenbriar, which is a good bedding area plant.

OregunHntr

I dont think "You can make a bedding area". They are going to bed down
where ever the H#ll they please and they feel comfortable with.

Double Creek

I think you can create a bedding area.

Rack-attack

Even though it may Jeopardize my Sponserships - I have to agree with DC[8D]

if you create a large enough area that is thick - Deer will use it as a Safe Haven

And if it is in the right area - with the right conditions - I think there is a very good chance to get some mature buck holding up in it.