Okay, am I crazy?
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
I have to ask a question about habitat that should get some feedback from our arborists as well as hunters. Are those of you who are determined to wipe out that invasive species of buckthorn actually helping or hurting your deer habitat? I mean I get it, the forest deserves a good forest floor, but I'm not lying, that thick cover is decent bedding habitat, and it's almost impenetrable. The other thing is, deer eat it.
I don't own the woods I hunt, and although I'm allowed to prune trails, I'm likely not allowed to wage war against buckthorn, and damn, we have plenty! There are places you are very very limited on vision, but the deer love it? We have plenty of mature trees, but with gooseberry, honeysuckle, raspberry, wild rose, and buckthorn, there's also plenty of good bedding cover. I'm not even sure I'd wish to open things up due to the fact that this habitat is loved by deer.
Be gentle. I likely know the answer on an arborist perspective, but think about it on another level. Do deer like an open mature woods, or do they like cover....albeit that nasty buckthorn and honeysuckle?
What say you?
Good post Pete. I'm interested in the responses.
I have found buckthorn and honeysuckle to attract and hold deer. Yes, they may be invasive, but I own my property for deer hunting.
Deer may lightly browse buckthorn in the spring when there is tender new growth, but it is very, very low on the deer preference list. The problem with buckthorn is it out competes the native plants, bushes, trees.... out grows and eventually shades them out. I keep buckthorn back to release young oak and cherry seedlings to sunlight. If I like where the oak seedling is growing it may even get a cage to keep rabbits and deer from killing it. The intent is to help maintain long term diverse native habitat for the deer, even to the benefit of the next land owner. The only thing I've noticed that buckthorn cannot compete with is black walnut. If a walnut starts growing near buckthorn, the buckthorn will eventually die from the juglone, faster than most native trees.
sagittarius's Link
This is a preference thing. If you are managing your land for deer Buckthorn isn't terrible. Sure the purists will tell you it is. But I have a lot of "experts" tell me Boxelder is a worthless tree as well. For timber value it is. But for deer cover and hinge cutting I love Boxelder.
Good feedback so far. Thanks
I know it hurts like a dickings when you get it bedded. I also can tell you whitetail move through it. We have remove lots from the hunting land. I prefer to hunt where there is still buckthorn and locks still standing. I see way more mature bucks then other on land hunting food plot and open woods. Might not always get shot but just saying.
I hate buckthorn with a passion. I have missed many afternoon hunts walking to my stand coming across those evil green leaves in late October then pulling seedlings for a hour+. My land is pretty clean, yet every year I seem to find a older tree dropping those ugly purple berries. Over the years I enjoy the managing of my forest as much as bow hunting. Over the long term in my opinion buckthorn and garlic mustard will ruin a property. Deer will adapt but land overrun with buckthorn makes me cringe
Haha, there's my guy. Thanks treegeek. I fully understand your passion.
Just saw this thread. I pulled the prickly ash and buckthorn out of our property by hand over the last few years and cut down many of the maple trees in order to open the canopy a bit. Now, there is a great flush of elderberry, broadleaf forbs, and tree saplings coming up. I think the diversity of plant species is better than a thicket of prickly ash or buckthorn.
I've been cutting any buckthorn taller than 5'. I've cut many off the property that were +7" in diameter. In those mature areas I usually spray 2/3 of the stump clumps.
Are you guys using Garlon to spray the stumps after cutting?
I had my land in the UP, select cutted in 2015. The logger had contracted a cutter to come in and drop, what was marked by the forester from the state, of MI, and himself...
I remember the guy, coming in with 6 saws, in the back of his truck, all on their own braces,,,,, He said, the guy is bringing in one skidster, and wants no stumps,,,,
i was amazed how he cut stuff down, and would quarter stumps, you could kick apart with your boots,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
it was obvious i got the right crew,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I just hired the same guys, to select cut, another 40 acres, i bought in the UP, last week, on a fire sale,,,,, Its amazing what divorce in families can bring,, ha ha
So groundhunter your answer is??????
Pete,
I don't think you're crazy. The Buckthorn on my property is moderate bad - bad. There was a very nice poster here (can't remember his name) that gave some great advice on it, but I just wasn't willing to tackle it myself and commit the time. I also got a quote and it was in the $500-$600/acre range.
The bigger issue in my opinion was that I discussed with the neighbors on 3 sides and none of them wanted to do anything about it and frankly if they don't whatever I do will come right back quickly again anyways.
Also, to your point, the deer don't seem to mind it and it creates some thick cover. I've had decent success in and round it so why fix what isn't broken.
Think of buckthorn kind of like the stimulus checks. They seemed pretty cool until the inevitable results we are seeing right now. Buckthorn my seem ok when it's new, but sooner or later it will be devastating to both your "land you own for hunting" and the ecosystem as a whole.
You can probably answer this better than most, Skook, if you run through the woods with one of those huge Fecon forest mulchers, is that a temporary fix? Or will that grind down deep enough to take care of buckthorn?
Again, I cut down what I can for visibility from my tree stands, but there are buckthorn trees well over 30 feet at this point, and it is everywhere. I have found the thickest spots will drown out any natural growth, but because it's not mine to contend with, it is mine to deal with. I certainly have placed many stands near those thick places. Some of which are nearly impenetrable if it wasn't for selecting a few and dropping them. Most people are uneducated on trees, and until a few years ago, I identified them as cherry trees because they were so large.....they are not cherry trees lol!
treegeek's Link
30ft buckthorn! I’m feeling woozy.
I literally laughed out loud treegeek.