Shallow pockets acres
- Thread starter Mstains
- Start date
Mstains
Member
How long till I can get to wear I don't have to cage every thing? It's been five years I've opened up around three acers to let native browse grow but every thing I cage the deer still want. From what I see on camera and in person I have 5 or 6 does that feed on my ground in the summer from may to oct. they feed here a couple of days and move off for a couple of days. Sometime in oct. I get up to 6 bucks coming through but they rarely are there more than once. After oct. I might have a couple does still around till dec. then I may have 2 or3 deer come through a couple times a month till may, That don't seem like too many but every thing is getting browsed to the ground.
stump sprouts
sassaphras 
pines
greenbriar 
hazelnut 
birch which I have let some regrow just to have extra browse My big question is if I put higher cages around my hazelnuts will the deer eat them down to nothing or will they only feed on new growth? I guess I need to get rid of a couple more does, which my grandson did take one last year. I want to see more deer but I also want what I'm planting to grow.
stump sprouts sassaphras pines greenbriar hazelnut birch which I have let some regrow just to have extra browse My big question is if I put higher cages around my hazelnuts will the deer eat them down to nothing or will they only feed on new growth? I guess I need to get rid of a couple more does, which my grandson did take one last year. I want to see more deer but I also want what I'm planting to grow.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That's the conundrum, we plant for deer, but we don't want the deer to eat everything prematurely. You are on the right track, let some sunshine in and browse will grow. I cage my trees with 3 foot diameter wire, 4 foot tall, until the tree has plenty of top growth above the deer's reach, which is at about 5 years old. I uncaged one at 3 yrs old and the deer immediately went and nibbled the lower growth back, so I'm thinking I'll let it go longer before removing the wire.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I spray for weeds around my fruit trees with Gramoxone. This product won't kill the trees, but you need a license to buy it.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
It looks like a good year for Turkey broods at my place too. Hopefully the wet spring and summer doesn't affect the survival rates.
