They might eat it, Tap, but if i had enough to provide benefit to whitetails, i would have a serious problem with natural and beneficial regeneration in my woodland. I think your experience that they browse it heavily is notable, but not worth letting that stuff form thickets, in my opinion.
I think you may be misunderstanding my point.
In no way am I saying that ToH should be encouraged. In fact, I'm advocating that you cut it. It's the
timing of when you cut it is the point of this thread. Timely cutting of this invasive will provide at least
some benefit to the herd. I've had a modest amount of ToH on my property for quite a few years now. It's not spreading or dominating in the least and I believe the way I manage it is the reason why it hasn't become a problem.
I cut almost all of it in late summer, usually in September. (I usually don't cut the 1 year-old trees). And my deer flock to the cuttings. I can't exaggerate how much of a magnet this stuff is when I put it on the ground. They eat the green leaves,
every leaf, they don't browse the twigs.
The following year, the cut stumps will re-sprout and grow a roughly 8 foot tree, which I'll cut again, and the deer pound it once again. After about 3 years of cutting, that individual tree will die out. The few trees that I didn't cut that 1st year will now be ready for their 1st or 2nd cutting. It's a good rotation that works well for me. I provide easy, free, highly desirable tonnage during the period of the year when the established clover plots are still in summer dormancy, the new fall plots have just been planted, most of the summer crops are about gone, and the fall mast hasn't really started dropping yet. It's a perfect time of the year to provide a little natural food.
Now, that rotation that
I do works well for
me, in
my zone, with the local herd. The timing you should cut and rotation may work differently for others in different parts of the country. You may want to cut and treat (with herbicide) on the very 1st year and eliminate the species all together. That's fine. I have no problem with that at all. My point is that, if you
do have ToH,
cut it before it drops it's leaves. Lots of guys will wait until winter or early spring to do TSI and hinge-cutting, but with ToH, it's a waste to not cut it when it's loaded with deer food.
Another benefit to providing deer candy just before hunting season is this. I really want the does to be completely content on my place in September. I want them to call my place "home" going into fall. Bucks will come in a month looking for those does and I'll be waiting for them.
