How To Manage Hardwood Timber for Better Deer Hunting

Do you deer hunt in hardwood forests? Check out Grant's plan to turn a hardwood block into great quality habitat that makes bucks much easier to pattern.

In this episode: closed canopy forests, food plot locations and strategies, the Buffalo System, whitetail cover, native browse, logging, nesting habitat and more!

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Thanks for watching GrowingDeer!

[philplasterer]

Dr. Grant - As I have watched hundreds of GDTV episodes, I have learned something from every single one of them. You are an amazing teacher. On a funny note, you should be tax exempt for providing education on making the Earth healthier and cleaner for Man and Beast. Thank you so much for your leadership and support. ✝️🇺🇸🦌

[Brandon-uorv]

It's very interesting to see a handful of habitat specialist comment on a particular subject. I assume they all work to some extent or they wouldn't be successful in their careers. Having recently completed a timber harvest a couple thoughts. The pie theory sounds fine but most loggers will not waste their time on such small areas. Inevitably the areas I clear cut left a bunch of stumps and small non profitable trees. A dozer could make quick work of that, but likely hurt the topsoil. Prescribed burns make me nervous. There is no doubt they help with the successional growth but will also damage trees that may be profitable in the future. I like the idea of clear cutting and just letting it grow, potentially killing some non beneficial species as needed and potentially doing some selective hinge cuts or such if the canopy starts to redevelop over time. I do believe in multiple layers of mature timber, TSI and clearcuts with food plots within. That generalized pattern gives tons of edge, food and cover for deer. There are always things that I think we could do different to make our hunting properties better in the end. What I am most anxious to see is if we can truly change deer travel and generalized patterns doing these land modifications. Thanks for the videos!

[josephbennett]

That’s what is wrong with my property, it got logged back in 2015 and now it’s nothing but thousands of saplings every where, some are getting pretty big now, loggers took all valuable timber so there are only a handful of oaks on the property now which sucks lol

[mid-michiganoutdoors]

Almost my entire property is mature hardwoods and we've been pouring in blood, sweat and tears to change that. Not easy, but the proof is in the bucks take after the work is done!

[jesser]

Grant I use a liquid spray on inoculate on my food plots in the spring when I plant my forage soybeans. I don't have a drill I just broadcast mine and pack them in..then spray them before a light rain.. any suggestions if that's even the way to do that?

[gavinsmith]

Hi Grant I was wondering how many acres of mature hardwood forest is needed in a area before you start making young succession areas .

[chadwilliams]

Hi Grant. We just acquired a property in Iowa that includes 170ac of timber at various stages of maturity. We have marked 100 mature bur oak trees on about 30 acres for timber harvest. My question: What do you recommend we do with the tops? Thanks for your advise. -Chad

[DrgnRebrn]

Hello Dr. Grant, and the Growing Deer Team! Is this concept specific to large acreage, or can a condensed approach be taken for smaller sized properties? Also, does the approach change, or is it influenced by, the proximity to ag fields?

[robertdulin]

How do you fill about clearing under brush and small trees with a forestry mulcher?

[philgorski]

How can I find out when the timber is high or low in a year?