We hinge cut to create bedding.for the deer. We plant food plots to feed them In the late fall. With all the farm land around we don't need to create food for deer other then In the late fall and winter when the corn and beans have been harvested and the ground has been turned over.

It's useful on some individual trees in certain areas. If you have closed canopy timber and zero undergrowth it works ok for small bedding areas in terms of the trees living a bit longer than they would if you just dropped them. Dangerous to hinge trees with any real size to them.

I did it. Results were good for a few years then a total mess, with very little browse within reach for deer. The recut of the area was very difficult. TSI and burn for me from now on.

That hits way too close to home. Thanks for bringing me briefly back to my teenage years.

Agree it has been around for a long time.

It is way down the list of priorities of things one should consider for habitat improvement. In my opinion.

It seems pretty dangerous especially when some people don’t know which end of the saw to hold.

I've done it.
It dangerous work. Most trees don't hinge cut well.

Now days, I think it's best to just cut them totally off.

Winter time work. Spring should produce new growth the deer will enjoy from the stumps.

Sounds like what we used to do with C4, called an abatis.

Blow a chunk out but not off the stump so the tree falls in the direction you want, toward the enemy, then the one on the other side of the road so it falls on the first. Back to one on the first side and so forth dropping them like dominoes, being sure they all remain attached to the stump.

Done right you now have an obstacle no tank will push through.

Finishing touch, scatter a few bouncing bettys or claymores in there to greet our counterpart on the other team.

Well, used to as in train for it. Popping two trees isn't much of an abatis.

US Army Engineer

We trained to control the battlefield by obstructing the enemy advance or clearing the way for our armor to advance.

The answer for an abatis, bangalore torpedo.

And hope the other guy wasn't as dastardly in deploying nasty surprises.

But if there's an obstacle you can bet your life, literally, the cannon cockers already have it on their maps so expect loud noises all around.

We tried in a small area last year to add bedding area for deer on a 40 with 4-6" Aspen with little to no under-growth. Two small areas about 50' in diameter. We noticed the deer started using it immediately. Long term who knows but it was worth a try.