Wildlife shrubs are an interesting concept. I've planted tons of trees for decades but never a wildlife shrub

I'm ordering burr oaks, this spring, 50, of them.

Planted some around my house a few yrs ago. I forgot the name but the second winter snow hit and the deer ate them to nothing. the tracks told the story..no more shrubs

I can't take credit for this but tamarack is another good option, I was in here last week and won't be back in until next winter, it's a tamarack island with an elevation change of about 2' surrounded by alder shear #3. With the mild winter and no yarding, you can see some preferred seasonal bedding areas. Single beds and a series of rubs exiting the bedding gives some good insights. This winter is not conducive to shearing but I actually prefer to have my shearing done with a CAT vs, forestry mulcher on a Skid Steer- the CAT is just as effective and floats a larger footprint- I've done both and the results are the same. Cedar is a good choice and tamarack seems to perform better with longer periods of standing water. Good Luck.

Lots of great options. In Eastern Nebraska we don't have white cedars. I ordered a bunch last year and added them to my place. It'll be interesting how the turn out

Sounds good. The deer will like you.

I might try propagating some shrubs with cuttings. I've got a pretty good collection around here and have been researching it. I bought myself some rooting hormone that should be here in a week. I have access to a heated greenhouse so if I can get an early start. Might try plum, cedar, and chokecherry. I don't know how well they propagate but I guess I'll find out.

Supposedely red osier dogwood can be propogated from cuttings. My friend offered me some so I'll try it soon.

I ordered 50 white cedar but given how much deer supposedly like them, I'm not sure if I should plant them in a thicket or spread them over my 90 acres

I guess you can stick the dogwood straight into the ground with success. I've got a couple of them coming the spring

at the last place I lived (se WI) I planted 500 White Pine and 1500 Withe Cedar. I planted them in thickets on about 2 acre area. The deer never bothered either one. This was farm country so they had lots of other options I suppose.
The deer did like bedding in the cedars when they became large enough to completely shade the area.

I moved about 20 miles, planted some White pine there, the deer nipped the tops off of all of them. What deer will eat seems to change very dramatically even in a short distance.

I ordered some more White Oak to plant in openings in the woods, I will cage them due to deer tho.

Good choice w/ white oak D. I plant white oak acorns.

This year I ordered 50 bur oak seedlings to try.

With this odd weather, we might have to think about planting trees earlier this year. I guess it mostly depends on when the nurseries ship.

Last year when I planted my 1st tree of the year, a fruit tree, there was still snow on the ground.

1 exteme to the other.

I ordered 100 white cedar, and 100 red osier dogwood to plant ...he said april delivery, yellow river nursery by Marshfield

Cool. I have some of each of those coming too, for the 1st time ever, but from a different nursery. My land is barely more than 1 hour from Marshfield, but I am unaware of that nursery.

I wish WDNR sold wildlife shrub variety packages

This year I ordered trees from WDNR. They seemed more vigorous than trees from private nursery. Perhaps best was they arrived so early & the state keeps them refrigerated even in transit.

The other day I found something cool on my property. Serviceberries. I looked them up online and the DNR sells them as a wildlife shrub otherwise known as Juneberry. It looks neat, at least now when it is flowering.