My sons have about 100 acres of woods. It is getting entirely to open. They cant log it until its paid off. Land contract. They are planning on hinge cutting a bunch to create some bedding areas. Any ideas on what else to do. Plantings? Its lousy with deer. I saw 30+ first day i hunted. 8 dink bucks at one time..

Timber stand improvement would be the best, but if no logging...then that's out.

It would take a lot of hinge cutting to create bedding areas. Very labor intensive.

30+ deer seen in a day? 8 young bucks? What more do you actually want?

Want a big buck? Keep passing up those "dinks" you speak of and hope your neighbors do too.

I sure don’t think I’d mess with much if your seeing numbers like that.

I'd love to see that many deer.

Ive hunted the property for 52 years and have never seen numbers like that ever. One son killed a 153, son 2 killed a 184 in the last couple years. I use a stickbow so I'm not that picky.

I've yet to see hinge cutting actually work in person. Trees rot. Deer hammer buds until tree dies. Red cedars maybe for bedding cover. You must not have buckthorn locally, count your blessings

Clear ten acres in the middle of the property, plant 10 acres of switchgrass. If you can’t log it maybe there is some areas with low value timber that could be cleared that the lien holder would agree to prior to pay off.

Forest (timber) stand improvement. Can get cost share through NRCS. I cut off the non-desirable species at knee high and spray the stump.

Not sure I'd mess with it until you have problems not seeing deer.

I do like switch grass.

TSI is not logging.Get a good forest management plan together and go to town.

Never heard of someone complaining about seeing 30+ deer in a single hunt. Properties that I hunt is a really good hunt if you see 5 or so during a sit.

The deer predation will make it hard, but native trees like pawpaw, buckeye, Eastern hop horn beam and bushes like spicebush all do well in the shady understory.

In my area, the understory feels in with invasive honeysuckle.

Keith

I wasn't complaining. I was amazed!

So....how are the trees removed?

With logging equipment.....and any of value are sold prior to the thinning.

Kudzu ,it will thicken it right up guaranteed.

Trees cut for TSI are dropped in place and left in the woods.