Forestry for Deer Hunting

Random 8 · Jun 24, 2018

Still working on improving my land in Northern MN for whitetail. It's a battle.
Background: 40 acres of fairly wet, largely coniferous cover. Dominant large trees are Jack Pine, Black Spruce, Balsam Fir and Quaking Aspen. A large grassy swale of aprox. 7 acres runs diagonally across the parcel dominated by sparse aspen, birch, chokecherry and many browse species such as the dogwoods and sapling red maple. Swale is wet. Another aprox. 5 acres is mature white and red pine with some openings due to a recent windstorm. The deer on the parcel tend to favor the swale and pine stand.

I have great winter cover, and the deer really tend to hold up in my 40 once season opens, but they just hunker down and don't seem to move around much. Also mostly does and very young immature bucks hang out there. Most of the cover is relatively young timber and very thick. I've been working on getting some shooting lanes and small openings established, but time is limited. Food plots are not in my immediate future, and most timber still to young to be commercially viable for logging, need to get the forestry under control first.

Wondering what others may be doing to improve their deer hunting through forestry practices.

WestKentucky · Jun 24, 2018

Sounds like you have a heavy dose of conifers. If you were ever to push out a chunk of the forest (dozer work) I would be highly inclined to drop in a few foodsource trees. Oaks are the classic example, but from my experience they are pretty seasonal as well. That gives you a fall acorn crop and a winter bedding ground. To add in a summer foodsource you could try to get some Osage Orange trees or fruit trees. Springtime is when you need the foodplots. If you do foodplots, I would encourage standing grain to be left in the field until spring, as that will serve as a winter food source. Year round food will hold more deer, and may change the dynamics of the population. You might see some big fellas strolling around in the hot months.

And as far as shooting lanes, make it wide enough you can drive a small riding lawn mower through it...then drive the lawnmower through it each summer to keep it from going back to forest.

Oh, welcome to the site. Be sure to post some pictures. Your place sounds nice...I bet it’s covered up with little critters.

Random 8 · Jun 24, 2018

Got a chuckle out of the riding lawnmower part. Would be lucky to get a tracked skid steer through most parts without bringing in a heavier piece of equipment to extricate it LOL. Will have to be a split shaft brush saw for the time being. Definitely plan to attempt some oaks. Any conventional agricultural plantings would also likely not be a good option due to roots, stumps, etc. Any heavy equipment other than winter logging is out of the question due to wetness of the site. There is a maintenance trail along a drainage ditch. Bisects the 40 and it stays relatively dry. Currently working on clearing and burning this when fire conditions allow. Might be able to scarify and seed clover or somesuch there. There are currently no oaks on the property or nearby, but some of the drier parts should be favorable for them with some application of chainsaw and protection from the snowshoe hares in winter. They ate the 2 I transplanted last fall right down to the ground line. I do have a buyer for small scale cutting of some of the larger pine and pole sized spruce, so that may be in the works next winter. Getting some sunlight to the forest floor would definitely be helpful for establishing more deer food, and the disturbance from logging equipment might give me some fresh mineral soil to work with and spot seed some deer goodies. Substrate is sandy loam on the south half, grading to peat on the North. Soil is largely acidic, fairly well aerated on the sandy half, and very rich in iron and manganese. It is a very interesting habitat with lots of edge and some very unique species growing side by side. With the wet sand, bog plants are growing side by side with dry upland plants and trees. Basically any tree, herb or shrub suitable for Northern MN will grow on the site with some help. Adjacent management is either forestry on similar habitat of like age, some open pasture, and a few intensively managed red pine plantations (basically wildlife deserts). Neighboring parcels are not heavily hunted, and I know they hold large bucks as I occasionally see them passing through on the game camera.

GooseGestapo · Jun 24, 2018

W. Ky’s recommendations are good for Tn, but useless for upper MN.

Neither the oaks or Osage are going to work. The presence of balsams, fir, and aspens, tells me that neither the soils nor climate will be conducive to oaks or Osage orange.

However, opening up some lanes/firebreaks will help.

I would contact your local district office of DNR for Minnesota and ask to speak with a wildlife biologist. They will give you the best information on your particular area. Likely, a biologist will meet with you and tour your area, and make specific suggestions and recommendations.

A forester is going to give you vastly different information. They are primarily focused on commercial utilization/facilitation of forest resources.
No slight intended towards foresters, but I went to school with many, and worked with, and mostly around, many in my career. A county extension agent will be more helpful than a forester. He’ll likely know of some potential assistance programs, including seedlings, forestry for wildlife, and such programs. In my neck of the woods, foresters mostly work for paper companies, or state. Those who work as consultants to landowners charge for their services and prefer large holdings land owners. They charge $$$$$.
If you do consult a forester, be sure he’s a registered forester. I’ve run across a few who weren’t. One worked for previous owner of Jeff Foxworthy’s property. Turned out, he grew up working on a large plantation in S.Georgia. Had a 6th grade education...

BTW, my college training was as a wildlife biologist. However I took several forestry courses along the way. (Silvics, Silviculture). My career was as a conservation enforcement officer, but that involved a lot of wildlife management education of landowners. I could give you some excellent advice for middle Georgia, but likely useless for Minnesota.

buck460XVR · Jun 25, 2018

I've hunted a very large parcel of public land in Wisconsin similar to yours for half a century. Sounds like the best food source you have(and can actually manage and improve) is the Aspen(Poplar). This is not a bad thing tho is habitat such as yours as it is what the local deer herd(and grouse) prefer and live on. I would think the maintenance trail could be seeded with ryegrass and could be a beneficial summer and early fall food source. Otherwise it sounds like you need to concentrate on cover and creating sanctuary. This can be accomplished by the cutting of those mature pines allowing sunlight in and allowing the Poplar and underbrush to encroach. Those mature pines are not a source of cover or food for deer and other than esthetics, are a waste of space on your small property.

huntsman · Jun 25, 2018

The best thing I did for wildlife in my woodlot was to timber it out.

humans think the stately mature forest is pleasing to the eye but for critters it’s the thick uncivil places that provide food and cover. Good cover is hard to hunt cover and that’s as it should be.

Fine Figure of a Man · Jun 25, 2018

If your property holds does the bucks will come. Planting trees is always a good thing but a food source it is kind of limited. If many deer are present they will wipe out young trees unless they are protected or planted in very large plots. In Iowa harsh winters and late frosts sometimes limit the production of fruit trees. Even if oaks will grow on your ground, you would be a very old man before you saw an acorn.
If you have a place to plant turnips, they are a great late fall and winter food source and very frost resistant.

WestKentucky · Jun 25, 2018

Yep, I R Doofus syndrome hit last night. GG is right, my post is worth what ya paid for it.

Patocazador · Jun 25, 2018

I had a 160 acre piece in northern Wisc. for 30 years that was similar to what you describe. The open land was wet and there was a 25 acre ridge of red oaks. There were never many deer on it but during the 9-day gun season the deer would cross it to escape the onslaught of hunters on 200 acres of county land to the south.

40 acres is not much land to manage independently for deer. If, however, there are adjoining farms or state forest, you should consider the whole area as one piece. Analyze it, talk to the state forester, and the local game warden then you'll have a better idea.

If there is a drier open piece, a standing corn field will attract deer late in the season.

Random 8 · Jun 25, 2018

I would also like to increase the chokecherry. In addition to being prime winter browse for deer, the trees are grouse magnets and we make amazing jelly and wine from the berries. Any tips on transplanting and/or cultivating this tree/shrub? I have it present in one area, would like to increase it's abundance and get some more patches going. I know it likes disturbed soil and sunlight to germinate from seed and will require foraging protection.

entropy · Jun 25, 2018

WestKentucky said:
Sounds like you have a heavy dose of conifers. If you were ever to push out a chunk of the forest (dozer work) I would be highly inclined to drop in a few foodsource trees. Oaks are the classic example, but from my experience they are pretty seasonal as well. That gives you a fall acorn crop and a winter bedding ground. To add in a summer foodsource you could try to get some Osage Orange trees or fruit trees. Springtime is when you need the foodplots. If you do foodplots, I would encourage standing grain to be left in the field until spring, as that will serve as a winter food source. Year round food will hold more deer, and may change the dynamics of the population. You might see some big fellas strolling around in the hot months.

And as far as shooting lanes, make it wide enough you can drive a small riding lawn mower through it...then drive the lawnmower through it each summer to keep it from going back to forest.

Oh, welcome to the site. Be sure to post some pictures. Your place sounds nice...I bet it’s covered up with little critters.

Northern Minnesota. Bois D'Arc (Osage Orange) and Fruit trees don't grow well there, unless you have an orchard that is well tended. Introducing Bois D'Arc to the northern forest should be punishable by death, anyway. I saw on an auction site around here the other day some fool had hackberry saplings in the auction. I want to buy them just to burn them just so they don't propagate up here.

For a mast tree, horse chestnut grows faster than oak.

Plant some food plots with such plants as oats, rye, brassica, clover, maybe some sweet corn and sorghum.

Random 8 said:
I would also like to increase the chokecherry.

Not sure of the cost, but this might point you in the right direction.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/tree/chokecherry

And welcome to THR, Random 8, from a former Mud Duck!

buck460XVR · Jun 26, 2018

Random 8 said:
I would also like to increase the chokecherry. In addition to being prime winter browse for deer, the trees are grouse magnets and we make amazing jelly and wine from the berries. Any tips on transplanting and/or cultivating this tree/shrub? I have it present in one area, would like to increase it's abundance and get some more patches going. I know it likes disturbed soil and sunlight to germinate from seed and will require foraging protection.

Good thoughts. I would contact your local county forester. If they are anything like the county foresters here in Wisconsin, they will give you free advice, and probably would even make a visit and give you an honest appraisal of what you should and probably should not do. They also may be a very good source of inexpensive transplants for Chokecherry or any other fruiting tree/shrub that may work in your scenario. Just this last spring I planted 30 Wild Plums on my son's property that I got from the county for $2 each. Last year I planted a dozen Antonovka(Russian) Apples. The Russian apples are the hardiest known and survive even in sub-zero climates. They also flower and ripen later than most other apples and hold their fruit thru early winter. As a kid we used to call them "Winter Apples" and would seek out those trees growing wild or left deserted even as late as December to eat the fruit.

entropy · Jun 26, 2018

WI's DNR has a wide variety of plants/trees available through the CRP program, I don't recall if Mn does, I haven't lived there in 25 years.

buck460XVR · Jun 26, 2018

entropy said:
WI's DNR has a wide variety of plants/trees available through the CRP program, I don't recall if Mn does, I haven't lived there in 25 years.

The CRP program is a national conservation program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA for "agricultural" land and must have been producing crops regularly before being accepted into the program. It's also primarily for protection of highly erodible land. Doesn't sound like the OP's property would qualify. A quick Google shows the state of Minnesota sells young trees for a decent price https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/nursery/pricelist.html, but I would still contact the local county forester. One may be able to get bigger transplants in smaller quantities and have more of a selection. My Wild plums this year, while a tad more expensive(@$2 each) were a good two feet tall and took very well. The Antonovka(Russian) Apples I got two years ago, were 4-5 feet tall and only cost me $5 a piece. Three years ago I bought 25 Hazelnut and 25 Serviceberry(Juneberry) for about a buck apiece. They were about 18". All have done considerably well, altho I don't know iffin I will live long enough to see their true poptetial. At least they will be there for the kids, granddkids and future landowners. Kinda what forest management is all about. Long term land embellishment and stewardship. .One nice thing about the Minnesota page is their "fruiting shrub" packet and/or their "Pollinator" packet of 500 trees/shrubs for $325. Would be a one time planting on a parcel of 40 acres that would benefit wildlife for many years, if the ground is not to wet or too acidic, like so many peat bog swamps of the upper midwest.

huntsman · Jun 26, 2018

Random 8 said:
I would also like to increase the chokecherry. In addition to being prime winter browse for deer, the trees are grouse magnets and we make amazing jelly and wine from the berries. Any tips on transplanting and/or cultivating this tree/shrub? I have it present in one area, would like to increase it's abundance and get some more patches going. I know it likes disturbed soil and sunlight to germinate from seed and will require foraging protection.

Chokecherry like any shub/pioneer species is already in the ground, try clear cutting and acre and see what comes up.

Random 8 · Jun 26, 2018

Almost forgot about the Juneberry (Serviceberry, Saskatoon, Amelanchiar). I have that present also, should be the same silvics as the chokecherry. Slash and burn baby! Just need to keep the smooth leafed buckthorn under control in the process. I was surprised though, I cut down a bunch of that last fall and the deer browsed it heavily. Didn't know anything ate that garbage.
Unfortunately with all the jack pine, my burning is relegated to piles and spot burning with thoroughly wet conditions or partial snow cover. This 40 would go up like a pile of matchsticks in dry conditions. Seems like the best overall options for now are what I've been doing. Use the chainsaw to create more young, disturbed forest patches. I already have the heavy cover in spades, as well as the good winter cover with the mature white pine stand. Snow cover stays much thinner there and really blocks the wind. My deer use it extensively in the harshest winter weather.

huntsman · Jun 26, 2018

I planted two half acre plots of white pine in a reverting corn field 35 years ago, let the rest of the field come back naturally.

Now it’s a red maple woodlot with those two tracts of Pine in the center, the deer orient to the pines when traveling through.

The pine I planted along logging roads didn’t fare as well because the bucks like to thrash them up since they got about 3’ tall.

SoonerMedic · Jun 27, 2018

I'm currently in the process of cutting down at or just under an acre of trees. Hard hard work when it's nearly 100* outside. It's also doubly hard to find the time to get my coworker friend to come with just in case anything bad were to happen while I'm felling trees. I'll get it done and get some soybeans, forage rape, clover and turnips planted by the end of July. The hardest part for me will be moving all the trees to the sides to provide cover. Also will need to hang my tree stand, find where I want to set up my ground blind and then cut some shooting lanes myself.
LOTS of work, but I think I could get it done in a reasonable amount of time with the help of my coworker.

buck460XVR · Jun 27, 2018

My son's propertry has Black Cherry, chokecherry, apples and wild plums naturally present. It also is in an agricultural area and he plants several different food plots. Problem is, with the ag crops and neighbors planting food plots, it's hard to attract deer specifically unless you have something different they prefer. It helps to have a wide variety of species that produce fruit/forage at different times to keep deer coming to the property daily. You cannot hunt deer all year round on what lives on only 40 acres. You need to bring deer in from the surrounding area by making them browse thru the property. Over the years I have also planted nut trees for the turkey and squirrels. Funny, what the deer prefer most of the year, is the grass planted on the shooting range.......

MJD · Jun 27, 2018

GooseGestapo said:
W. Ky’s recommendations are good for Tn, but useless for upper MN.

Neither the oaks or Osage are going to work. The presence of balsams, fir, and aspens, tells me that neither the soils nor climate will be conducive to oaks or Osage orange.

However, opening up some lanes/firebreaks will help.

I would contact your local district office of DNR for Minnesota and ask to speak with a wildlife biologist. They will give you the best information on your particular area. Likely, a biologist will meet with you and tour your area, and make specific suggestions and recommendations.

A forester is going to give you vastly different information. They are primarily focused on commercial utilization/facilitation of forest resources.
No slight intended towards foresters, but I went to school with many, and worked with, and mostly around, many in my career. A county extension agent will be more helpful than a forester. He’ll likely know of some potential assistance programs, including seedlings, forestry for wildlife, and such programs. In my neck of the woods, foresters mostly work for paper companies, or state. Those who work as consultants to landowners charge for their services and prefer large holdings land owners. They charge $$$$$.
If you do consult a forester, be sure he’s a registered forester. I’ve run across a few who weren’t. One worked for previous owner of Jeff Foxworthy’s property. Turned out, he grew up working on a large plantation in S.Georgia. Had a 6th grade education...

BTW, my college training was as a wildlife biologist. However I took several forestry courses along the way. (Silvics, Silviculture). My career was as a conservation enforcement officer, but that involved a lot of wildlife management education of landowners. I could give you some excellent advice for middle Georgia, but likely useless for Minnesota.

This advice is spot on. The county forestry extension agents can likely point you to the correct resources you need for timber management practices, planting recommendations, etc. Make sure you're talking to someone with a bent towards wildlife biology and habitat, as individual extension foresters have different areas of expertise (timber taxation, timber management, urban forestry, etc). A consultant will be of limited use to you and the ROI for their services on your 40 acres will not be cost effective, in all likelihood.

Since you have a highly variable, relatively small property, the recommendations will be extremely site specific. You sound like you have a good base of knowledge of local flora, so if needed, brush up on your field identification of local deer browse species. It sounds like you have limited operability, but patch clearcutting and localized stem thinning will get sunlight to the forest floor in the correct spots you designate and certainly take advantage of state programs that provide seedlings of different commercial species at low cost. Bear in mind that any planting you do for mast or fruit will take several years to drop product, so this is a long term focus.

The only issue I take with GooseGestapo's post is that it paints foresters with a very broad brush. If you talk to a forester whose area of expertise is in industrial timber management, yes, you will likely get advice geared towards that type of forestry since that is their bread and butter. There are plenty of foresters out there that specialize in forestry geared towards creating wildlife habitat...i.e., foresters working for MN's version of Game and Fish, those working for Ducks Unlimited/RMEF/etc.

One last thought....if it is legal in MN and you have roads going through the property, the sides of the road can be a good place for planting browse species.

ZeroJunk · Jun 28, 2018

If you have any open areas spray it with a mixture of RoundUp and 2-4-D . Maybe 2 ounces of each to the gallon. Then just throw wheat out on it. A lot of it will come up even if you don't scratch the soil. Deer won't kill it even if they graze it down to the ground almost. Of course, it would be better if you could scratch the ground up a bit. Would certainly increase the chances of germination and save you on seed.

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