Do deer prefer bedding areas with higher or lower canopy cover?

Understanding Deer Bedding Habits

Deer typically seek out bedding areas with dense canopy cover to escape harsh weather conditions and predators. A minimum of 50-60% canopy cover is ideal for deer bedding areas, as it provides them with adequate shelter and concealment. In areas where trees are sparse, creating a bedding area near a food source or water source can also increase deer usage.

Creating Deer Bedding Areas with Hinge Cutting

Hinge cutting is a technique used to create a clear path into a bedding area while maintaining the existing canopy cover. By cutting a hinge on a tree, usually at a 45-degree angle, deer can easily walk through without disturbing the surrounding vegetation. When hinge cutting, it’s essential to leave at least 5-7 feet of clearance to ensure deer can move through comfortably.

Assessing Bedding Areas with TSI

To evaluate the effectiveness of a bedding area, use the TSI (Thermal Shelter Index) method. This involves measuring the thermal shelter provided by the surrounding vegetation. A higher TSI score indicates better thermal shelter, which is crucial for deer during extreme temperatures. By creating bedding areas with high TSI scores, hunters can increase the likelihood of deer using these areas, providing better opportunities for observation and harvest.