Dogghr's Theory of Random Clusters or Hinge Cutting Manipulation

[Tap]

Tap, all I know about Tony is what little I've heard him mentioned on the forums. I do believe in what I call the "Amusement Park" approach. Is there a place where you can read about his theories?

Hmmm, not sure about that. I attended his boot camp and toured his property. Not sure if much of his stuff is in print.
I do remember threads on that old forum about Tony...they were love/hate.

I will say this, the habitat improvement on his 55 acre property was absolutely amazing. But more importantly, I don't base my judgement on only his tour. I've also attended Barry Wensels boot camp, toured Neal Dougherty's farm, and toured some other properties. I'm 61 and have been a student of whitetails for a long, long time. So when I witnessed the incredible habitat manipulation that Lapratt has accomplished, I did so with an educated eye.

Creating complex edge like the OP Doggher is critical when improving small properties.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[lakngolf]

If you're a Whitetail what would bar hopping be called???

 

[Lewi B]

FUN!!!!!!!!

 

[Native Hunter]

If you're a Whitetail what would bar hopping be called???

Plot Pouncing......

 

[BenAllgood]

If you're a Whitetail what would bar hopping be called???

Cluster Crawl

 

[lakngolf]

Cluster Crawl

Ding ding ding. Winner!

The name of book by dogghr and Native and Chainsaw!

 

[BenAllgood]

Ding ding ding. Winner!

Yes!!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[dogghr]

Ding ding ding. Winner!

The name of book by dogghr and Native and Chainsaw!

Well I see you guys have been going full throttle while I’ve been on the road. Great commentary in a lot of directions. And good thinking as sex is one of the primary drivers of my theory. Cluster Crawl is excellent name as is Looking for Love in All the Right Places.
Remember the other 2 Ss tho... Sustenance/food and Safety. The Clusters help provide all three in the edges they create. Again doesn’t have to be thick, they will cruise, browse, and bed their edges as long as other factors are involved.
Notice these pics the cuttings look sparse but if you look closer you can see new growth if everything from GB to mast producers to natural shrub.
Many allow a logger to high grade repeatedly their timber and what do we get??? A mess of invasive from MFR,AO, and a Forest transitioned to shade tolerant trees.
If careful one can open the canopy allowing increases production of mature mast producers , get natural deer browse flora , some deer friendly shrubs and grasses, all while creating edges and tempting the deer to hopscotch over your property and near your stand placement.
This may not work on all lands but I think it can be done most places simply by tweaking the needs.
I’ve witnessed nature doing the exact thing from the prairies to the southern Savannah’s to the northern conifer thickets.
I’m no expert but I do think Ramdom Clusters is a technique option anywhere.
Some pics. .... notice no heavy cutting, opened canopy, preserving mature mast producers, and if you look close, low growing food providing browse. And no invasives in these areas typically.

Thanks for all the responses and tangents even if you don’t agree. That’s how I learn.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dogghr]

Ahead of myself on that last pic. That is my next endeavor on the opposite side of property not connected to my other Clusters. It has a good group of mature oaks but is infiltrated with shade tolerant trees and a group of AO. Bucks already pass this place scent checking a lower plot. But hunting is impossible here with the wind and my hope is to tweak there path 100 yds to the right of this pic to a couple of existing stands. If sucessful, then it will create and X at those stands of a sanctuary and Cluster movements which should make them better than they already are. But as you know, our motives are not always successful. You can see plenty of shade tolerant trees in this pic, some of which are crowding the mature oaks.
Keep in mind, don't cut all your sapling growth, bucks need plenty of those to rub and make scrapes, another conversation for later. Thanks for reading.

 

[TreeDaddy]

what is the green vine that appears browsed? greenbriar?

bill

 

[Tap]

what is the green vine that appears browsed? greenbriar?

bill

Sure looks like it to me.

 

[dogghr]

what is the green vine that appears browsed? greenbriar?

bill

Yes it is GB. Deer browse it quite well various times of year. They also will browse MFR new growth at times especially early spring since it is one of the first shrubs to greenup. I've seen MFR grow so thick in post logging operations that man nor beast could pass thru. Why? Because deer would much rather browse a new growth hard mast tree than the invasive, leaving the more aggressive plant to take over. It takes years for regrowth of a forest in MFR. MFR will dominate other brushes and unlike GB forms a thick bush that is impossible to pass thru. GB is certainly no treat in thickts either.
The 2 plants can look similar as even MFR can appear green but stems turn brown as they age. But the real difference is GB thorn is straight and the MFR has an evil hook to it. Both will make you bleed but MFR is the devils concoction.

 

[Tap]

Yes it is GB. Deer browse it quite well various times of year. They also will browse MFR new growth at times especially early spring since it is one of the first shrubs to greenup. I've seen MFR grow so thick in post logging operations that man nor beast could pass thru. Why? Because deer would much rather browse a new growth hard mast tree than the invasive, leaving the more aggressive plant to take over. It takes years for regrowth of a forest in MFR. MFR will dominate other brushes and unlike GB forms a thick bush that is impossible to pass thru. GB is certainly no treat in thickts either.
The 2 plants can look similar as even MFR can appear green but stems turn brown as they age. But the real difference is GB thorn is straight and the MFR has an evil hook to it. Both will make you bleed but MFR is the devils concoction.

MFR is a preferred browse here. I've watched deer standing along the edges of beautiful clover plots and eating the MFR. The eat mostly the leaves, sometimes the hips, and rarely browse the twigs.

 

[pinetag]

Why? Because deer would much rather browse a new growth hard mast tree than the invasive, leaving the more aggressive plant to take over.

I'm reading a book that discusses exactly this. Invasives don't meet the needs of the local eco-system so they are free to expand while natives provide sustenance that local wildlife crave so they get browsed back, creating less competition for "aliens." Not to mention the diseases alien species bring that natives can't fight off (chestnut blight is best example). I will be declaring an all out war on Japanese stiltgrass and honeysuckle on my place this spring!

 

[Tap]

I'm reading a book that discusses exactly this. Invasives don't meet the needs of the local eco-system so they are free to expand while natives provide sustenance that local wildlife crave so they get browsed back, creating less competition for "aliens." Not to mention the diseases alien species bring that natives can't fight off (chestnut blight is best example). I will be declaring an all out war on Japanese stiltgrass and honeysuckle on my place this spring!

This is something that happens in food plots in areas of high deer populations. We plant stuff hoping the deer will love it. But then the deer get attracted to those small plots (small in relation to the large DPSM) and they eat it to the dirt. Mother Nature hates a vacuum. She doesn't tolerate bare dirt very well. Something else will grow, and if it's something deer don't eat, then it thrives due to lack of competition.
I have that here with Canada Thistle in my clover.

 

[George]

My western property line ridge is covered with mfr, fairly innocuous unless you are a streaker. Looking around I found about every stalk to be browsed and seemingly held in check.




dogghr, at what point do your random clusters become un random?

G

 

[Chainsaw]

MFR starving for sun is a good way to keep it.Give it good soil and full sun and look out. With sun it can become impassable in two or three years here. We seek and destroy every MFR we can. Either the deer don't browse it here or such browsing is so limited that it does not deter explosive growth when the plant has sun. Be watchful of that stuff George; it is truly evil.

 

[Tap]

MFR starving for sun is a good way to keep it.Give it good soil and full sun and look out. With sun it can become impassable in two or three years here. We seek and destroy every MFR we can. Either the deer don't browse it here or such browsing is so limited that it does not deter explosive growth when the plant has sun. Be watchful of that stuff George; it is truly evil.

Really?? MFR evil? A gov't program with unintended consequences?? I find that hard to believe (sarcasm).
For those of you that don't know MFR was introduced by gov't agencies. It was a program to "Grow a fence". IDIOTS.

 

[George]

Really?? MFR evil? A gov't program with unintended consequences?? I find that hard to believe (sarcasm).
For those of you that don't know MFR was introduced by gov't agencies. It was a program to "Grow a fence". IDIOTS.

Govt agencies also seemingly didn't quite think out their introduction of autumn olive as it now blankets state land here in southern MI.

G

 

[George]

MFR starving for sun is a good way to keep it.Give it good soil and full sun and look out. With sun it can become impassable in two or three years here. We seek and destroy every MFR we can. Either the deer don't browse it here or such browsing is so limited that it does not deter explosive growth when the plant has sun. Be watchful of that stuff George; it is truly evil.

I won't be doing much to open up the canopy up on that oak ridge top.

G