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Creating Bedding Areas

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petherss

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I suppose this is sort of a spin-off from the edge feathering post. Has anyone done any experimenting with different bedding techniques (other than just tipping over trees and hinge cutting)? I have been reading posts on other forums about a technique that essentially creates an "interior" bedding area with pockets cleared out. The outer circle of cut trees would be cut or hinged low to create visual barrier for predators and from you walking to your treestand. The inner part of the bedding area would be high hinge cuts so that deer could walk under, bed under them etc. Then little pockets clear of brush and debris for deer to lay down. I have also read that you want multiple escape routes leading in and out of the cover so the deer don't feel too trapped inside.

I know this sounds like overkill because deer will and have bedded in less diserable areas but I figured as long as I am breaking my back chainsawing and piling up tops and hinging trees, might as well do it right. Anyone have thoughts or prior experience on this? There are a couple guys in Michigan that run businesses that focus exclusively on this type of thing. I would have them out but they charge way too much for my little woodlot. But......from the sounds of it, the results are unreal. I think this type of thing is for real but haven't heard anyone here talk much about it. Thanks

BC
 
As far as I know with the habitat we have in Iowa there is a lot of switchgrass, indian grass, and buffalo grass stuff like that planted for a lot of bedding areas. There arent a lot of big chunks of timber to create bedding areas in. I am not saying it is a bad idea I think it sounds great and would love to learn more about it. I cant wait to hear what the guys on here have to say.
 
True- I'm probably asking this question to the wrong crowd. I know there are some decent sized woods in IA, but more cover than you know what to do with for the most part. Ok, Thanks anyways

BC
 
Sounds like good idea. Yes my land has tangled places so thick I can't see how deer can crawl into them but they do, lots of bed areas.
 
95% of the doe bedding areas I saw this year were in the woods with no fallen trees around. Halfway down on a ridge, so that they could see the draws and the ridges on the left and the right. I did see some that bed down in the corn one night (in an area with very low hunting pressure).

As for bucks, they busted me twice this year, usually laying next to or between fallen logs.
 
Ok, here is my attempt to illustrate what I've been working on the past couple weekends. This first pic is supposed to be a 'before' pic, but as you can see, I cut a few trees then rememebered I needed a BEFORE pic. oops!

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The rest of the pics are pretty self explanitory. I tried my best to include stumps, trees that I cut, brush and hinge cuts as much as possible. Also tried to create many little 'pockets' within the mess for deer to lay down but yet be separated. Also connected the different pockets with escape routes in/out of the bedding area.

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I cut these popple to open the canopy and hopefully get some thick regeneration from their roots in the next couple years
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Hinge cuts over an escape trail
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Some of the "pockets" I mentioned before
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More hinging and pockets underneath
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Looks nice Buckcrack! I have an area the size of a livingroom that I have done the same thing with this winter. I'll have to take some pics next time I'm out there. It will be fun to see if the deer utilize it the way we hope....the deer have been all over the area that I cut, browsing all the tops that I brought down to their level, but they haven't necessarily been bedding in my "pockets" yet. Thanks for sharing
 
Yup, it's a mature hardwood lot that has about nothing on the ground. Looks like a park. Before, there were a couple of old poplar trees that had fallen down and you could count on atleast 2 deer bedding down in front of them. So.....I knew I had to create more of the same. Trying to find information on exactly how to make that happen is a tall order. To my knowledge, there aren't too many wildlife habitat consultants (or literature for that matter) that you can turn to. Although, like I said earlier, for a price, MI has a few.

kurtish- The deer aren't bedding in my area yet either. but, they did nip every bud off of every top. And the rabbits are lovin life too. Post some pics! Thanks

BC
 
It looks like your on the right track for sure. Northern areas have different dominate tree species then what we do here in Iowa and species like maple and aspen regenerate very quickly compared to hickories for instance.

Opening up your canopy will make a big difference and creating openings in the interior should encourage more forage growth for a few years.

Most northern land managers will work their timber in blocks so that every few years another area is opened up to create a constant succession of different stages of growth. Pretty hard to go wrong with that type of logic.

To some extent we can do the same thing here only on a smaller scale. Doing an acre or two each year will insure great forage/bedding spots that will hold deer. It is important to remember that deer are browers not grazers and we get so wrapped up in foodplots that we forget to manage our land for natural browse/forage via burning or cutting as well.

Thanks for posting the pics and please share some next year as new growth comes in. The "popple" should explode for a few years making great habitat for deer and grouse in your area. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Dbltree- that's exactly what I'm hoping to do in the next couple of years.....open up another bedding area and hunt the travel routes between them when the wind is right. Right now I am taking out junk trees and most ash because of the emerald ash borer that we have here. Most of my ash are goners anyways.

Anyways...as I was cutting trees, I was hoping they would stay up on the log which most did not. I thought about somehow tying the log to the stump. Then I thought, hey i've got a chainsaw, i'll cut a notch to hold it up. Seems like overkill, but I really wanted that 'horizontal' element to the bedding area. Hopefully you can see the v-notch in the stump. I'm sure it's been done many times, just have never heard/seen it done.

08bedding3.JPG
 
Just out of curiosity would it have been easier for you to just "hinge" the tree four or five feet up leaving it connected to its base? I guess that's what I'm used to seeing more so than cutting all the way off. I think hinging the tree and leaving 1/3 or so off the tree uncut actually allows the upper portion of the to still receive water and nutrients so it can stay alive for a while. It would also keep the main portion of the log off the ground thus giving it more time before it rotted out. I'm still pretty green in this part of QDM, just thought I'd throw a few ideas out.
 
OK.....I just reread your initial post. I see what you're doing now. Belay my last. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i've got a chainsaw, i'll cut a notch to hold it up. Seems like overkill, but I really wanted that 'horizontal' element to the bedding area. Hopefully you can see the v-notch in the stump. </div></div>

Neat idea! It is hard to hinge bigger trees but most of the type I cut will stay up fairly well for at least several years beuase of the hardwood branches. Soft trees don't last long as the branches often crush as it hits the ground.

You certainly are thinking about your project and all the ways it's possible to improve your bedding area. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Hey guys. Thought I would update you on how the bedding area is going. I don't have any pics to show off (maybe i'll try to take some soon- but I'm trying to stay out of there until after the rut). Two stories that have me pretty excited about the work I did this winter...

First, during the early ANTLERLESS season, the resident arsehole adjacent landowner wounded a little buck. I watched the buck go straight for the thickened up area that I created this winter. He would have died there if I hadn't poked around the outside of the area a few hours later. He was found dead just off my property.

Second, about a week later a neighbor shot a doe and it headed straight for the thick area. It is becoming clear that the deer in the area feel safe in my little 'experiment'. I think this winter I'll start working on another area to thicken up! The hard work is definitely worth it guys! Good luck this season. Hey Dbl- any more pics of your bedding areas?

BC
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> It is becoming clear that the deer in the area feel safe in my little 'experiment'. I think this winter I'll start working on another area to thicken up! The hard work is definitely worth it guys! Good luck this season. Hey Dbl- any more pics of your bedding areas?
</div></div>

Thanks for the update! It defintely is worth the effort and a little planning can really enhance your property...10 acres or a thousand... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

No pics of mine for now...that's the "safe" places that I will hunt adjacent to but otherwise leave alone.

After season I'll update mine and do some more work of my own... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
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