5 Deer Shrubs You Should Consider Planting on Your Hunting Property

[@bobmatley]

Another good shrub is Ninebark I have some getting pretty big ones in my poor sandy soils. It is good for birds deer don't seem to bother it to much but it will get thick and grouse eat the seeds so it will make good rough grouse habitat, Willow you can't go wrong with whether the one you have or get some streamco, sandbar, silky willow etc the deer will eat all of different choices as the leaves are tender for them but the good thing is if you need brush they all grow fast they just don't do well in dry soil. I planted both nannyberry and wild plum and they did not do that good maybe the deer just ate them all, never caged them. I know if you want taller trees I planted some tulip poplar and can say that after the first winter I wondered if any would make it as the deer found them and hammered the stems but they are tough trees after about 3 years they are pushing over 10 feet even after being chewed up I may get more in the future. Deer also love wild raspberry brambles they tear into them in the winter can't believe they eat that stuff with all the thorns and you don't need to even plant it as it just goes crazy on its own. I am also trying to establish some dwarf chinquapin oaks, this will become probably the top deer magnet you can find. Nurseries have to cage their oaks otherwise they can't get any of the acorns as all animals go crazy for the small tasty acorns.

[@littlerayofsunshine69]

I'm in eastern Washington and I'm planning on planting red osier, elderberry, serviceberry, choke cherry, raspberry, rose, hawthorn and, now that I know the deer like it and it's native to my county, Bebb's willow. It's going to cost me a fortune. I hope they're happy. I've got a couple nice wet areas with a lot of alder and aspen. This stuff should do well there. 👍

[@PFHabitat]

@littlerayofsunshine69 it's spendy but the payoff is so fun to watch overtime. Great plan, glad to hear you're getting after it!

[@craigweinmann320]

I mentioned about a year ago that I was hinge cutting diamond willow. I had some success cutting it in the winter. But not enough for me so this spring I'm going to hinge a bunch more when the buds start to swell to see if I get a better success rate. The willow that I hinged successfully is now at deer browse height and is turning into a thick horizontal screen. I think that the taller trees provide little benefit unless the deer can get to tender stuff easy. I have also been cutting my redozier back when it gets to tall. That also invigorates it to push out new tender sprouts. I sure appreciate that you have property so close, so I know if it works for you it will work for me! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God bless you and your family in the new year!

[@PFHabitat]

@@craigweinmann320 I love to hear that you're experimenting like that. That's how we learn! Godbless you and yours as well!

[@Treeplanter73]

Some of my favorites are spectacled alder(tag alder) and hazelnut and ofcourse red osier. Both for browse and nuts.

[@PFHabitat]

@Treeplanter73 all awesome species!

[@philly214w]

Hazelnut, service berry, red osier dogwood are my favorites.

[@PFHabitat]

@@philly214w I've been in some awful thick hazelnut thickets. Very solid structure and good food

[@johnhartman8086]

Service berry is a favorite of mine. I am not a hunter but i love to watch deer and birds .Birds absolutely love service berries. As do deer.I eat service berries if I can find any left. If they have water the berries will be plump and juicy. And they have beautiful flowers in early spring and very nice fall colors.

[@msc4570]

Looks like another mild winter in Minnesota 😊. Love the video.

[@PFHabitat]

@msc4570 lol thank you global warming I guess 😉

[@fisherman_of_navarone]

Love the variety of soil types for these options.

[@PFHabitat]

@fisherman_of_navarone yes it's nice to options for different situations

[@transamguy9073]

Great video. I planted the red osier and silky dog wood. Nannyberry and hazlenutt last yr. This yr will be american plum and crab apple

[@PFHabitat]

@@transamguy9073 fantastic plan!

[@scottschaeffer8920]

Prairie Crab. Right along the edge of your grasslands, handles fire pretty good. They’ll go thru a brick wall to get at the fruit in late summer, early fall. But yea, dogwood is the reigning champ. Sunlight a must.

[@PFHabitat]

@scottschaeffer8920 we don't have those around me but I've seen them further south and they definitely look like a very attractive deer species

[@christianwitness]

Hazel, Spicebush; hazel doesn't mind moist feet, spicebush loves edges of forested areas on a good soil.

[@PFHabitat]

@@christianwitness both nice choices

[@sandych33ks1]

I have tons of red osier dogwood here in Northern Ny on my property. I only ever have 3 or 4 deer that occasionally winter on my property. I'm not sure if I have so much of it but I don't see hardly any browsing pressure on it. Great video keep them rolling..

[@susanpanse6580]

I’m in NY, also. If you can develop holding cover, the Redosiers will get hammered - the key is developed habitat. I can offer advice.

[@PFHabitat]

@sandych33ks1 like Susan said, I'm guessing there are other reasons why they aren't wintering on yours. A lack of thermal cover possibly one of them

[@karlkahmann4035]

Red Ozier dogwood - in Northwestern Ontario it tends to grow along old logging roads-I have watched moose walk 10 miles down the road just feeding on that one plant.

[@PFHabitat]

@karlkahmann4035 yah it's the best browse shrub we have in our area

[@kurtcaramanidis5705]

Great video. Thanks for the shout out.

[@PFHabitat]

@@kurtcaramanidis5705 i appreciate the video you shared. That was a great visual!

[@TheYeti308]

Thanks Bud . ! 👍

[@PFHabitat]

@TheYeti308 thanks for watching!

[@tripleh8979]

Good info. I planted red and gray last year, so far so good. What about dappled willow in northern Wisconsin? I have access to cuttings

[@PFHabitat]

@tripleh8979 they can make solid bedding structure so in a diverse planting I'd be good with adding some in

[@ncsgrocker]

Hell they enjoyed 80% of my garden this year. But 2 are resting in my freezer for me to enjoy this year. Never had a problem before all the timbering started

[@PFHabitat]

@@ncsgrocker congrats on the harvests!

[@JAB00777]

Interesting ... I've got wild plum tree / shrub along with crab apple , Hawthorne , wild grapes , apple trees and unfortunately lots of Buckthorn that I got to illiminate plus autumn olive which may not be so bad ❓ ....ive been planting dogwoods , high bush cranberry amongst others ....also anybody doing Reforestation , I recommend planting White Birches mixed with conifers ...deer tend to leave them alone except for rubbing antlers on , they grow really fast and adds variety .... I think vits counter productive to plant Green Deserts where whole fields are planted to just white spruces .. mix with birches and wildlife shrubs ....balsams are preferable but deer like to eat them when young ....spruces are way over rated for deer habitat in my opinion ....ive planted everything including White Oaks , White Pine too

[@PFHabitat]

@JAB00777 a diverse mix is always great. I like the dense conifer stands for late season and winter, but I wouldn't want a whole property of that. Diversity always wins

[@johnbalasa711]

Thank you . Can I establish dese plants in Virginia? I would like to plant some in my hunting land.

[@PFHabitat]

@johnbalasa711 yes sir!

[@stevegerber835]

Great information. What type of crab apple tree do you recommend

[@PFHabitat]

@stevegerber835 any late dropping variety that works for your growing zone. Morse nursery has a nice selection and they note drop times on their website

[@JTWy37]

I’ve struggled to get plums to grow in Central MN. Controlled weeds and tubed but die off after 2-3 years

[@kevinscherbenske7462]

I had the same issue in ND w plums in tubes - I think they don’t realize winter is coming and harden off and have dieback when gets really cold - started pulling the tubes (and adding cages) in early fall and seems to work better

[@PFHabitat]

@JTWy37 I'm with Kevin, cages is the way to go if you have the time and money to do it

[@MrByoung3348]

What state are you in? And what planting zone?

[@brodydouglass8042]

Do you have much upland game in the areas you let go wild? Edges in between fields are very important to a lot of animals.

[@PFHabitat]

@brodydouglass8042 yes! The pheasents have been pouring into the farm. We're not even in pheasent range so I'm not sure where they're coming from but fun to see. Turkey population has been booming as well

[@brodydouglass8042]

@ that’s great. There is hardly any upland game in Western NC. I’d like to start managing for them when I have the time and money. Love what you’re doing with your farm

[@PFHabitat]

@brodydouglass8042 thanks brother, it's been fun to share the transformation over the years

[@Whiskey61]

from 5:09 in the video do you ever actually say the name of the shrub or did I just miss it?

[@PFHabitat]

@@Whiskey61 that one was nannyberry

[@smokenjoe4022]

We are talkin about some very tasty venison here! 😋

[@PFHabitat]

The best table fare there is!

[@scottpavek236]

Great video! I have all of these on my family farm as well! I would really like to get more bebb’s willow, pussy willow growing. I’ve tried stabbing branches(propagating) but I think the deer browse gets them every time….tubing and caging gets to be expensive. $5 per tube…$4 per stake…doesn’t take long to add up.

[@PFHabitat]

@scottpavek236 yah they find the shrubs fast. That's the one downside of shrubs is getting them established

[@jarrodlambert3914]

Awsome

[@PFHabitat]

@@jarrodlambert3914 thanks!

[@josephpond6057]

Does red osier work in the South?

[@weslovell815]

Yes!!! ... All my property is above 2000' elevation and can be tough to keep wet...use drainages and oxbows in any creek...if you have a swamp ur in business...

[@jasondiaz7611]

Does nannyberry take fire?

[@PFHabitat]

@jasondiaz7611 yes it would be considered fairly fire resistant

[@straightopoint]

Add Persimmon

[@PFHabitat]

@straightopoint fantastic plant. I'm too far north for it otherwise I would

[@Robert-n4p1g]

What about american persimmon

[@PFHabitat]

@Robert-n4p1g fantastic plant. They don't grow up here but they're a great option in the midwest and south

[@Robert-n4p1g]

@PFHabitat all I am sorry nothing better that persimmon cake

[@PFHabitat]

@@Robert-n4p1g sounds delicious

[@finallyfriday.]

Autumn Olive- nitrogen fixer, grows in any soil, thrives, spreads, creates thickets, berries are good food (human super food but one plants tastes good to me and next one tastes horrible). Only problem is it's short lived. After 10 - 15 years it dies off.

[@SecondFloorOutdoors-gj8dt]

Be aware that it's a nuisance invasive. It'll take over any open space and the birds will spread the seeds. It also has thorns.

[@finallyfriday.]

@SecondFloorOutdoors-gj8dt All the things I like about it! Spreading, good wildlife feed and thorns for animal protection from predators and me from damn snowmobilers crossing my land. Unfortunately after it spreads it all just as quick dies away. But it leaves a nitrogen (it's a legume) and mulch rich environment behind which was perfect for other "invasives" to get a start such as oaks, maples, crab apples etc that wouldn't have had a chance before. That's one thing I dislike about labelling - it becomes an almighty sin to break. Like- "NEVER give a dog chocolate!" even tho I tossed my dog a chocolate chip cookie recently and, lo and behold, he DIDN'T die! The three things my land office recommended me to plant in my barren soil was Autumn Olive, Black Locust and Scotch Pine. Now they want to pay me to remove them! Heck, they were perfect and did just what I needed them to do. Now my place is a wonderful forest of dozens of types of trees and shrubs but sadly not enough of the original Three Musketeers (AO, BL, and SP).

[@NeedsMoreToys]

Nooooooo! Very invasive. Will create a mono culture. Not native and will escape across all environments state wide.

[@adamredden2007]

Hell with that stuff. It has RUINED 10s of thousands of acres in WV. It's on par with Kudzu, in my opinion.

[@finallyfriday.]

@NeedsMoreToys In your area, maybe. Here it is a REAL blessing. Your experiences can't be the law for everyone else.