dbltree's hing cutting thread

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Here's an example of using cut trees for blocking in a narrow semi open area that is already a natural funnel. The area will be planted to clover and the sides blocked to force deer to use only a few runways where stands can be located.

A few scattered oaks were left standing...



I used the tractor and loader to push up trees into a natural "fence" along the edge



Small openings can easily be filled by hinging a few weed trees into the opening.







These areas will quickly explode with lush new growth, primarily blackberry and sumac that will provide both screening and browse







The long narrow area leads to other food sources but deer are far more likely to enter this very secluded and hidden area long before dark



Some edges we will edge feather during winter months, taking advantage of the plethora of cull/weed trees along the edge



These will be hinged and then pushed around parallel with the field to create even more blocking/funneling.



White clover will work perfectly in this area, the only crop able to withstand the heavy grazing that will occur here thanks to high deer densities, but also easy to maintain with occasional spraying and mowing.

Look over your aerial maps because you may find you have a spot where something similar might work for you and edge feather/blocking can be done along any field edge to provide screening, browse and a funneling effect.

 

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These are summer time pics of Timber Edge Feathering done as recently as this past winter and you can see how the edge then explodes into a jungle of new browse that also provides a dense screen between the field edge and bedding areas within the timber.



It also creates an impenetrable "fence" or blocking effect that forces deer to use only one runway left open.



Blackberries are usually the first to fill the open area left when the trees are tipped over



Hinged trees further in help to funnel deer to one runway





This is one of those runways, coming through a small opening I plant to rye an clover every fall.



Again, hinged trees form a blocking effect that funnels deer out this runway





Funneling deer out one runway allows for more accurate trail cam surveys and gives us a better idea where to hunt an individual buck this fall...

When I get where I'm going....don't cry for me down here...

 

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The value of screening our timber cannot be underestimated and there is no faster way to do it then hinging trees both along the edge and the interior. The following are pictures of timber where we did radical hinging to help screen the bedding areas from outside field activity (farming, food plots, approaching stands etc.)



This area is not one where we really needed to do a lot of trail blocking so screening was the primary intent



Every hinged tree is very alive and sending up a massive amount of cover and browse and unlike previous to hinging, we no longer see whitetails fleeing from the area as we pass by for normal farming activity.



That compared to a timber where conventional TSI was done....it's wide open!



We have to drive by this timber to work in the fields and deer run from it every time we do so....a problem easily fixed with a chainsaw!



Hinging cull trees is important for all facets of our habitat program because it creates thick bedding areas, plentiful browse, screening that insulates them for the outside activities and can be used for trail blocking as well....

 

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October 7th, 2011

I don't normally get out the chainsaw in October but some of the farms I manage need some screening/blocking work done before the rut starts so I've been working away at it. The purpose here is not create bedding but start creating a safe bedding area beyond by edge feathering/hinging trees along the edge to roughly 50-75 yards in and to block off multiple runways at the same time.

Started out looking like this...deer can see anyone approaching/traveling along the timbers edge which is wide open across the width of it!



A short time later...standing in the exact same spot it looks like this!



next year it will begin to really thicken up with new under growth as blackberries, shrubs and stump sprouts explode to life.



but already the edge is completely blocked off from sight and travel



Deer can feed, travel and bed along the interior edge feeling secure and safe



the area beyond will eventually be hinged to create a more desirable bedding area



The interior "edge" will become a new runway in time and only the best opening(s) will be left to make hunting more productive.





With some exceptions...only the oaks and walnuts are left standing



and the difference in canopy is obvious

 

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Plenty of oak seedlings that would never have survived will eventually rise above the mass of undergrowth





The previous landowner had wisely planted red cedars along the edge and in time they will further screen and insulate the bedding area.



Not only will these area eventually hold more deer but will be more likely to hold mature bucks which in turn will be easier to harvest when funneled through one or two openings. Late March is a great time to work in the timber but early October can also be a good time to get some runways blocked off to increase hunting success this fall....

 

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Here's an example of using edge-feathering to block multiple runways and funnel deer by a stand...

There is more to this picture of course but deer had been using multiple runways coming straight out to the feeding area and rutting bucks ran helter skelter as they pleased, taking the shortest route to the next bedding area. So we took advantage of an old clearing, cleaned it up and are in the process of establishing clover. I blocked one side part way in and left the other side open. the edge is mostly young white and red oaks and is heavily used as a scrape line.Now...ALL deer must pass thru the clearing/funnel within 20 yards of the stand.



This is a view up the clearing which is now in the rye/oat/pea/radish mix to establish a perennial stand of white clover and is being heavily grazed. A cam that sends pics directly to the landowner without visiting the cam reveals heavy usage of the scrape line as well. Note also the young red oaks which are dropping acorns to add to this beautiful setup! Fruit trees could also be easily added to increase the effectiveness of drawing deer to this clearing first...



I hinge or fall ALL trees except for oaks and walnuts and where necessary I go in to the interior 50-80 yards to get a complete block. The exterior trees will almost always be leaning towards the field so eventually I will use the tractor and loader to push them around parallel with the field edge.



Because it's a new clover seeding around the field edge I'll wait til freeze up to move the trees but the edge is fully blocked already!



Trees are primarily honey locust, elm and hedge trees



and they create an impenetrable living fence which will only get better as sunlight and spring rains bring a flush of new growth this coming year!



This winter I will push the trees around with the tractor and loader but one could cut the limbs off and pile them by hand if equipment was not available.



The edge feathering will not only block/funnel deer but creates an awesome screen that allows deer to bed feeling safe and secure. It helps cut down on trespassing and poaching problems because it is nearly impossible to get thru the thorny mess without getting cut to ribbons...(don't ask me how I know...

)

In cases where the edge is primarily oaks, there may be some that need to be thinned, lower branches that can be cut off or logging done (in which case push the tops in to create the blocking effect). Edge feathering will also create a plethora of new browse as shrubs and blackberries spring up and allow crops to grow near the edge without being shaded.

Keep track of deer movement this fall and see what areas of frustration you can eliminate with a...chainsaw....

 

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One of the great things about hinging for blocking is that you can get very accurate trail cam surveys and often even a relatively small area can be "funneled" up in 10-15 minutes with a chainsaw. I did that very thing for a friend recently where bucks were coming up out of a draw and filtering out thru a 50 yard wide area making it impossible to catch them all on the cam.

When I got done...they all have to walk down this runway!



it took only minutes to tip over shingle oak, elm and hickory along the edge to create a simple but effective barrier



In this case the funnel is actually reversed with the funnel being out in the field but still....deer will have no choice but to walk thru the funnel...




and right by the trail cam!



Funnels are an extremely effective tool to make harvesting your deer easy and efficient so with a little more work you can funnel them by a trail cam AND your stand! For the third year in a row I have harvested a nice buck with my bow as he traveled thru a funnel I built several years ago. Each year it gets easier it seems and I killed my buck after only hunting two days this year! I passed him in the same funnel last year, noted that he continued to use it this year thanks to the trail cam and then killed him at daylight on October 21st, 2011...pictures and story at this link...

2011 Buck in a Funnel

Funneling deer will significantly lower your frustrations during hunting season and allow you to more accurately monitor deer using your property...all for the cost of some sweat equity on a Saturday afternoon....

 

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Example of a hinged tree...in this case cut for blocking but it shows how the hinged tree now also provides browse, screening and in the right area bedding





Little hard to see here but the area in the background was hinged last winter, so while you may not be able to see in detail...what you don't see is a wide open area that deer do not feel comfortable using.



This pic shows re-growth 4 years after hinging trees...this is rich low land soil so that often causes an explosion of new re-growth both from hinged trees and the reduced canopy. Typically where higher ground such as a ridge is immediately adjacent, deer will choose the ridge for bedding, if the area is all flat and low they will probably seek out subtle rises that are drier depending on the time of year. This area is primarily used for browsing and travel cover and they bed on the adjacent ridge. Note the thick blackberries and shrubby cover along the outer edge, further screening deer as well as providing edge browse.



One of our goals in managing our timber resources should be to promote quality oak timber growth and mast production through proper Timber Stand Improvement methods. Hinging can be a tool to help in this process especially in areas that may be 60-90% "weed trees" both to reduce canopy and competition but also to promote regeneration and where needed, allow for hand planting of oak seedlings.

Regeneration will vary by soils and level of seed trees in the area but here are some examples of my own timber where hinging has been ongoing for 4-5 years now. Young oaks are reaching up thru the mass of undergrowth...









Often the perception is that due to the resulting thick undergrowth that oak regeneration is not possible and there are extreme cases where invasives do make regeneration impossible so each landowner must monitor the results of their hinging project and be prepared to take steps to control invasives which could include everything from Reeds Canary grass to Honeysuckle.

In most cases in my area the hinging itself has released the seedlings by reducing canopy and they quickly spring to life. You can see that there is simply no competing canopy from this hickory, yet it provides bedding and browse for whitetails where once there was zero of either.



Beds abound in the hinged area which means that the presence of deer will also mean increased browsing of the young oaks



Seedlings in the wide open are far more likely to be browsed then...



Those coming up thru hinged tops



and resulting blackberry brambles



Young oaks can endure some shading when young yet will survive to grow above the blackberries

 

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On this farm the oaks consist of primarily burr (white species) oaks and black (red species) oaks....neither of which are the ultimate in either hardwood or mast preference



So I started native white oak and red oak acorns from seed in Rootmaker cells from trees noted for good mast production and had planted them this fall amongst the hinged trees. An 18 cell RM tray and carrier is roughly $6-8 and there was no cost for hand picked acorns...$3-5 for a tube and stake means every landowner could easily add a dozen or two oaks to their hinge cuttings every year.





I also added some Dwarf Chinkapin oaks (white oak) for diversity



but often found it difficult to find a spot where young oaks were not already growing!



Hinging cull or weed trees can be extremely beneficial in providing increased bedding and browse and holding mature whitetails on your property and if done correctly we can also promote oak regeneration which long term will increase the value of our property and further enhance our habitat with increased mast production.

Monitor the resulting "aftermath" of your hinging and be prepared to kill invasives with herbicides and hand plant oak seedlings, using tubes and herbicide to protect them both from over browsing and competition from invasives. Timber is one of our most valuable resources and yet the most often overlooked...look yours over from your tree stand this fall and start making plans for improvement when season is over....

More details on growing oaks from seed here: Acorns - Growing Oaks from Seed

Consider adding some chestnut seedlings while your at it but be certain to tube them and eventually fence them or deer will decimate them.

 

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A few posts back (October 23rd, 2011) I posted pics of funnel I made with the chainsaw in about 10-15 minutes solely for a trail cam survey. Deer were coming in and out of a draw over a 50 yard area but did have one major runway so I funneled them into that runway from each side and put up a trail cam...only a few weeks later the cam had an amazing 750 pictures of whitetails traveling through this funnel. They "checked it out"...especially does, sniffing things over but then continued on their way and quickly adapted to using the funnel...made simply by hinging wed trees at the edge.

These are just a few samples of deer using the runway/funnel...something you can all do to more accurately determine what deer, especially mature bucks...may be using your property or an area of your farm.

























if one has enough weed or cull trees it is a simple matter to hinge trees in a manner that will funnel deer past a camera or better yet...past a stand! I was blessed to be able to harvest my second Iowa archery buck when a doe led him through the funnel past my stand.

Dbltree's Dream

Building funnels not only makes it easier to manage your deer herd and habitat but makes hunting them less frustrating and more rewarding as well...

When I get where I'm going....don't cry for me down here...

 

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November 20th, 2011

Funnels...the more I use funnels accompanied by trail cams the more I learn and then the more successful I am at harvesting mature deer. The following are pictures from a funnel that is 3 years old now and as a trail cam on it 24-7. I use the Bushnell Trophy cams because of 1 year battery life which allows me to place them and forget them until such time as I feel it appropriate to check them. I don't disturb bedding or travel by constantly checking these funnel cams but what I learn is indispensable.

Every funnel is different or can be at least and this funnel which lies between bedding and feed experiences zero use by mature bucks from may through early October, which could be misleading if one look at cam pics all summer! Why hunt here...not a single buck uses it?! So all spring, summer and early fall...doe groups parade thru this funnel every day like clock work until mid October at which point things take an about face! This is the last doe that came through this funnel...on October 31st



This is the first buck that came through on October 18th after which there was a steady parade of bucks that lived on my farm but used entirely different bedding areas.



Each property is unique and different including my own so we will experience slight variations but in this case the bucks tend to live in NWSG and small fingers and draws during the period of antler growth through mid October.



I know they are there via trail cam surveys using salt licks which then helps me identify and age the deer



When the rut approaches however the entire situation changes dramatically and young bucks relentlessly harass does until they begin to seek out safe haven in the same haunts that the bucks used all summer.



The bucks however know where the girls live and they know where they feed and thy begin to pound the trails leading between the two.



As does come into heat the bucks do their best to push them into areas such as open fields, far away from other bucks but in doing so....they tend to go back thru the familiar runways and bedding areas.



Using cams to monitor these funnels then gives me the confidence to hunt them knowing the odds that a mature bucks will travel them are high. perhaps only one buck may pass thru a day and one mature animal every 2-4 days but I know that if I put in my time...it will pay off.



You can see that bucks of all ages an sizes pass through the funnel, every deer within 15 yards of my stand



There is no other way, no other travel route with the exception of wide open fields



and trail cams on the food sources 200 yards away reveal that only rarely do any of these bucks show themselves in the open during daylight hours.



yet the odds of daylight movement go up remarkably where they feel safe in the timber that is heavily hinged on all sides



Because I provide year around food sources that cause all deer on my property to go to ONE feeding place, they all adapt to this



and deer young and old travel the same runway thru the same funnel, day after day, year after year.



This was my target buck who almost never entered the timber....almost never, but he could not resist a doe coming into estrous and later this same day I killed him as she brought him back thru this funnel.



That funnels are effective is obvious but they can be so much more effective when combined with trail cams on duty 24-7



and year around food sources that keep deer coming down these runways rather then constantly changing up to find feed in different fields.



Success is never about ONE thing it is about a myriad of habitat improvements and providing for your deer year around and then hunting your target animal where he is most likely to appear in daylight hours. Trail cams on funnels take the guess work out and give you confidence to put in long hours where the odds are highest.....not only the area, but the time period....

 

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Two more threads I would recommend reading thru are the Timber Stand Improvement and Tree Planting threads. The TSI thread will help you identify crop trees so you don't inadvertently destroy good oak and walnut trees and the tree planting thread will give you dozens of ideas for planting shrubs and conifers for screens. There also many links to great nurseries

While there are many great reasons to hinge trees, the principle reason is to create safe, secure bedding in the form of thick ground cover both from the hinged trees themselves and the thick re-growth that results from opening up canopy. During the rut however bucks may only rarely actually use these ares for bedding on;y because they take time on;y for quick "cat naps" in their relentless search for the next hot doe. November 15th is considered peak rut in much of the mid west so these pictures give one an idea of the short time any buck is likely to spend resting...



The Bushnell cam was set on 3 pic bursts at 1 second intervals which amounts to the next best thing to video and this buck never actually "slept" but rather rested briefly which is common behavior during November





Roughly 30 minutes and...he was on his way



The cam was overlooking a scrape...something I never hunt but I have this farm farm for sale and the purpose was merely to collect pictures of bucks. The spot was already thick with young shingle oaks which creates the same type of atmosphere that whitetails seek out for safe bedding. Several does also bedded within range of the camera but no deer spent a great deal of time there before getting up to feed again. They need to feed (at least on browse) roughly every 4 hours so deer are not apt to spend a great deal of time in any one place so hinge cut trees provide a safe place for them to both rest and feed...

This is an area I worked on for a landowner recently...mostly young shagbark hickory...



Under terms of the cost share plan I went thru and marked the crop trees



Girdled large trees that can severely damage other crop trees if felled (not to mention being dangerous to fall)



and then hinged the smaller trees using some care to "fence in" young oaks to help protect them from marauding bucks and winter browsing







Simply opening up canopy will encourage a flush of new under growth that will provide safe bedding and browse but hinging cull/weed trees will provide immediate bedding and browse and deer will often feed on the tops within hours after being felled in the winter months.

When possible try to avoid hinging on extremely cold days when trees are like icicles and may snap off and use care to hinge them waist to mid chest high for best results.

 

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December 14th, 2011

Timber Edgefeathering

Typically edge feathering is falling trees along the edge but it can also be an area from 50-100 yards into the timber depending on the situation. In this case there are already red cedars along extreme edge, a good thing of course but deer laying inside them could still see under them so I hinged trees immediate behind the cedars and at the same time worked on closing multiple runways down to one.



A look from the back side of the cedars



Deer were cutting across an inside corner but I blocked those runways off forcing them to stay in the timber and passing with in 25 yards of the owners stand.



the trees are hinged high enough to create the greatest blocking screening effect









but even if some break off (usually honey locust) they still serve to create a massive block and screen along the edge





Where possible I filled in holes by falling trees into the opening







Reducing canopy will allow sunlight in to encourage red cedar regeneration along with an explosion of new shrubby browse and screening plants such as blackberries



I used the natural existing runway that traveled along the back side of the cedars and used care not to fall trees into it and if I did, I cut an opening to keep the runway open.










The red cedars already provide some great screening but the EF work will create an even thicker, denser screen to both funnel deer (keep them from entering the field at random points thru the cedars) and provide deer with a greater sense of security behind the mass of hinged trees,

By going all the way around the timber we will eventually have only a couple entrance/exit runways for more accurate cam surveys along with high percentage hunting stands....

When I get where I'm going....don't cry for me down here...

Joshua 24:15 "...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Dbltree Habitat Enhancement - Paul & Jesse Knox Birmingham, Iowa
dbltree2000@yahoo.com jknox0623@gmail.com
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LoessHillsArcher
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Re: Hinging trees for bedding, browse & bottlenecks
Postby LoessHillsArcher » Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:54 pm

Great GREAt stuff Paul! We've found it can be tough to create a funnel by hinging in one year if you don't have the 'type' of trees you have. We tend to have smaller under story trees in the big oak timbers. So we end up having to hinge what we can to create a funnel, then go as far as dragging more cut trees into the hinged trees to thicken it up. And then after all that hard work, we will hunt the setups and still watch deer literally bust through the hinge cut line of trees versus taking the funnel... but these funnels have been the demise of many deer that is for sure!

I'm thinking some edge feathering is in order to get the deer feeling more comfortable traveling through our funnels. We tend to create these funnels on the edges of timber so we aren't walking in 100 yards to get to a bow stand in the morning. But putting a funnel on 50yds inside the timber edge might be the reason some deer feel compelled to divert the easy trail and bust through the downed/hinged trees...

 

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December 19th, 2011

It's always interesting to visit hinged areas several years later and note the difference in cover. These areas from several farms done by other people where I am now doing more follow up work



Compared to the open timber here previously, the are is now growing thick with brushy cover



and that of course attracts deer like a magnet



Hinged area re-growth can be phenomenal, even if the hinged trees do not survive, the simple act of opening up canopy will then cause an explosion of re-growth.



Tree that remain alive become a "living brushpile" and increase both screening and browse



When hinging be sure to make the hinge waist to chest high more like the trees on the left then the one in the foreground



Trees cut higher are more likely to have beds under them although they are attracted to almost any ground clutter that they can back up against

 

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Here is a sample of deer using ground clutter versus overhead cover...the point is to get trees on the ground!











Note the stark difference the hinged trees in the foreground make compared to the wide open "park like" area in the back ground.



Note here the oak regeneration that accompanies the removal of canopy, assuming of course that there are oak seed trees near by.







Hinging trees creates not only much needed bedding but ever important browse as well



There is neither food nor cover in ope timber like this and the runway shown is coming from a hinged area and leading to a food source.



You can radically change the quality of your habitat and hold deer like never before using hinging as a tool



You caution however not to destroy good crop trees so always begin by working with your forester, identifying and marking crop trees and then releasing them by girdling large trees and hinging smaller trees.



I urge you to read through the information on Timber Stand Improvement first

Timber Stand Improvement

Then build better habitat with your chainsaw and some sweat equity...

 

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This is an example of "feathering" the trees starting with the smaller trees at the outer edge and then moving backwards falling taller/larger trees on top of the small ones to block and screen the edge. The right side is an example of an inside corner and how I used edge feathering to block and screen the sides and prevent deer from cutting across the corner. Hinge cut area in the exterior cause traveling deer to skirt the edges (such as a rutting buck) and thus funnel them by the stand.



This is an example of a field I EF and left two openings for trail cam surveys as well as one near another inside corner where a natural steep draw pinches down deer and forces them near the corner. Rutting bucks should be hunted in the interior of the timber rather then the edge where they feel comfortable in daylight hours and runways that connect bedding areas and run parallel to feeding ares such as this are high percentage spots.



Note that while the stand is in the timber it is not far in this case and no bedding is near by allowing the hunter to slip in and out with the least disturbance. The fact that there is a draw behind it means deer are not laying on a ridge watching the hunter enter and exit...

 

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Blocking with Edge Feathering

I edge feathered timber a while back but mild west weather kept me from pushing the trees around with the tractor. I always seed around the perimeter with white clover in the fall on new feeding areas and I didn't want to tear up the newly established seeding. A couple days down in the teens allowed me to work on the frozen soil however and I started pushing the trees around parallel with the field edge to both screen and block off multiple runways.

Before



After



Before (note runway)



After...runway blocked with a wall of tree and brush



Remember if there are some holes that are difficult to plug, simply cut some tops off from a downed tree and stuff them into the opening. In most cases here that was unnecessary and the big locusts, shingle oaks and elms provided an impenetrable barrier





I learned as a young boy that if I created brush piles for rabbits that birds would roost in the brush and leave droppings laden with the seeds of berry producing plants and shrubs such as blackberries, grapes, dogwoods, sumac and a host of other shrubby type plants. In time this would turn it into a living brushpile teeming with wildlife and the same is true with edge feathering

What is now seemingly lifeless tree tops will eventually turn into a living screen that not only blocks runways and insulates deer from the outside but also becomes a plethora of browse and soft mast over time.



Next year and each subsequent year these downed trees will in essence become a living fence



but even now forces deer to use on;y the runways we want them too





Use caution because trees are heavy and thorns on honey locusts can flatten front tires quickly....I use SLIME in mine along with careful watch that I don't run the tires up on a batch of nasty thorns!



The results are amazing when deer that once came out dozens of runways must now come out...one



Limiting runways allows us to get far more accurate trail cam surveys as well as encouraging whitetails to bed closer to the centralized feeding area. The feel safe and comfortable and in areas where they are below my line of sight as I walk or drive in, I notice that they simply stay in their beds...sure that they are unseen. Try that when deer are bedded in wide open timber!!

Edge feathering is an extremely effective yet cost effective habitat improvement that almost any landowner can make just remember to explore the Timber Stand Improvement thread first so that you don't destroy valuable mast producing crop trees and then...get busy making your own living fence....

 

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Hinging for bedding

When I go on habitat consultations I frequently find situations where people have been told to hinge small areas within their timber but unfortunately not one of those small areas ever has a deer bed in it or even around it. I encourage landowners to hinge large areas leaving small pockets of open areas within the hinged areas. Usually this happens naturally if there are crop trees or conifers but in some cases I run into areas that are 98% weed trees (at least in my view). My definition of a "weed tree" is any variety or species other then oaks, chestnuts or black walnuts but every landowner may have different goals and far different tree species. Every property is unique and every landowner does not necessarily have the same goals so each must decide what is right for them and their personal situation.

All of that said...if holding mature whitetail bucks on your property is you main goal there is one very important thing to remember...the one with the MOST COVER...wins! Cover...is not wide open timber, it is thick brushy habitat where one can not see "feet" into it and cover includes ares of tall NWSG.

The following are pictures of recent hinging I did for a landowner with some pure stands of shagbark hickory with a few locusts and elms scattered throughout.



Most hickory's stay hinged pretty well



But honey locusts tend to break off



When larger trees fall on smaller ones...



the small trees tend to break off



But this is nothing to worry about because the reduced canopy will encourage new growth....compare this to the open timber in the back ground!



As long as there is a "hinge" or connecting bark most hinged trees will remain alive for a number of years, although not all will survive long term simply because new growth will rise up thru the downed trees and the resulting canopy will kill the hinged trees.



Managing ones timber resources then is an ongoing, never ending job



So while I encourage you to hinge relatively large areas, do your entire timber area in a succession over a number of years



Eventually you'll find yourself staring to work in the original areas once again...5-10 years later



The downed trees will make instant cover



and hinging at roughly 4' high will provide plenty of ground cover



It's a mess...a beautiful mess that will be one of the most important habitat improvements most landowners will ever make.



Instant screening and an overnight ready food supply of fresh browse is whitetail heaven!



Remember to do the edge as well and push trees around to block off extra runways and further screen and insulate deer from the outside.



If you desire success....focus on the cover first and the feed second....unfortunately people make it all about the food sources and in doing so...they lose! Lot's of thick natural cover will guarantee you have lot's of whitetails.... lot's of food without premium cover means you'll likely be frustrated and disappointed.

If you succeed or fail is up to you but...if your reading this you have the now have the tools to successfully reach your goals of holding and harvesting mature whitetails on your property....

 

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The following is an example of trail blocking/funneling on a farm where the previous landowner had already started awesome habitat work. NWSG, TSI, hinging, centralized feeding areas, tree plantings, cedar screens and fruit tree orchards. He also is a very successful hunter and his stands were all in the interior of the timber on well defined rut runways connecting bedding areas. The only concept that eluded him was that of trail blocking and funneling so when the new owner hired me to manage the habitat....I went to work make an already great work....even better.



Note in orange the stands (left in place by the previous owner) that were very productive yet also note by the yellow lines that deer could easily travel any number of runways that would pass 60-80 yards from either stand. By utilizing the natural funnel of the creek and fence and then narrowing that funnel via the falling of trees (hinging) I have been able to force ALL the deer by the outside corner of the fence where a blind will be located.

Note that the timber across the fence has not had TSI or hinging done so it is open and deer prefer not to travel thru it.



That compared to the thick, brushy environment on our side thanks to efforts by the previous landowner. As thick as this is....deer burrow thru it and had a runway that I blocked by falling to large trees (forked) one in each direction.



I took advantage of shagbark hickories in the area



to create a blocking effect

 

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At the junction of the runways at the fence corner I installed a cam that will let us know if this spot will be productive during the rut as well as providing us accurate deer surveys from that area of the farm.



Because of the fence and the need to clear for a blind I had to clear some trees and decided to push the cut trees to create more blocking and possible sow some clover in this semi open spot in the timber. The newly placed cam noted progress as well as the whitetails using it literally a few hours later.

Before











A little final clean up



all of which did not affect the deer even the slightest and they used the new funnel immediately!







Dozens of deer traveled thru this funnel the first night



Every property is different and unique but hopefully by following this thread you can pick up ideas that will allow you to improve your habitat and manipulate deer movement at the same time. Keeping in mind that there is not one simple answer to successfully harvesting a 4-5 year old buck every year. It's about year around food sources in one centralized feeding area per 80-120 acres. It's about surrounding that feeding area with thick brushy cover and/or native warm season grasses and increasing browse and bedding areas thru TSI and hinging efforts and then creating funnels in the interior of the timber between bedding areas.

No one answer, no easy effortless way to success but rather a lot of hard work and effort over 3-5 years before it all comes together.

Remember to use Protective Gear and good judgement in deciding to hinge or girdle trees.

Explore all of the planning options in Getting Started

Put all the pieces of the puzzle together because leaving some out will be like art....unfinished....