Bedding Area Size?

[singlecoyote]

If you were going to do a block planting of Cedars/Pines/Spruce for bedding, how many acres would be neccessary? Same thing for a NWSG planting for bedding? 3, 5, 10, 20, 40 acres?

Also, would you rather have this on a SE facing hill side or on flat bottom land?

All thoughts and ideas a greatly appreciated!

 

[dbltree]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Single Coyote</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you were going to do a block planting of Cedars/Pines/Spruce for bedding, how many acres would be neccessary? Same thing for a NWSG planting for bedding? 3, 5, 10, 20, 40 acres?

Also, would you rather have this on a SE facing hill side or on flat bottom land?

All thoughts and ideas a greatly appreciated! </div></div>

I think in both cases bigger is better but at the same time any small area can be utilized.

Most of us have limited areas and dollars to work with so we do what we can with what we have to work with.

Two acres of bedding is better then none but 20 would be awesome!

That goes for cedars or switchgrass.....

With farmland renting out for extremely high rates most folks aren't going to take a large area of cropland and plant it to anything but more crops.

CRP is a different story and generally we are required to put that into some type of NWSG.

To answer your question directly...what are your options? Is planting 40 acres of trees an option or are you just wondering if planting 2 acres is worthwhile?

ANY tree or NWSG plantings are worthwhile but they will certainly hold more deer and a better chance of holding mature bucks if they are larger. 10 acres is good, 100 acres is better a thousand acres is best... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

They definantly love hill sides, especially where the sun will warm those areas. I like cedars on hill sides and switchgrass in lowlands if I have the option..... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[singlecoyote]

[/quote]
To answer your question directly...what are your options? Is planting 40 acres of trees an option or are you just wondering if planting 2 acres is worthwhile?
[/quote]


I'm wanting to plant cedars and switchgrass for bedding.

I have 35 acres, 20 acres of hill ground and 15 acres bottom land farm ground to work with on this. The 15 acres of bottom ground is divided by a winding old creek bed.

I'd like to mix in a food plot or two (3-5 acres total).

Do I do them separate or combine cedars and switch on both pieces. The hill ground and bottom is separated by a river. I know this is kind of vague, just wanted some thoughts from guys that had experience establishing new bedding areas.

Just trying to figure out what I want to do with this area, kind of a one shot deal in my mind.

Thanks for the input.

 

[dbltree]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do I do them separate or combine cedars and switch on both pieces. The hill ground and bottom is separated by a river. </div></div>

You need to seperate them so that you can maintain the switchgrass by periodic burning.

Fire can be devastating to young cedars.

The red cedars will do best on the higher ground while the switchgrass will thrive on fertile low lands.

I would pick 2-3 strategic spots for your foodplots in all of that so that deer will travel from bedding areas to the plots.

You might add some mast producing oaks or soft mast fruit trees in the tree plantings.

You have the potential to create some awesome habitat in those areas! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Anderson]

SC

On my property the deer like to bed on elevated locations. Even in my bottom ground they find the highest spot so they can see whats coming and have an escape route. They will also bed on the southeast side of the ridges so the ridge will block winter winds. This also has the wind at their back and they can see whats coming downwind. I have beds in my switchgrass but I believe they use them at night after visiting the food plots and seldom do I find mature deer in the switch during the day if they can move into the thick stuff. They lay in the bottoms near the creek only on the hottest days. Thats some of my observations