Managing deer habitat involves providing the proper quantity and quality of habitat components: food, water, and cover. Food can be provided through food plots, mast orchards, and natural vegetation management. Water is usually not in short supply, but can be provided through ponds, wells, and irrigation. Both typically get the most attention, but what’s often overlooked is cover. Where lacking, bedding and security cover can frequently be easily enhanced through hinge cutting.
What
Hinge cutting involves cutting pole-stage trees most but not all the way through the trunk. The remaining portion acts as a hinge when the tree is pushed over and keeps the tree alive. The benefit is twofold (no pun intended): It provides cover and coarse woody browse at a level deer can take advantage of.
Hinge cuts come in several different forms and can have different objectives. A closed-edge hinge cuts a row of trees all hinged in the same direction. In addition to providing food and some cover, it may also act as a barrier, directing deer movement in a particular direction, like closer to your treestand. Bedding cuts cover a broader area and can be of varying sizes depending on objectives and the amount of natural cover. They should have roughly 80% sun exposure, which may require removing some overstory trees, and only 25% of the saplings or poles should be cut.
Edge cuts are another variety. Many land managers plant food plots or crops right up to the forest edge, leaving a very abrupt and distinct border. However, deer are considered an “edge” species, preferring the ecotone or transition zone between forest and open areas. That’s partly because this type of edge provides more food and cover, which can be accomplished by feathering field edges with hinge cuts.
How
How you make hinge cuts is relatively straightforward. In general, you’re cutting hardwoods, but not too hard. Select species more inclined to bend rather than break, like maple, beech, or gum, to name a few, avoiding species like ironwood, birch, or hickory.
Cut trees small enough to be guided to the ground by hand without risk of snapping. Make a straight cut, parallel to the ground, just far enough so the tree will fall, but enough bark and cambium remain to keep the tree alive. All you need is a saw, but you may find a habitat hook comes in handy for guiding and pulling trees down. That’s all there is to it.