Thickening Up my first farm

[Trapshooter1]

So the farm I bought has 25 acres of river bottom. The bottom is pretty hollow with very little under brush/ thick areas. In this river bottom the water rises fast and falls fast. The bottom Is full of huge mature maples. I'd really like to thicken it up for the deer. Should I go in and cut out as many of the big maples as possible??? What has worked for you guys??? My goal is to make it a 25 acre sanctuary where the deer can go, and not be harassed. The deer mostly bed on the neighboring property.(my 25 acres is a block in the middle of the neighboring farm).

The deer do not have a lot of pressure from the 160 acre property around mine, Only hunted 2 days a year. But the properties to the south and north of our properties get a lot of pressure. I have the tillable acres, so I can control the food sources for this area.

 

[Daver]

I don't think that I have great advice in this area, as my farm does not have river bottom at all. However, back in the day, I used to hunt several farms that did. Here is what I would say...I think no matter what you do, in a wet year you could lose all your "thick", so these ideas would apply to the years where the river isn't out of it's bank.

You still would want to take out large, over story trees so sunlight can get to the floor. I would look into having those big maples logged and then, depending, I might use my own chain saw and take out a few more. Low areas with willows will definitely hold bedded deer...maybe get some willow thickets going. Even in those years where it floods out, I think the willows will survive and come back well in subsequent years.

Does the high water "back up" to this area or "flow through" it? If it just gets wet sometimes, I would do some hinge cutting too. If the river runs through it at times, I think your hinge cuts would probably be headed down stream, so not a great approach IMO.

 

[crietveld]

I agree with Dave, log the maples to open up the canopy and then plant willows.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I had this exact scenario except it was cottonwoods. I logged and had a pallet sale and then followed them with my own TSI.

Here is the video afterwords. JUNGLE.

Here was the original condition.

 

[C-LINE10]

So the farm I bought has 25 acres of river bottom. The bottom is pretty hollow with very little under brush/ thick areas. In this river bottom the water rises fast and falls fast. The bottom Is full of huge mature maples. I'd really like to thicken it up for the deer. Should I go in and cut out as many of the big maples as possible??? What has worked for you guys??? My goal is to make it a 25 acre sanctuary where the deer can go, and not be harassed. The deer mostly bed on the neighboring property.(my 25 acres is a block in the middle of the neighboring farm).

The deer do not have a lot of pressure from the 160 acre property around mine, Only hunted 2 days a year. But the properties to the south and north of our properties get a lot of pressure. I have the tillable acres, so I can control the food sources for this area.

I had exact situation in two areas---sell the maples (if they are big enough) you get good money and great cover for a couple years. The first year they also browse on the tree tops, it was unreal how many deer were in there the first year. In fact that was several years ago and I'm about ready to do it again myself as the maples grow pretty fast and I think more are ready.

 

[Wi transplant]

Maples can bring decent dollars from logging !! 100 log fist then hinge cut and add additional willows and cedars ! Northern white cedar love wet feet!!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Hardwood11]

Dogwood grows well in low land