Send the land owner a letter and include this article along with it. http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/bi...winter-project-better-next-falls-deer-hunting #4 - Break Out the Chainsaw Cutting trees is a great way to increase food-per-acre ratio by allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. Deer live in a world that maxes out at six feet—that’s as high as they can reach. What happens above that is of little consequence to them. What happens under six feet is all about food and cover for whitetails. A word of caution, a chainsaw is the most dangerous tool an outdoorsman can get his hands on. You must wear protective chaps (made for chainsaw cutting), a hardhat and eye and ear protection before even thinking about firing up a chainsaw.
Thank you. I always wear protective gear at all times. Every time I fire up my chain saw I always wear everything. I also check my surroundings. I always check the ground to make sure that there isn't anything that I can trip on. I always make a escape plan just in case something goes wrong. I been around some good old timers that taught me quite a bit. Thanks again...
@NYCountry, that wasn't me lecturing you.. That was straight from the article... Point of the article was that cutting trees can go hand in hand with improving conditions for wildlife.. As they say, a win-win situation. You and the land owner can enter into a mutually symbiotic relationship.... The owner can have you drop a red maple DURING hunting season and the white tails will come to strip the tree of it's buds for next year..
Of course you don't know for sure that this is the owner's truck, or just someone he lets hunt on his property.
As a hunter myself, there is no way I would let anyone cut in my hunting spot. Especially a small one of 10 acres. Deer like fallen trees for bedding. By all means, a note won't hurt....but be prepared for a no. Btw, welcome!
I find it unfortunate that you see it that way but to each his own (not arguing that deer like trees for bedding).. I cut a bunch of timber on my property in 2009 and I leave my land open to hunters (not posted). It is adjacent to the 3rd largest wildlife management area in MA. The cutting has done a couple of things. 1. Allow sunlight to reach the forest floor which allows for pioneer species like raspberries and blackberries to come in. 2. Increased acorn production on the oaks since they have more water and less competition from adjacent plants and 3. Produced a ton of stump sprouts from stumps with very healthy root systems and thus fast growing and high in nutrients. I've spoken to a couple of hunters who hunt on my land and they say there are plenty of deer out there. Education is the key... Might be worth it to offer some additional cash or work incentive... Below is a picture of red maple stump sprouts that have been browsed (eaten) presumably by deer or something similar.
I fully understand the benefits to wildlife by cutting timber. I'm all for it. I'm doing some releasing of the oaks on my property by cutting the maples and beech. I'm also hinging some trees for the new growth you pictured. I'm just saying that people in the woods months before season can run the deer off a small plot of woods and they will find a new home range. If the hunter is travelling to hunt this small plot, he is going to want every advantage he can get. Hunting is expensive these days and land to hunt is harder and harder to get permission for here in the Midwest at least. That means keeping others out if you want to keep deer in. This guy may be all for it-who knows. I hope so for the OP sake. I'm just saying that if all that guy has to hunt is 10 acres, he is going to guard it closely.
Great post Greg. NYCountry, perhaps the number 1 thing you need to do when approaching is to keep in mind what every decent salesman should do and that is wondering what the guy wants. In other words, imagine him wondering when you approach him, "What's in it for me?" Otherwise he'll probably be thinking you are just some jerk who wants to take advantage of his property. So, ask yourself how you can help the man. If you make it profitable for both parties, then there is a decent chance you can get what you want and also help the other fella get what he wants. I think it was Zig Ziglar who always said, "You can get everything you want in life if you'll just help enough other people get what they want."
The talk about hunting and opening up the woods have good points on both sides. I can understand why someone would not want anyone disturbing his land for any reason including cutting wood. I can also understand why someone would like it if someone came in to open up his woods. It will all depend upon what the owner wants. I do take exception to the idea that a deer can only reach 6' because they indeed can and will reach even higher and it does not have to be in deep winter or near starvation mode to reach like that. In fact, just this afternoon I was looking at a video we got off our trail cam. I saw 2 different does reach for maple leaves right in front of the camera. There is plenty to eat all around yet they reached for these. Why? I don't know because there are other maple leaf much closer to the ground but both of these does stood on their hind feet to reach leaves and did it more than once. In addition, the idea of cutting a red maple during season to bring in deer has some flaws. If you cut one tree, most times the next morning all the buds will be gone. This means that the draw does not last long at all so it is not that much benefit to the hunter. Also, we've noticed that it does indeed draw some deer but we have yet to see a buck drawn to it. One would have to cut a lot of trees in order to benefit a hunter this way. And yes indeed, deer, especially bucks do like to lay next to a fallen tree! So fallen trees can also be a benefit to a hunter. And yes indeed, when trees are cut, it does open up for new growth so that is also a benefit to hunters and landowners alike. Thinning out some trees many times will also benefit the other trees in the area. The key is to know which trees to cut and where.
Stuck, it is easy to know if those maple were eaten by deer or not. If eaten by deer they will not look as if they have been cut as the deer pull the ends off while rabbits will chew them off leaving them looking as if someone pruned them with shears. And not only maple like you picture but oaks are ideal for that too. I do not find it unfortunate at all. After all, each landowner must decide for himself what he wants and it may or may not match what we think best. Also, when someone tells me there are plenty of deer, it is meaningless. For example, I have a friend how hunts our property during turkey season (I and other family members are the only ones who hunts during deer season.) In his mind, every time he sees more than 3 deer, he tells me I have a deer problem. Is it no wonder that he has very, very few deer on his land? He thinks he has a deer problem so every year he will take does and allow others to take does during season. Then he wonders why most of the time he sees no deer at all!!! If there aren't as many deer as you what, then why kill does? It simply does not make sense. It is the same with those who want to see big bucks. Then why do you feel you have to pull the trigger on every buck that is seen, including the little spikehorn bucks? But, each to their own.
I think more of what he meant is based on working to produce big deer. For the serious hunter who is really focused on keeping truly big deer on his land it is a year round process and takes a lot of effort and money invested. Part of that is controlling who goes in there and setting up sanctuaries where the deer don't get bothered at all year round. The hunter there may or may not be that dedicated and focused. But if he is he will likely decline politely. For myself it's like what was mentioned above. Good land that can hold deer is hard to find around me so most people don't want it disturbed, especially if there is big deer in there. But others only care to fill the freezer and would be happy to let you on their land. sav had a good point, find out what that guy wants and help him get it. That goes a long ways.
You are right on Sean. And yes, it is a year around job, not one you want to tackle a month before season. And we do have sanctuaries. It is rare to go into them except for mid winter or perhaps to track a wounded one.
