Using Forestry Mulching to Boost Whitetail Activity

Forestry mulching can be a game-changer for Michigan landowners looking to enhance whitetail deer habitat without the disruptions associated with traditional land clearing methods. By selectively grinding invasive brush and low-quality timber into a nutrient-rich layer of mulch, Port Huron area landowners can transform overgrown woodlots into productive hunting grounds.

As Port Huron's premier forestry mulching company, we've transformed scores of properties for our clients. Our team has put together this guide to give you an overview of the benefits that forestry mulching offers for local landowners.

Raise Your Browse

A closed canopy prevents sunlight from reaching the forest floor, which can often result in "biological deserts" with little food for deer. A few ways that forestry mulching can manage sunlight to create a superior natural browse:

• Stimulates Growth: Forestry mulching thins the understory and selectively removes undesirable trees to let sunlight hit the soil, triggering the growth of native forbs, grasses, and woody browse like aspen and red maple.
• Recycles Nutrients: The mulch left behind decomposes into the soil, returning vital nutrients that support healthier, more resilient vegetation for deer to munch on.
• Immediate Attraction: Deer are often attracted to the fresh scent of mulched wood—especially cedar—and may begin investigating treated areas within hours.

Betting on Bedding

Whitetail deer thrive in transitional "edge" zones where they have quick access to both food and secure cover.

• Early Successional Cover: Mulching creates "pockets" of open space that quickly regenerate into the thick, young deciduous growth and brushy thickets deer prefer for bedding.
• Side Cover: By removing low-value brush while leaving mature mast-producing trees (like oaks), you create the "side cover" necessary for deer to feel protected from predators.
• Tailored Layouts: Landowners can use mulchers to shape irregular openings that maximize the amount of "edge" on their property, effectively doubling the usable habitat for local herds.

The Plot Thickens

Forestry mulching allows you to manipulate exactly how deer move through your property, putting you in the best position for a successful hunt.

• Steer Movement: You can clear clean, natural-feeling game trails that guide deer from bedding areas directly past your stands toward water sources or food plots.
• Efficient Plot Prep: Mulchers are ideal for clearing the dense brush needed to establish new food plots, leaving a clean seedbed that can be easily prepped for clover, oats, or brassicas.
• Low Impact: Unlike bulldozers, mulching machines have a light footprint that protects the root systems of desirable trees and prevents the soil compaction that can ruin future planting efforts.

To find out more about the benefits of forestry mulching, or to request a free consultation for Whitetail habitat improvements in the Port Huron area, give the pros at Stafford Land Management a call today at 586-899-9795!