Creating A Small Parcel Wildlife Edge

This video from Whitetail Habitat Solutions emphasizes the benefits of cutting aspen trees to create a “wildlife edge” for various animals, including deer, turkeys, grouse, pheasants, and rabbits (0:11-0:24). The speaker highlights that aspen regeneration provides consistent food and cover from October to March, unlike oaks, which offer limited food and cover for shorter periods (1:10-1:21).

Key aspects of creating a small parcel wildlife edge include:

Cutting Aspen (0:28): The speaker explains that cutting aspen trees allows for new growth to shoot out 30-40 yards, providing abundant food and cover (0:40-0:46). They demonstrate cutting aspen perpendicular to the edge to avoid creating a “barricade” and allow animals to move freely (0:33-0:38).

Expanding Habitat (1:33): The goal is to increase diversity and edge habitat by allowing aspen to encroach into areas like switchgrass (2:37-2:42). This strategy helps create a dedicated deer area (2:02) and a buffer around the house (3:08).

Benefits for Wildlife (3:33): The combination of open areas, grass, and regenerated areas creates ideal conditions for turkey nesting (3:38-3:41) and excellent cover for rabbits (7:42-7:44). The speaker notes that new aspen growth can reach 7,000 shoots per acre, providing an overabundance of food (4:28-4:31).

Importance of Food Plots (10:01): While good cover is crucial, the speaker stresses the need for quality food sources to anchor the area and hold deer, especially older bucks who crave consistent, nutritious food (12:44-13:13). They plan to add a large food plot to support the expanded cover (10:01-10:04).

Cutting Technique (13:26): The speaker advises completely cutting aspen trees rather than hinge-cutting them, as new shoots grow from the extensive lateral root system (13:30-13:37).