I was told deer damage but I don’t think so

[Utectok]

Hi guys
I was asked to inspect a plantation and told they have lost 75% of the trees to deer. Threats of bringing in contractors were made…. To be clear there are some deer and some grazing damage but sheep have been getting in as I have been saying for a year or so….. anyway on inspection there were lots of dead trees which seemed to have just died without any grazing pressure. It almost looked like the grass weed killer spray had killed the trees??? I dunno but not deer as the trees were complete. What’s killing the trees???

 

[Martes]

My money on the herbicide there.

 

[Terrydeer]

Not deer and the owner should talk to the contractors who did the spraying, just to check what was applied and the dates etc

 

[deerstalker.308]

You can overspray with some chemicals during dormancy but that looks like someone either used the wrong chemical or did it once the tree was active. Thats not deer. Defo be checking back in with whoever has done any spot spraying!!

 

[griff]

Have you evidenced the Sheep incursions? Trees die for whatever reason, if you have been told that there is 75% damage, can you isolate dead trees and damaged trees, its alright saying there are 75% losses to deer but can they attribute 100% to deer, if you have evidence to say that on such a date there was sheep in there, there are so many losses to natural deaths,(bad batch of trees), weevil, and then deer, you would be able to paint a better picture. Be aware that in cases where the tree's have failed then it is not uncommon to blame it entirely on deer. Look at it from a different perspective, if you were the forester/management company and your grant aided plot has failed, and now the land owner has to pay back some of the grant who do you think is going to get the blame, remember shyte only falls down hill.
You are going to have to put some legwork in and get out and survey the ground with grids and pictures to evidence that deer are not the only culprit..

 

[jp 7saum]

It’s definitely not deer or sheep because the heads are on, if it’s deer or sheep the top will be ripped and if it’s hares then the tops are clean cut off, I would say potential bad batch of trees because I have seen a section similar and normally they will come and replant it again for free as long as there good evidence of bad trees which a 75% loss rate would be, is it clumps of dead trees or is there live ones and dead ones mixed?

 

[VSS]

If the sheep had been recently dipped or sprayed that would kill vegetation that the rub against. But only immediately after treatment, while the chemical was still wet.

(Years ago, when the types of pesticide applied to sheep were a bit nastier than they are now, I believe that tree deaths were a widely recognised problem).

 

[Heym SR20]

Mrs Heym, who is a prfessional forester suggests herbicide overspray or incorrect planting so young tree roots not in good contact with soil and have suffered from drought.

 

[Camelfarm]

I agree with the herbicide opinion.

 

[JTO]

I've lost three privet/box bushes in the front garden and the culprit seems to have been a catterpiller infestation.

 

[olliehopes]

I'd put my money on the herbicide. If it was deer or sheep the tops would have been nipped out of them

 

[jall55]

I've lost three privet/box bushes in the front garden and the culprit seems to have been a catterpiller infestation.

Yes the box moth caterpillar i bet

I think the trees have been sprayed - look at the grass around them

 

[JTO]

Yes the box moth caterpillar i bet

I thought that, but the moths seem too small to be that or the Privet Hawk Morh.

 

[willowbank]

Mrs Heym, who is a prfessional forester suggests herbicide overspray or incorrect planting so young tree roots not in good contact with soil and have suffered from drought.

I would have said drought played a part in this, when were they planted?

WB

 

[jall55]

I thought that, but the moths seem too small to be that or the Privet Hawk Morh.

Oh right - the box that i had attacked ended up just looking like a skeleton - no leaves at all - just a stem and a few branches - They are sort of a green and black stripey type and dozens if not hundreds can get on the tree

 

[Covert]

IMHO definitely herbicide, either mixed wrongly, sprayed twice or incorrectly applied.
Surrounding vegetation dead as well, would guess at glysophate based herbicide.
Seen similar before when I was a contract’s manager for forestry company dealing with establishment and maintenance 35 years ago.
Had the same with 2 brothers that sprayed a block of new planting using the wrong application rate.
The following week I checked on them when spraying to find one just wearing trainers and rugby shorts the other wearing the same but with the addition of a Dryzabone full length waxed coat. After giving a health and safety lecture I asked why was tweedle dum wearing a Dryzabone on one of the hottest days of the year , he replied that his knapsack sprayer had a leak.

 

[Utectok]

I have photos of the sheep incursion which has now abated after two years. There is about two deer left in that corner both doe’s so I’m leaving them at the moment…. I would say about 5-7% deer or sheep grazing pressure 60% overspray it’s annoying to get the blame for the lot. I’m in communication with the forestry manager so we shall see

 

[JTO]

Oh right - the box that i had attacked ended up just looking like a skeleton - no leaves at all - just a stem and a few branches - They are sort of a green and black stripey type and dozens if not hundreds can get on the tree

I cut down the semi-bare bushes and carried them away in my van. Now I have moths hatching in the van. I, yesterday, noticed some trees around the local Asda supermaket have similar dead leaves.

 

[Utectok]

Here is what I said to the forestry manager

“As promised I have had a good look round this morning and shot a couple of bucks too so that’s good. A couple of doe’s seen too but not able to shoot them at the moment. As you noted there is some grazing pressure on the north side whether from sheep or deer I don’t know. No sheep present now so that’s also good. Deer are present but not in horrendous density. More worryingly there are a lot of dead trees that seem to show no sign of grazing pressure but seem to just be dead or dying. I’m no expert on trees but I know deer damage when I see it and this is clearly something else. It sort of looks like they may have been poisoned by the grass weed killer? Anyway you’re the expert here not me! I’ll keep at the buck and hit the doe’s hard when they are in season.“

 

[cutty sark]

FFS,…. Hylobius abietis, aka, large pine weevil.
they eat the bark of the young trees causing death of tree, a complete ball ache to get rid off, look closely at the tree stem