Hinge Cut Advice

[dburt96]

I have read a ton of articles about hinge cutting trees to improve deer habitat.

All of them say "no professional will do a hinge cut it is to dangerous" and then they all go and do them because hunters are crazy about deer.

I find myself solo (another no no) and wanting to hinge cut trees to improve the woods I hunt.

The problem is that I will need them to fall a certain way in order to create "travel corridors". After that I will leave them where they fall.

If I want to hinge cut a tree in a certain direction, without climbing, how would I rig the rope and come-along to accomplish this, while still leaving the hinge intact so the tree will not die.

I will not have a truck to put tension on the tree so I will need to rig it to an anchor.

I will not do this to any tree over 12" in diameter.

My plan as it stands would be something like:

1. Get rope into tree on sturdy branch 15 feet up - What are the knots for this? I can tie bowlines like a banshee from rock climbing
2. Start my hinge cut on the opposite side of where I want to drop it - Do this before loading?
3. Load the rope in the direction and guide it down - Again nothing big here but I have noticed that it is hard to push a 6" tree over and I need to get good at doing up to 12" trees.

If you were forced to hinge cut and leave it attached how would you do it on a 12" tree that leans the wrong way?

Thanks

 

[treemandan]

Sorry but the best advice we can give you is none at all. Insurers orders. Besides, it about sounds like you got the gist allready but in all honesty; Who knows what you are talking about?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I wouldn't. I don't care how many idiots do something unsafe, I'm not going off the edge of the cliff with em. What is the purpose of dropping a tree and trying to keep it alive?

 

[treemandan]

I wouldn't. I don't care how many idiots do something unsafe, I'm not going off the edge of the cliff with em. What is the purpose of dropping a tree and trying to keep it alive?

I know a guy who does all sorts of forestry stuff. Right now he is upstate setting fire to it... the state that is. He does do what we are talking about here, I am not sure he " hinge cuts" cause that just sounds to dangerous, but he does walk through the woods and drop trees like a SOB and leave em. He might " hinge cut", I remember talking with him about it years ago but don't recall everything he said. I will ask him next time I talk to him. I was supposed to help him do a regular old tree job next week but I have school feild trip to chaparone.

But to answer your question: Hunters go through great lengths to make good hunting ground. This kind of work is actually quite lucrative if you can get it and know how to do it. There is a lot of ins and outs to engineering a natural habittat.:msp_wink:

 

[TheJollyLogger]

OK, I read a couple articles on this. These guys are talking saplings for the most part. I wouldn't go more than 4-5 inches with what you are thinking about. 12"? Forget about it, you are looking at a hell of a barber chair.

 

[Pelorus]

If I want to hinge cut a tree in a certain direction, without climbing, how would I rig the rope and come-along to accomplish this, while still leaving the hinge intact so the tree will not die.

I'm confused about how the tree survives the ordeal. (if the hinge is left intact.) I'm also confused how the hinge stays intact, unless the hinge is rubberized. btw, welcome to AS. If you can tie a bowline, then use a running bowline. Pretension line before cutting if dealing with a heavy leaner.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[dburt96]

thanks guys i will stick with 6 inchers which i think i can move by hand if they fall the wrong way

pelorus - if you do not cut through all of the inner tree and leave an inch or two the tree will stay alive and still bud which the deer will feed on sometimes for many years

new shoots can also emerge from the site of the cut which they will also browse on

then leave the tree in place to open up canopy and create the opportunity for undergrowth to emerge or to provide a good mast producing tree like any oak to have no competition

the tree that is dropped also provides cover and concealment for all types of game and further forces deer to move where you would like them to

 

[computeruser]

Google "hedge laying" or "hedgelaying", along with "coppice" and see what the Brits do. Might prove helpful for what you are after.

 

[treemandan]

I'm confused about how the tree survives the ordeal. (if the hinge is left intact.) I'm also confused how the hinge stays intact, unless the hinge is rubberized. btw, welcome to AS. If you can tie a bowline, then use a running bowline. Pretension line before cutting if dealing with a heavy leaner.

Cheers,
Dave

I think Jollylogger is right about only doing this to small trees/saplings. One just backcuts these and lays them down without cutting all the way through to create a dense undergrowth. The term " hinge cut " is quite misleading here.

 

[deercatcher]

hinge cutting for deer

Would you link one of the articles that talk about this?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Would you link one of the articles that talk about this?

Just google "hinge cut deer" There are an amazing number of guys running through the woods with a rifle in one hand and a saw in the other, barber chairing trees left and right.

 

[woodchuck357]

Most folks doing this use an open face notch 70 to 80 percent of the tree diameter then push or pull the tree to close the notch. Usually done with an ax. No barber chair.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Most folks doing this use an open face notch 70 to 80 percent of the tree diameter then push or pull the tree to close the notch. Usually done with an ax. No barber chair.

Sounds like a much better plan to me.

 

[HuskStihl]

Sounds like a pain in the ass. Just set out a timed feeder below your blind. They'll come walkin right up to it and you shoot em from 20 feet away, probably you'll be too drunk to shoot straight, hit em in the gut and let em run away to die slowly, but eventually you'll kill one clean. If that seems too difficult, there are plenty of canned hunt ranches here in Texas where you can just walk up to something you'd like to kill, put several bullets/arrows into it, your guide will finish it off for you and you'll get some meat you prolly won't eat, and a stuffed head of it looking wild and majestic. Pussies

 

[bustedup]

I'm no expert at all but if what ya describing is what I think it is .......The type of cut is what Hedgelayers use when they are starting to form the Hedge (lay it) It is not a horizontal cut it is made around 60 to 70 degrees and on the back side ie the opposite side to the way ya want to lay it. Usually the stem is held in place as such using pleachers and neighboring stems. where it is split it is usually trimmed off. You won't do it with any thing of any size and as stated before the cut is performed with either an axe or a bill hook. There is no hinge at all as creating one will cause the stem to break thereby no growth.

 

[gunnusmc03]

I found this youtube clip. Looks dicey unless you plan on cutting up small trees.

[video=youtube;jvYXo1FCCzI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvYXo1FCCzI[/video]

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I found this youtube clip. Looks dicey unless you plan on cutting up small trees.

[video=youtube;jvYXo1FCCzI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvYXo1FCCzI[/video]

I loved his line, "we'll cover safety in another video".

 

[HuskStihl]

I really liked the "axe" he used for pounding the wedge. Rarely do I see a video of people with chainsaws who appear more inept than me, but this may be one

 

[mrector]

I would never do this for habitat reasons, or any other reason.
Plant you some food plots, they will look and function way better.
Mikey

 

[bustedup]

well cut like that and it a good way to get hurt ........wait til one chairs and comes back at em