Deer versus Chestnut

[Mattsnaturalrivers]

Not that i've found, tenax type temporary deer fencing does the job very well, you can re-use it 2-3 times and you'll have plenty of chestnut posts to support it. Laying brash over stools,dead-hedging etc. is a waste of time in my opinion and very ineffective.

 

I agree with Rob, the deer will still graze the shoots as they grow up through the brash laid on the stools and they won't grow straight but crooked (might not be such a problem with chestnut but if you were using hazel for weaving rods not ideal). When I worked for the council they used to dead hedge the hazel coupes but would end up using almost all the materials gained from coppicing to make the dead hedge and it would take days to make.

 

Have used orange plastic mesh that they use on road sides to protect people from road works and attached that to 3m posts and this has worked fine detering the deer and can be moved along to the next coupe. Have always been told to leave the coupe messy with all the fine brash laid on the floor and apparently deer don't like walking on the loose brash and this deters them.

[kernowstu]

we done two seasons of chestnut coppice on cowdray park west sussex,it was always cut,stack and burn tops.(loved every minute).

never did any protection.

[Paul Smith]

we done two seasons of chestnut coppice on cowdray park west sussex,it was always cut,stack and burn tops.(loved every minute).

never did any protection.

 

I used to be an assistant stalker on viscount Cowdrays land, very nice! Plastic deer fencing is a nightmare, the larger species will get tangled in it and Fallow imparticular will eat it as they eat the strangest of things. Manage the deer manage the problem!

[Chris Gagen]

some good replies here folks, not sure about leaving the area open though kernowstu, is surrounded by mature woodland and is a very undisturbed area.

 

The dead-hedging and brash over stools i'm not so sure about, i can see it being very labour intensive.

 

i have heard that human hair strewn around is an effective deterrent, but not sure how true it is!

 

at the moment i'm thinking that the orange plastic netting would be cheapest and , perhaps 2 rolls high, would work a treat if the base has a dose of round-up every so often:thumbup1:

 

Deer man, thanks for the offer but my business partner is very anti-kill... don't ask lol:001_rolleyes:

[Paul Smith]

No problems mate! Orange netting will entangle deer and badgers will go straight through it and possibly tear down the posts.

 

 

Human hair is ineffective as are products like retardine, diesel etc. It may work for a very short period but deer will eventually ignore it.

 

What ever you choose good luck!

[kernowstu]

All i can say is that cowdray had acres upon acres of it cut on rotation from 3years for walking sticks,6-10 years for pailings/small fencing/shelter stakes to 12-18 for fencing products and the time i was there they used no protection.

not saying things have changed would be interested if they have

[Paul Smith]

The only protection at Cowdry was the deer managers. You must have seen our large towers and seats?

[John Russell]

I read a post on here a while back, a chap cut the stands heigher than normal to prevent browsing by deer and called it Copparding ! A new one on me

 

No, I wasn't pulling anyone's leg. It was me that made the comment.

 

In ancient times it was a recognised way of preventing damage from browsing animals. Cut the trees at around waist or chest height -- depending on whether the deer are reds or roe. The coppard will then grow back with multiple stems from that height. Also saves bending down in eight year's time or so when you take the next cut.

 

Some will argue that deer can reach higher than chest height -- but my experience is that they are opportunist browsers. Most of the summer they'll feed at ground level -- because the grass and other tasty plants are growing -- and they only resort to eating tree growth in the winter. During a summer most trees will put on at least a couple of feet -- so add that to a chest height cut in the previous winter and they've got away from the deer.

 

I think you'll find this thread very interesting: Why coppice low SWOG Forum

 

Try it -- it works for me -- and let us know how you get on.

 

Best wishes,

 

John Russell

[Sam Thompson]

No, I wasn't pulling anyone's leg. It was me that made the comment.

 

In ancient times it was a recognised way of preventing damage from browsing animals. Cut the trees at around waist or chest height -- depending on whether the deer are reds or roe. The coppard will then grow back with multiple stems from that height. Also saves bending down in eight year's time or so when you take the next cut.

 

 

Ill vouch for that, he didn't make it up!

 

 

Depends on what your deer are as to how they browse though, havent got time for a proper reply, but I'll try later

 

 

Sam

[Rob Stringer]

In ancient times it was a recognised way of preventing damage from browsing animals. Cut the trees at around waist or chest height -- depending on whether the deer are reds or roe. The coppard will then grow back with multiple stems from that height. Also saves bending down in eight year's time or so when you take the next cut.

I think coppice is nearly always best cut low. The regrowth will be better&straighter and the stool&root-system will get larger (particularly with hazel). It'd need cutting on a short rotation if coppiced/pollarded higher up as the branch union will be weak and felling chestnut post&rail or firewood size poles at above chest height would be less than ideal!