Buddy and I have been cutting out dead trees and trying to thicken up my woods that basically looks like park woods. You can see for a long time so we have been trying to hinge cut some bedding areas to thicken up the floor and possibly start to put some deer trails in. Well Ive done a bunch of research from what tools to use and how to cut but when we were doing the first area yesterday some of the trees had a ton of water dripping out soon as we made the first cut across the tree. We tried to cut a couple different trees to see what could hinge the best basically just some maples and white oaks. Soon as we got the trees to fall with wedges they basically would explode at the trunk which i thought was really odd since the maples are usually softer. Then after I was thinking with how much water is coming out of the tree i looked at one of the stumps that shattered off that the inside of the tree was basically "frozen" has anyone ever encountered this? And should I wait till it gets warmer out, I am located in Wisconsin where the weather has been fluctuating from freezing to mid 50s.
What type of Maples. they are not all soft. We are in prime sap conditions for Maples. I would expect the temps to be pretty good. I think you might not be cutting through enough if they are snapping off on you. It sounds like a mature maple forest. I don't know if hinging or cutting more is going to do much for getting more under growth. What are you looking to have growing underneath, just new young trees? the land I hunt had the East 80 of maples select cut now about 15 years ago. It is only in the last 5 years or so that it really started to thicken below the canopy again. what you want might just need time, rather than more cutting.
How are you cutting? Face cut? You have to be gentle on the back cut slow down and go with smaller trees.
the whole woods are all mature maples and oaks. Not 100% on what maples they are but we are cutting ones that had to be around 10" max on the ones that we tried to cut first for the foundation ones to hold the smaller ones. Everything in the woods are wide open no low vegetation. I tried to see what large trees I could just cut out completely to open the canopy but all are so big that it was actually hard to decide what was best. For the cuts we are cutting just straight across and stopping about 3/4 of the way and use a wedge to get it to fall. The maples would split straight down mostly from the cut to almost the bottom of the trunk till about 4-5" from the ground.
You said mature...and 10inches....we talking diamter or circumference? If a woods is truly just chalked full of fully mature trees of 10 inches wide and bigger...hinging may not be where I'd start necessarily...definitely do but not 100%. I'm first having a logger come in and see if anything is ready to harvest...if not anything 5 years away....then start cutting. Larger trees are going to be harder to hinge 100%...but is easily done, just with a lower survival rate. one thing I will recommend is when hinge attempting on larger trees always do with one other person standing back and to a side not directly behind or infront incase a barber chair or snap. Also keep cuts about head high so if it does shoot back or barber you should have time to clear as it is all happening at or above your head. I've also seen what you did in larger trees freezing temps can be the toughest time to get them to fall...however alot also depends on the landing if harsh or not.
It has alot more mature oaks than maples in the woods. My goal is to just have thicker undergrowth. Not to worried about new trees but just want to thicken it up since I can almost see across 40 acres of woods from front to back.
hinge cutting 10" diameter maples??? That's going to be a decent log tree! Can I ask were in Wisconsin you are located. If north of about eau Claire you would have sugar maples, and those are about top dollar tree you can have right now. Better than cherry! Even red maple is good value right now. Please have a forester look at your woods. I just made 32k on a 10 acre clearcut and 40 acre select. Also, I'd like to see a pic of the woods. Sounds like a very mature piece. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I'd also like to mention I only hinge cut undesirable or low value species if possible like box elder, elm or aspen. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
these are the only pictures I have of right now. The one of the actual woods is probably the thickest part which is up front but the back part is all bigger.
This was kind of my game plan as of right now for how to lay it out. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
From the look of that first picture, my guess would be that you need to thin the trees out a lot if you want brush to grow underneath. There does look to be plenty of small trees to hinge, I'd stay away from those 10" though. You might want to check with a forester to give you the best idea of what will help the most. This is a picture from last spring in an area I created a small kill plot. I'm assuming this is about what you would like to end up with as far as brush growth.
That is really what I am shooting for. I was in there last summer looking at the property and noticed nothing for undergrowth but figured would just take some work and time to get it there.
I'm in trempealeau county so you are just an hour or so down 94 from me. I would guess they are red maples but sugar maples are not out of the question. I would highly recommend having a forester walk it with you. Doing a couple of small clear cuts will give you great bedding areas and put money in your pocket as well. Select cuts will open it up and give you bedding as well. You could have a lot of value in timber in there.
Couple pics of the woods cause I finally made it up there today to do some more cutting. Hinged a decent bedding area of some smaller trees like you guys recommended. I still have a DNR forester meeting me next weekend to give me some advice and recommendations. But all I have in the woods are oaks. Sugar maples and a couple pines here and there. But maples are just running with water right now. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
