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after season taking care of the deer.

My friends and I hunt deer and put in a lot of hours. A couple of the gentlemen I hunt with have it right. A week or so after season they start cutting their firewood to keep their homes warm. They cut down a few trees a week all winter and allow the deer to browse on the tops. In late winter they cut the tops and take the cull logs out to block up in the spring. This method helps feed the deer and small game and they strive to keep the forest healthy. The local Forrester encourages us all to leave the tops for wildlife. It does not cost a lot and increases the carrying capacity of the land. If every landowner did this the habitat would improve statewide in my little state of Vermont. I am betting the same tactics would help others.

Cutting tree's for firewood small scale, works for deer. But here, anytime we create a situation to congregate our deer. The wolves come in and feed. Best to just let them survive on their own here without any help from humans during the winter months. Just my take...

I own the 40 acres I live on. I have a big garden and generally use wheat or barley for cover crop. The deer and rabbits love it and feed in it all winter. I put out a couple blocks of salt and the deer love that also. I like looking out of my window watching the deer. My wife can get pretty close to them. She doesn't hunt but said deer should be easy to kill if you keep the wind in your favor and don't move quickly. I have seen her get to within 20 yards of them often. This spring a fawn came right to her. Scared her because she didn't see the doe and was worried the doe my not like her being right next to the fawn.

Providing through winter browse is just one example of what henge cutting does for deer habitat. Bringing the foliage to a level the deer can access it while providing additional cover and security is an excellent management tool for improving the sustainable health and carrying capacity of a deer herd.

When is the best time to hinge cut poplar? Probably have about fifteen acres of dog hair polar that's anywhere from 1 1/2" to 3 1/2" in diameter and its so thick now that the canopy is shading out the under story and crowding the dogwood browse. I's like to hinge cut the largest of the trees to open it up a bit and provide browse. The does use it intensely in the spring for stashing their fawns close by while they feed the edges.

Hello Billy : By December the sap is down. probably for best nutrition the trees should come down earlier . For faster drying you would want to cut much earlier as the leaves will use the sap until they die. Your comment has me thinking. Thank you for your thought. Bob

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