Hopefully you have TONS of cedars to start because they LOVE to bed with the lack of snow under them.
If it were ME and I had "too many" cedars- I'd hinge or cut them over and leave them lay there.
**Oh, if you let light in there, woody brush and garbage will likely grow up- cedars take much longer for you to notice them. Fast growing stuff will take over BUT cedars will come back in many years down road.
I'm sure some others have done this OR have some input......
If it were ME and I had "too many" cedars- I'd hinge or cut them over and leave them lay there.
**Oh, if you let light in there, woody brush and garbage will likely grow up- cedars take much longer for you to notice them. Fast growing stuff will take over BUT cedars will come back in many years down road.
I'm sure some others have done this OR have some input......
OHIOshedder
New Member
I feathered (hinge cut) a hillside of cedars a few years ago. It's growing up thick with blackberries and vines and sprouting young cedars. Its definitely a preferred bedding area. My slope is north facing, and I'm sure it would be even better if south facing.
dbltree
Super Moderator
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MN Slick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Anybody clearcut or severly thin areas of large cedars. Do the areas fill in with brush or just more cedars? I have a couple ares I'd like to encourage more deer to bed in. Right now the areas under the cedars are bare dirt due to lack of light. Thanks </div></div>
Are they white or red cedars? Up north white cedars react to clear cutting very differently then red cedars.
Anything you clear cut is going to allow new growth to fill in and generally it will be with brush and undergrowth the first few years.
You have to manage the spot or invasives or undesirables can take over.
Are they white or red cedars? Up north white cedars react to clear cutting very differently then red cedars.
Anything you clear cut is going to allow new growth to fill in and generally it will be with brush and undergrowth the first few years.
You have to manage the spot or invasives or undesirables can take over.
I'm not sure if they are red or white. Is there an easy way to tell? The ground is in Northern MO.
Sligh, yes we have a bunch of them. I always thought they were beneficial too but got to thinking these might be too thick since no sunlight hits the ground in there. Perhaps they are bedding in there more than I think but I toured the hillside on Saturday with snow on the ground and didn't see much for beds and none in the areas of thick cedars. The hillside faces east-southeast so there is good protection from the prevailing winds too.
Any other thoughts?
Sligh, yes we have a bunch of them. I always thought they were beneficial too but got to thinking these might be too thick since no sunlight hits the ground in there. Perhaps they are bedding in there more than I think but I toured the hillside on Saturday with snow on the ground and didn't see much for beds and none in the areas of thick cedars. The hillside faces east-southeast so there is good protection from the prevailing winds too.
Any other thoughts?
I'd cut them in PATCHES if it were ME. Let's say you had a 5 acre piece of all cedars- I'd take maybe 3 spots in there and cut 100' x 100' (or whatever) patches and space them apart. I'd do more areas if you have tons and tons of acres like you describe. I think you have a great idea and it sounds like creating lots of brushy areas will help you out a ton, I'd be pulling out the chainsaw for sure, have fun!
*I space them apart SO I can create little pockets for different deer to bed in. One pocket might have 5 does bed there, 200 yards away there might be a buck bedded and 150 yards from that another group of does. Spacing them apart makes deer travel (bucks cruising), it allows does to bed away from bucks and it allows Grumpy old bucks to bed in different pockets as well. I'd do different sizes and do them all over if you can (from the way you make it sound you have plenty to work with).
*I space them apart SO I can create little pockets for different deer to bed in. One pocket might have 5 does bed there, 200 yards away there might be a buck bedded and 150 yards from that another group of does. Spacing them apart makes deer travel (bucks cruising), it allows does to bed away from bucks and it allows Grumpy old bucks to bed in different pockets as well. I'd do different sizes and do them all over if you can (from the way you make it sound you have plenty to work with).
LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
We were thinking of doing something along those lines to an area of cedars on our farm. I believe these are red cedars...not 100% on that. The place started out as a large bowl with mature cedars and oaks on the sides and thick mullberries in the bottom of the bowl. This spring we cut out the mullberries tipping some over and trying to hinge cut some to leave browse for deer.
This fall the deer have stock piled in there, seems to give them more security cover at the ground level. This spring we're going to continue with the project and tip over a few more mullberries and just girdle and tip over some cedars. Just want some more under growth.
I like Skips idea of trying small areas for the first year and seeing how they react. Here are some pics of before and after our "clear cut" of mullberries, really opened light up to the hillside under the cedars. We haven't been up in there to check out the progress because its one of the places we only touch foot if we have to do some work in there.
This fall the deer have stock piled in there, seems to give them more security cover at the ground level. This spring we're going to continue with the project and tip over a few more mullberries and just girdle and tip over some cedars. Just want some more under growth.
I like Skips idea of trying small areas for the first year and seeing how they react. Here are some pics of before and after our "clear cut" of mullberries, really opened light up to the hillside under the cedars. We haven't been up in there to check out the progress because its one of the places we only touch foot if we have to do some work in there.
Grasshopper
New Member
Here in se MN, the DNR actually started some habitat work where they clearcut red cedars growing on south-facing slopes. They did the clear-cutting in winter, then burned the cuts in spring. After the burn, they'd seed native grasses into the openings. This was to re-create grassy openings (called "goat prairies")that were once maintained by naturally-occuring fires.
One goal of the project was to see if local populations of timber rattlers would respond to the improved habitat of the goat prairies. They even captured four rattlers and implanted GPS tracking devices in them.
Anyway, the DNR would even pay area landowners to do the cutting for them. My dad participated, as his small property had some decent cedar stands. Some people went whole-hog, others did small patches and left other cedars alone.
My overall impression agrees with Sligh's comments. I think leaving some cedars for bedding/thermal cover is a good idea. But big patches of red cedar isn't that great for deer, IMO. They grow very dense over time and deer can't even travel through them. The "edge" created by cutting some is attractive to deer, and they seem to like picking for forbs in the openings. Maybe a guy could get creative and clear-cut them in areas that would be advantageous for travel, bedding etc.?
Oh...as for the DNR's "rattlesnake study"...we found out that 3 of the 4 snakes study snakes wound up in tree tops. Turned out hawks and other raptors had better snake-huntin' near those goat prairies!
One goal of the project was to see if local populations of timber rattlers would respond to the improved habitat of the goat prairies. They even captured four rattlers and implanted GPS tracking devices in them.
Anyway, the DNR would even pay area landowners to do the cutting for them. My dad participated, as his small property had some decent cedar stands. Some people went whole-hog, others did small patches and left other cedars alone.
My overall impression agrees with Sligh's comments. I think leaving some cedars for bedding/thermal cover is a good idea. But big patches of red cedar isn't that great for deer, IMO. They grow very dense over time and deer can't even travel through them. The "edge" created by cutting some is attractive to deer, and they seem to like picking for forbs in the openings. Maybe a guy could get creative and clear-cut them in areas that would be advantageous for travel, bedding etc.?
Oh...as for the DNR's "rattlesnake study"...we found out that 3 of the 4 snakes study snakes wound up in tree tops. Turned out hawks and other raptors had better snake-huntin' near those goat prairies!
Joey Rott
New Member
Great advice...
Large Cedar stands are probably my favorite area's to hunt. I would also recommend selecting tree's to take out, rather than clear cutting it all. Cut a few trails, make a few small clear cut's... just whatever it takes to allow the deer to get in an utilize the area.
Then depending on the size & proximaty to the cedars you might be able to plant some NWSG like Big Bluestem or Switchgrass in some of the open areas, which could create some great bedding areas.
Large Cedar stands are probably my favorite area's to hunt. I would also recommend selecting tree's to take out, rather than clear cutting it all. Cut a few trails, make a few small clear cut's... just whatever it takes to allow the deer to get in an utilize the area.
Then depending on the size & proximaty to the cedars you might be able to plant some NWSG like Big Bluestem or Switchgrass in some of the open areas, which could create some great bedding areas.