To Cut Or Not To Cut

If you’re like most Wisconsin woodland owners, you own between 20-100acres, and you enjoy a variety of activities on your land: watchingwildlife, hiking, hunting, picking berries, picnicking or taking photos ofwildlife and wildflowers. You delight in the beauty and solitude thatcomes with owning a woodland. You warm yourself in late fall andwinter by cutting a little firewood, and you wouldn’t mind making alittle extra cash, though managing your woodland for commercialpurposes isn’t your highest priority. Mostly, you want to enhance your

woodland for wildlife and recreational purposes, butyou’re not exactly sure how to go about it. This publicationwill give you some ideas about how to begin.

“To cut or not to cut?” That is the question. Whether it is wiser to cutthat gnarly old oak for hearthwarming firewood, or leave it for

wildlife food and shelter? Whether it is better to leave that stand ofmaple to grow straight and tall for sawtimber, or be thinned toencourage vegetation to benefit wildlife? Truly, the choice is yours and

will be unique to your land. The good news is that if you do decide tocut, you don’t have to sacrifice wildlife habitat in the process. In

fact, certain timber harvest practices can actually enhance—at a faster rate than nature alone—the attractiveness ofyour property to certain types of wildlife. The first thing

you need to do is identify your wildlife and timber harvestgoals and choose the appropriate harvest method.

Wildlife and Your Landa series about managing your land for wildlife

To Cut or Not to Cut? Managing Your Woodland for Wildlife

2 Wildlife and Your Land

Keeping Wildlife in MindWhich trees you cut can have a major impact on wildlife. With wildlife habitat as our goal, here’s oneway to cut a small patch of woodland. Be sure to clearly mark trees you want preserved if you areplanning a timber sale. Do this in cooperation with a commercial timber operator. A professional foresteror wildlife manager can help you identify the best wildlife trees.

Tree 1: Preserve evergreen for cover value.

Tree 2: Cut these tall, straight hardwoodsfor timber and to allow trees 1 and 8room to grow for wildlife. Makebrush piles with the slash.

Tree 3: Same as tree 2.

Tree 4: Preserve. Best acorn producer on theproperty.

Tree 5: Preserve this den tree for fox familythat lives there.

Tree 6: Preserve dying tree for insects forwoodpeckers.

Tree 7: Same as tree 2 and 3.

Tree 8: Preserve oak sapling for futurewildlife food.

Tree 9: Preserve dead wood on the forestfloor for salamanders, insects,snakes and chipmunks.

To Cut or Not To Cut

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Fresh clearcuts make some people shudder.They think they are unsightly and harmful tothe environment. Yet, within months of acarefully planned clearcut, the site islush with new growth that manywildlife love, and at no loss toenvironmental quality.

White-tailed deer areattracted to the nutritioustwig litter left over from anaspen clearcut. Later, thedeer return to feed on thesun-loving plants that invadethe newly harvested area. Thethickets which quickly sproutprovide excellent hiding places, not

only for does and their fawns, but for ruffedgrouse. Grouse raise their broods in young

aspen stands where they find both food andshelter from preying goshawks and

owls. Bear, rabbit, woodcock, butter-flies, and a wide variety of song-

birds such as indigo buntings,towhees, song sparrows, yellowwarblers, yellowthroats andchestnut-sided warblers alsofind food and shelter in theseyoung stands. One of Wiscon-sin’s rarest warblers, Kirtland’s

warbler, requires young standsof jack pine. Jack pine require

regeneration through clearcuttingor burning.

Wildlife and Your Land 3

How you cut your woodlot depends on thekinds of trees you have, their ages, sizes, thespacing between them, and their values toyou for wildlife, aesthetics, recreation andlumber. You can choose from three basicmethods to cut your woodlot: clearcutting,shelterwood cutting and selection cutting.Another option is to not cut at all. Thesemethods are briefly described below, butbefore you begin a project, consult with a

DNR forester and wildlife managerabout your plans.

1. ClearcuttingFor Sunlovers Only

A clearcut removes all trees in agiven area in one cut. It is used toregenerate trees that require fullsun such as aspen, tamarack, blackspruce, birch, black cherry, redpine, jack pine and sometimes oak.

These sun-loving trees are often the first tosprout after a clearcut. That’s why they’recalled pioneers. Once pioneer trees grow intosmall trees, they literally shade out newseedlings, making way for trees which prefershade in order to sprout—maple, ash,basswood and beech. Eventually, these shade-loving trees will dominate the woodlandunless you, or nature, take action.Windstorms, tornadoes, insect infestations,flooding and fires can simulate the effects ofclearcutting, but since you can’t control theseevents, you may want to take saw in handand give nature a little help.

YClearcut

YShelterwood

YSelection

YNothing

Timber Management Basics

Clearcuts and Wildlife

yellowwarbler

wren


Clearcuts with Wildlife ConsiderationsIllustration adapted by permission from Pennsylvania Game Commission.

YY Make your clearcuts into irregular shapes if you want to favor edge-loving wildlife such as rabbits, deer and ruffed grouse. Irregular edgesare also more natural in design.

YY Leave an uncut area around roadways to create a visual buffer.

YY Leave an uncut area around waterways to protect water quality.

YY Seed log landings and roads for wildlife after the sale is completed.

YY Leave dead trees and wildlife shrubs standing in clearcuts for songbirdsand woodpeckers.

YY If possible, break up area to be clearcut into units 2-20 acres in size. Cutone or more of these parcels every 5 years.

Gate

Serviceberry anddogwood saved

Trees left to shadetrout stream

Uncutden trees

Whitepinessaved

Snags left standing

Log-loading siteenlarged and

seeded for wildlife

Big oaks andhickories leftfor food andseed trees

Boundary hasirregular edge

Bridge

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Aspen is Wisconsin’s most well-known treemanaged by clearcutting. It’s easy to manage,is valued for its pulpwood, and it providesexcellent wildlife benefits.

Aspen provides habitat for more wildlife thanany other forest type. White-tailed deer, blackbear, cottontails, snowshoe hare and beaverthrive on the tasty bark, buds or catkins,leaves and nutritious young sprouts. The softwood of mature aspen decays easily and formscavities for northern flying squirrels, black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and wood-peckers. Chipmunks, voles and shrews alsocall aspen forests home.

Ruffed grouse love aspen forests. Youngstands provide great cover for their broodsand mature stands provide shelter as well asnutritious catkins for winter food. The oldeststands attract courting grouse which “drum”for mates atop fallen aspen logs.

Woodcock prefer aspen forests duringbreeding season, and frequently stop thereduring migration. Song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, mourning warblers andchestnut-sided warblers are attracted toyoung stands while ovenbirds, red-eyedvireos, thrushes, and flycatchers seek outlarge, older stands. The thick, moist leaf litterand decaying logs provide the perfect hidingplace for eastern garter and red-belliedsnakes, blue-spotted and eastern tigersalamanders, gray tree frogs and Americantoads. In spring, chorus frogs and springpeepers sing from temporary ponds that formin depressions in aspen stands.

Managing for AspenAfter Wisconsin’s virgin forests were cut,aspen naturally sprouted under the brightsun all across the cutover landscape. Thoughstill common today, this valuable wildlife treeis declining in abundance. One reason is thatmany landowners are reluctant to clearcutbecause they prefer older trees. But if doneright, clearcutting aspen can provide a varietyof ages. And, you’ll be amazed at how quickly

the forest grows back.New aspen suckerssprout from roots andcan grow 6 to 10 feet intheir first summer—more than one inch aday! If left unmanaged, aspen live about 50years, decline in vigor, and then are replacedby sugar maple, yellow birch and white ashwhich have established themselves in theshade of the older aspen. As aspen converts toits shade-loving successors, its associatedwildlife community changes along with it.

If you own an older forest of balsam fir ornorthern hardwoods with two or threehealthy aspen trees per acre, you can convertyour site back to aspen by clearcutting. Sincewildlife managers have found that wildlifeabundance varies with the age of the aspen,it’s best to manage for aspen in patches.Maintain one quarter of the trees at 1-10years old; one quarter at 11-20 years; onequarter at 21-30 years and one quarter above30 years. Cut these blocks in 2- to 20-acreparcels.

Different wildlife like different size openings;ruffed grouse and woodcock like the smallerclearings while deer prefer larger cuts. If youclearcut in 20-acre blocks, leave scatteredclumps of mature aspen for their swollen buds(catkins) which provide critical winter food forruffed grouse.

As always, before you cut, look around you. Ifyour neighbors have recently clearcut theirproperties, delay your clearcut until theirtrees just top the decade mark.

Forests are always changing. By lettingnature take its course, rather thanclearcutting, you are not stopping your forestfrom changing, but allowing it to change in adifferent way. If you delay your aspen clearcuttoo long, the trees will die of old age andeliminate their natural capability to sproutfrom the roots. Making wise managementdecisions today can keep your forestproductive for wildlife tomorrow.

Aspen: Featured Clearcut Tree



2. Shelterwood CuttingFor Partial Sun-lovers

A shelterwood cut involvesharvesting trees in at least twocuts. This method is used toregenerate trees that favor partial-sun conditions such as oak, hickory,

white spruce and white cedar. The first cutallows more light to reach the forest floor andprompts tree seedlings to sprout and growbeneath the shade of the shelterwood trees.You will need to mark the trees you wantpreserved as shelterwood trees before thefirst cut—these are usually the more matureand bountiful nut producers. Once the newseedlings have become well established, theshelterwood trees are removed. After bothcuts, sunlight prompts a flourish of food-producing grasses, shrubs, brambles andvines—a potential boon for wildlife.

Oaks produce acorns and wildlife seek outacorns more than any other food. Theyprovide energy-rich and nutritious food fordeer, bears, gray and fox squirrels, chip-munks, raccoons and mice. Many birds, fromblue jays, nuthatches, red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers to wild turkeys, grouse,wood ducks, and quail include acorns in theirdiet.

In addition to acorns, oaks have light, opencanopies which encourage brush and grassgrowth that provides excellent forage andcover. In addition, the trunks and large limbsoften rot out before the tree actually dies,providing excellent den sites for cavitydwelling birds and mammals. Raccoons,foxes, and pileated woodpeckers are some ofthe larger inhabitants of oak cavities.

Oak twigs provide browse which is highlysought after by deer, cottontails, mice and

voles. The leaves and deep furrowed barkhide insects which provide food to a variety ofsongbirds such as great-crested flycatchers,scarlet tanagers, red-eyed vireos, and Black-burnian warblers. The ground litter under anoak’s sprawling branches supports manyinsects, toads, blue-spotted salamanders, hog-nose and fox snakes, rufous-sided towhees,whip-poor-wills, and brown thrashers.

Managing for Oak

Concern has arisen about the future ofWisconsin’s slow-growing oak woodlands.Prized for their timber and firewood values,oaks are being harvested at an alarming rate.In southwestern and central parts of thestate, harvest has exceeded growth by morethan 30 percent. In addition, some oak forestsare being replaced by shade tolerant treessuch as maple, basswood and ash.

Oak: Featured Shelterwood Tree

That’s because we have stopped the wild firesthat historically held back succession yetdidn’t harm the fire-tolerant oaks.

Fortunately, foresters have developedmanagement techniques that have provensuccessful at regenerating oaks. While thefollowing practices are similar for all oaktypes, consult with your local forester orwildlife manager before implementing anymanagement strategy.

Planting Oaks and Acorns

If you have patience and the money, considerplanting oak seedlings or acorns.

Purchase seedlings in bulk quantities fromDNR nurseries or buy them from commercialnurseries. Gather acorns for planting as theyripen and fall. To weed out the duds, placefresh acorns in water and discard thefloaters. Then, plant a lot. Germination islow with this method because hungrysquirrels and other critters dig up the nuts. Ifyou’re planting a small plot, a simple chickenwire fence can protect the seeds. Be sure toplant white oak acorns the same fall youcollect them. Red oak acorns can either beplanted that fall or the following spring ifkept in cold storage. Ask your DNR foresterfor specifics.

Always plant seedlings and acorns in areaswhere weeds have been controlled. To preventnew grasses and weeds from out-competingyour seedlings, manually weed small plotsand apply herbicides on larger plots. Toprevent damage from browsing deer, rabbitsand mice, protect oak seedlings with plasticcylinders or other tree-protecting devices.

Shelterwood Cutting

Shelterwood cutting is the most commonmethod of oak regeneration, thoughclearcutting is sometimes used. Both requirecareful management. Shelterwood andclearcutting lets in sunlight that encouragesoak seedlings. But increased sunlight alsoencourages other, often faster growing, plantsto flourish. If left unchecked, these plants willout-compete the oak for water and nutrientsand will eventually shade out and kill theoak seedlings. To prevent this, you may needto apply herbicides, conduct a controlled burnor lightly graze the woodlot. Get assistantfrom a DNR wildlife manager or foresterbefore attempting weed control.

To conduct a shelterwood cut, first harvest30-60% of the trees in your woodlot, but leavethe largest, healthiest and most prolific acornproducers. These trees provide the seedsource needed for the next generation of oaksin your stand. After about 3 to 8 years, whenoak saplings are established and regen-eration is considered adequate, harvest mostof the remaining trees. Again, keep a fewmature acorn producers; it will be yearsbefore the young trees can produce acorns oftheir own.

Since oaks typically produce a good acorncrop only once every 3-5 years, promote avariety of oak types if you have them. Thiswill help ensure a reliable acorn crop even ifone variety fails to produce in a given year.

To promote oaks in mixed hardwood forests,remove select maple, basswood, ash, and elmtrees. Manage for weeds and brush asmentioned above.

Oaks are one of Wisconsin’s most valuableresources. Your efforts to maintain oak onyour property will reward you with a lifetimeof wildlife habitat and the beauty of owningand protecting an oak woodland.



3. Selection CuttingMade for the Shade

Selection cutting is used toregenerate shade-tolerant treessuch as white ash, sugar maple,basswood and balsam fir.Selection cutting involves theremoval of individual or smallgroups of trees from a diverserange of tree sizes and ages.The result is a variety of foodand cover options for wildlife,from brush to tall trees, andfrom evergreen to leafy trees.Woodpeckers, deer, salamanders,ovenbirds, gray foxes and gos-hawks thrive in this diversehabitat. The small openings youcreate through selection harvest-ing promote new saplings andalso provide grasses for wildlife.

Selection Cutting with Wildlife Considerations

YY Save a variety of mature nut-producers such as oak, hickory, beech, walnut, andbutternut trees. Since the average oak tree produces an acorn crop just once every 3-5 years, a variety of nut producers will ensure a consistent supply of food during offyears.

YY To produce adequate food for wildlife throughout any given year, you will need atleast 25 nut trees, 14 inches or more in diameter per acre.

YY Avoid cutting old trees with sprawling branches. They often produce abundant nutcrops and can make good den trees.

YY Protect seed- and berry-producing shrubs in the understory, especially those thathold their berries during winter such as dogwood, elderberry, alder, mulberry,blueberry, blackberry and wild grape. When nut production is low, these fruitsbecome primary food sources.

YY Leave plenty of space between trees to encourage wildlife shrubs. If you need a ruleof thumb, take the diameter (in inches) of a given tree and double it. Then simplydrop the inches and call them feet instead. For example, for a tree 15 inches indiameter you’d leave about 30 feet between it and its nearest competitor.

Wisconsin has a variety of evergreen trees.Eastern hemlock is one of the most majestic.This tree sprouts in moist soils beneath theshade of more sun-loving trees. It canremain, stunted, for 25 to 200 years undershady conditions until windthrow or fireopens the canopy and lets sun in. It thengrows very quickly.

Though hemlock’s market value is low, itswildlife value is high. Wildlife use hemlock assingle trees, small clumps, in pure stands oras a component in mixed hardwood stands.Hemlock provides food and shelter for white-tailed deer, yellow-bellied sapsuckers andsolitary vireos. Black-throated blue warbler,black-throated green warbler and Black-burnian warbler nest in thick hemlock grovesas do the veery and junco. The seeds fromhemlock cones provide food for red crossbills,pine siskins, chickadees and red squirrels.Sharp-shinned hawks, ravens, deer and moretake refuge from winter winds and deep snowwithin dense hemlock stands.

Mature hemlock spreads its dark greenbranches so densely that only a passing

sunbeam or two ever penetrates tothe forest floor. Its shallow root

system grows best in rich, moist soils.Hemlock is long-lived and often isthe only evergreen present in

northern hardwood stands.It is also often foundassociated with white cedaralong swamp edges.

Managing for Hemlock

Because hemlock regenerates in shade,selection cutting is the best cutting method.However, if you have pure stands of hemlock,it’s best to leave small hemlock groves,about several acres in size, uncut. Thisis particularly significant alongswamp edges and in hard-wood stands locatedadjacent to winteringareas.

Although hemlock wasonce very commonin northern Wiscon-sin, past logging andfire has drastically reducedits distribution andabundance. Today,hemlock’s main rangeincludes north centraland northeastern Wis-consin but outliers can be foundon rocky north-facing slopesof the Baraboo Range insouthern Wis-consin. Manageit withcare.


Hemlock: Featured Selection Cut Tree


Remember, different trees require different amounts of sunlight toflourish. In turn, these trees attract different kinds of wildlife toyour property. How you manage your woodlot will, in part,determine the types of wildlife you will likely see. Illustrationadapted by permission from the Minnesota Department ofNatural Resources.

Summary of Timber Management Practices

Clearcut Shelterwood SelectionSun-Loving Trees Partial Sun-Loving Trees Shade-Loving Trees

Aspen Oak AshBirch White Cedar Basswood

Tamarack White Spruce MaplesJack Pine Hickory Balsam FirRed Pine

Black Spruce

No matter what timber harvest methods youdecide to use, keep in mind three basicprinciples: protect dead wood; protect perchand nest trees and clean your house, not yourwoods. Once you have decided which treesyou want to save for wildlife, mark the treesclearly with the help of a professionalforester. If you are working with commercialtimber harvesters, be sure to give them yourwildlife goals in writing. This will helpensure that the wildlife trees and shrubs youwant protected will not be cut by accident.

1. Protect Dead Wood

YY Check dead and dying trees foractive wildlife dens and nests beforecutting; avoid cutting inhabited trees.

YY Preserve at least one to six dead trees peracre.

YY Save at least one tree of any size per acrewith broken tops, woodpecker holes,fungal growth or bark wounds. Thisindicates a future den or cavity tree.

2. Protect Perch andNest Trees

YY Save large pines for eagle andosprey nest trees if you live near a lake orlarge river.

YY Save large oaks, maples and other long-lived trees, especially those located nearwaterways or on south- and east-facingslopes in southern Wisconsin. They maybe used as roosts and perches by wildturkeys, songbirds and hawks.

3. Clean Your House,Not Your Woods

YY Build brush piles from tree tops andwoody debris which remain after harvest.

YY Leave dead wood on the ground forchipmunks, snakes, salamanders, insectsand other small creatures.

YY Leave small trees and shrubs for wildlifefood and cover.

YY Seed log landings and roads withperennial grasses and legumes andmaintain in an open condition if you aremanaging for edge-loving wildlife.


General Timber Management Guidelines

The Final Say

When managing your woodland for wildlife,you will always have the last say whendeciding whether to cut or leave a particulartree. You should always give careful attentionto the variety and condition of trees as wellas the spacing between them. Obviously, noteverything can be explained in thispublication, so don’t hesitate to give yourlocal DNR wildlife manager or DNR forestera call if you have additional questions andconcerns. They’ll have specificrecommendations for you.


Letting Nature Take its CourseNo Timber Harvest

A final option is to let nature take its course. Notharvesting trees is a clear option and one thatmany landowners prefer because of the benefitsfor woodpeckers, salamanders, warblers and otherwildlife which depend on old forests. In addition,old growth stands are rare in Wisconsin. If youhave one, or own property next to one, be sure youcontact a DNR forester or wildlife manager to helpyou develop a management plan.

Wildlife and Your Land Staff: Mary K. Judd, Project Director; DianeSchwartz, Project Assistant; Todd Peterson, Agricultural and RuralLand Use Specialist. Graphics and layout, Kandis Elliot. Funding forthis project was provided in part through the Federal Aid in WildlifeRestoration Act and through the Natural Resources Foundation ofWisconsin, Inc., P.O. Box 129, Madison, WI, 53701. Published by theBureau of Wildlife Management, Wisconsin Department of NaturalResources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707.

Federal Aid Projectfunded by your purchase of

hunting equipmentPUBL-WM-224

To Cut Or Not To Cut

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