Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

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MAIAFRATE
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Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby MAIAFRATE » Sun Jul 18, 2021 12:41 pm

Happy Saturday Beast members!

So like everyone else I read and watch LOTS of hunting shows and I really like some Food plot / Land Management content. I like to see if anyone has any ideas for me.

My property (20 Acres) is in Jack Country which consist of choke cherry and the Jack pines. Out of all the content I've watched I have never seen anyone deal with these types of pines. I'm looking to thick up areas just to increase to try to promote my deer movement/cover from Bedding (off my property) through travel corridor headed to my food plots. You can't hinge them and the Sand Cherry trees not thick enough for anything.

Any of the trees I dropped didn't do too much around my food plot in regards to cover. Is there a certain way to cut and stack trees?

Looks for suggestions. Thanks!

-Mike


-Mike
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby MAIAFRATE » Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:18 am

I really could use some help.

Has anyone dropped trees and stacked in a particular manner to create screens?

I know I need to plant tree, shrubs, and grass to provide cover. I just would feel sick not utilizing these Jack Pines in some fashion.

Thanks!
-Mike
Rich M
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby Rich M » Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:35 am

The deer aren't gonna like having a wooden wall directing their movements.

Some guys use fences to funnel deer.

You can always plant something else on the property.

Try hinge cutting the cherries - might surprise you. Only cut about 1/2 way thru and bend the smaller cherry trees over.

Deer don't always like very thick. If you are trying to create some bedding on your property - see what Dan says bedding areas look like and see if your place has what it takes.
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby MAIAFRATE » Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:37 am

Rich M wrote:The deer aren't gonna like having a wooden wall directing their movements.

Some guys use fences to funnel deer.

You can always plant something else on the property.

Try hinge cutting the cherries - might surprise you. Only cut about 1/2 way thru and bend the smaller cherry trees over.

Deer don't always like very thick. If you are trying to create some bedding on your property - see what Dan says bedding areas look like and see if your place has what it takes.


Thanks Rich. Yeah, there might be a few cherry's I can pull down but I don't feel there are enough in the areas I'm looking to thicken up. I'm at a disadvantage because my ground is flat and dry with moderate Jack Pines. Where there is a will there's a way :D I'm just trying to get some thicker corridor areas for the deer to travel into my food plots. I've got deer but trying to sweeten up the property to try and encourage a slightly older deer class. If I had to guess, Dan wouldn't hunt this property due to it lacking all the wanted big buck traits. I appreciate the response. Hopefully I can post some results in the future.
-Mike
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby Rich M » Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:24 am

I've found that a lot of the bigger bucks are near partially open areas. (used to think it had to be super dense and what i look for now is the edge of the dense) There was a guy who used to hunt public down here and he'd take some real monsters out of very heavily hunted public hunting areas. When he moved north, he posted his 2 favorite stands. One was far out on a strip of trees in a floodplain area. The other was about 200-300 yards from the hunter's campground in what looked like a cutover but it wasn't. That spot was open with young/small trees. In FL a "registry buck" is 100 inches. This guy got 120-130 inch bucks. Incredible!

Another guy I ran into showed me where he took a 110 inch buck - I was in there looking around and he pops up, asks if there is any fresh sign, tells me this is where he got the buck, etc. It was a pocket of marsh about the size of a school bus. Had rubs and tufts of grass - biggest buck shot that year came out of it. Heavily hunted public land - Incredible!

Is there anything you can do to add additional enticement? Dig a water source (small pond)?

Spread some corn (while it is summer) and do some camera surveys?

Can you put a food plot further back in the woods?

Time to mix it up?
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby MAIAFRATE » Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:14 am

Rich M wrote:I've found that a lot of the bigger bucks are near partially open areas. (used to think it had to be super dense and what i look for now is the edge of the dense) There was a guy who used to hunt public down here and he'd take some real monsters out of very heavily hunted public hunting areas. When he moved north, he posted his 2 favorite stands. One was far out on a strip of trees in a floodplain area. The other was about 200-300 yards from the hunter's campground in what looked like a cutover but it wasn't. That spot was open with young/small trees. In FL a "registry buck" is 100 inches. This guy got 120-130 inch bucks. Incredible!

Another guy I ran into showed me where he took a 110 inch buck - I was in there looking around and he pops up, asks if there is any fresh sign, tells me this is where he got the buck, etc. It was a pocket of marsh about the size of a school bus. Had rubs and tufts of grass - biggest buck shot that year came out of it. Heavily hunted public land - Incredible!

Is there anything you can do to add additional enticement? Dig a water source (small pond)?

Spread some corn (while it is summer) and do some camera surveys?

Can you put a food plot further back in the woods?

Time to mix it up?


Wow, that's incredible. Your 100-120 would be considered a giant in my particular part of MI and I'd be thrilled to see one.In regards to my property, It's definitely a work in progress. I have successful food plots, water hole, and just started some licking branches.(Was surprised how well they work) The DNR eliminated any baiting at all. I feel like I need to create the pinch points and additional cover. These are the things that are missing on my property. Whether I'm right or wrong my gut is telling my that's the path I need to take. I don't really need to drop trees for sun to hit the ground because I have plenty of natural browse underneath. Maybe start planting some conifers...maybe switch grass...who knows. :D

I do appreciate your input and suggestions. This type of talk is exactly why I wanted to throw this question up on the Beast. I'm new and really enjoying the feel from everyone.
-Mike
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby Rich M » Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:28 am

The land management is a small part of this whole equation I think, most of it seems to be buck bedding.

Sounds like you are on track to getting it figured out.

Make sure you plant dual purpose things - cover and food. Don't plant stuff that doesn't feed em in one form or another.
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby tim » Sat Jul 24, 2021 7:05 pm

I have never hinge cut a thing in my life but I also don’t have pines on my land . But be careful what you do to “funnel” deer. If it’s unnatural it may take them a long time to adapt or they might never. Back in 2013 I fenced in some apple trees till like 2018 I think and the deer stopped traveling through there it led right to a fence opening from pasture to crop field and they refused to walk past it, at least the mature bucks. So I took the fence down and by the next year and every year since they now walk through the opening again. And this is a spot they loved to walk through so when they stopped it completely changed their patterns . Lesson learned
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Re: Alternative to Hinge cutting due to Jack Pines??

Unread postby MAIAFRATE » Tue Aug 17, 2021 6:40 am

tim wrote:I have never hinge cut a thing in my life but I also don’t have pines on my land . But be careful what you do to “funnel” deer. If it’s unnatural it may take them a long time to adapt or they might never. Back in 2013 I fenced in some apple trees till like 2018 I think and the deer stopped traveling through there it led right to a fence opening from pasture to crop field and they refused to walk past it, at least the mature bucks. So I took the fence down and by the next year and every year since they now walk through the opening again. And this is a spot they loved to walk through so when they stopped it completely changed their patterns . Lesson learned


Understood Tim. I'm really just trying to increase side cover through some travel areas that they move through. We'll see.
-Mike


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