Adequate resting and escape cover is criti-cal to proper management of ground-nestingbirds, rabbits, and other small game.Although living brush is preferable, in mostcases you can build artificial brush piles tosupply immediate shelter for many specieswhere natural cover is limited. Artificialbrush piles conceal and protect wildlife frompredators and the weather, and they establisha medium for seed germination and plantgrowth. Construction of brush piles has mostoften been recommended for management ofthe bobwhite quail and cottontail rabbit.Brush piles constructed for game animals alsowill be used by many nongame species.

Where Should You Build aBrush Pile?

Suitable locations for brush piles includeopen fields and rangeland, fence corners, fieldedges and shoulders, gullies, woodland borders,clearings, and other sites adjoining feedingand nesting cover. Brush piles help to preventerosion and provide wildlife cover whenplaced along the head of a gully, but neverplace them in the middle of an eroding wash.They may also be appropriate near impound-ments, stock ponds, potholes, and other

watering places in open terrain. Ifyou install brush piles adjacent tofood strips, they will make theplots more attractive and availableto both game and nongamespecies. Place them at each end ofan elongated food strip or where

the surrounding area is lackingin natural cover. The opti-

Fact Sheet 599

hackberry, are suitable for this treatment. Onconifers too large and old for top-pruning,and on some deciduous trees, cut and bendthe lower limbs to form an umbrella of cover.The use of living brush piles is a cost-effectivetechnique for managing small-game species,especially bobwhite quail. These structuresshould not be used as the only managementeffort, but should always be used in conjunc-tion with other practices designed to improvefood, cover, and water resources.

Adapted from:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1984.

“Wildlife Resource Notes.” InformationExchange Bulletin 2 (2). Washington, DC.

Reviewed by:Peter S. Jayne

Eastern Region Manager

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Forest, Park and Wildlife Service

4

Wildlife Management: Brush Pilesby

Robert L. TjadenAssistant Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources

University of Maryland, College Park

Jonathan KaysExtension Natural Resources Specialist

Western Maryland Research and Education Center

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland, CollegePark, and local governments. Thomas A. Fretz, Director of Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland.

The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The University’s policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations onnondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VIof the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans With Disabilities Act of1990; or related legal requirements should be directed to the Director of Human Resources Management, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742.

Wildlife Management:Brush Piles

V2002

This Wildlife Management series was published by Maryland Cooperative Extensionwith joint expertise and funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and theDepartment of Natural Resources. Marylanders interested in wildlife management canrefer to this series for basic wildlife management concepts, species’ needs, managementrecommendations, habitat requirements, food and cover plants, and other general con-siderations. Contact your county Extension office for more information on wildlife man-agement. Fact sheet titles in the full series are:

Fact Sheet 597 Introduction to Wildlife ManagementFact Sheet 598 Planting Crops for WildlifeFact Sheet 599 Brush Piles for WildlifeFact Sheet 600 Field Border ManagementFact Sheet 601 Eastern Cottontail RabbitsFact Sheet 602 Bobwhite QuailFact Sheet 603 Ring-necked PheasantsFact Sheet 604 Ruffed GrouseFact Sheet 605 Mourning Doves

Fact Sheet 606 Eastern Wild Turkeys

Fact Sheet 607 Tree Squirrels

Fact Sheet 608 Black Bears

Fact Sheet 609 Wood Ducks

Fact Sheet 610 Dabbling Ducks

Fact Sheet 611 Diving Ducks

Fact Sheet 612 Canada Geese

Fact Sheet 613 Songbirds

mum distance between brush piles, orbetween existing quail cover and brush piles,should be from 200 to 300 feet, but will varyaccording to site characteristics and targetspecies. When properly constructed andlocated, brush piles can serve as a versatilemanagement technique for wildlife in a vari-ety of farm settings.

What Materials Do YouNeed?

You can build brush piles from materialsavailable in the vicinity of a site. Oaks, locust,and other rot-resistant trees make durablebases. Other suitable materials include largestumps, cull logs, old fence posts, largestones, metal grills supported by cinderblocks, and tractor tires. You may use smalltrees and limbs of almost any species as fillermaterial.

How Do You Build a BrushPile?

Build your brush piles during the dormantgrowth season. If possible, the work should

accompany clearing or thinning operationsto eliminate extra handling and travel costs.Land management practices that providesuitable material include timber-stand man-agement, brush control, pasture or croplandclearing, release-cutting, pruning, fencerepair, and clearing of fire lanes and open-ings. Brush piles are usually mound- orteepee-shaped, with the largest material form-ing the base and layers of smaller limbs andbranches added as filler. When using woodymaterial, the base should consist of sturdytrunks or limbs at least 6 inches in diameter.To make the base, place two to four layers oflogs at right angles (logs should be about 4 to6 inches apart on each layer), or bring thebutt ends of four trees together so that thecanopies form an outer circle. Brush clippingsshould cover the base and touch the groundand allow approximately 6 inches of clear-ance at several points along the base to admitquail (Figure 1). The size of brush pilesdepends on specific functional requirementsfor target species, such as headquarters forquail or emergency cover for small game infeeding areas. A headquarters should normal-ly be from 6 to 7 feet tall and at least 15 feetin diameter (base); structures 24 to 36 feet indiameter provide the best headquarters. You

can also install smaller brush structures onquail range to provide escape cover while treeand shrub plantings are being established.Brush piles designed for escape cover shouldbe from 4 to 5 feet tall and approximately 10to 12 feet in diameter, but smaller piles maybe built where woody cover is sparse. Brushpiles designed for rabbits should be from 4 to 7feet tall and approximately 10 to 20 feet wide.

Constructing Christmas TreeBrush Piles

The basic structure for a Christmas treebrush pile is an A-frame built from availablescrap lumber. Poles, logs, and branches canbe used for A-frame construction just as effec-tively as milled lumber, as long as they can besecured together. To build the brush pile, wireand nail lumber together to form a supportapproximately 8 feet wide and 8 to 20 feethigh. Attach cross braces at various levelsalong the frame. Then pile trees against thestructure from side to side and in layers with-in the frame. This layering provides coveringfor many species. There is also greater free-dom of movement within the pile for smallbirds, and the dried pine needles create afloor ideal for nesting by other animalspecies. These structures are pleasing to theeye year round because the trees remaingreen through the winter and into the earlysummer. Additionally, Christmas trees arereadily available in January of each year. Timeand cost for pickup will be reduced by publi-cizing a disposal point where local residentscan take their trees; unsold trees also may becollected from Christmas tree lots. Be surethat all tinsel is removed from the treesbefore using them for brush piles.

Constructing Living BrushPiles

You can provide supplemental cover forsmall game by half-cutting trees and shrubsso that their tops or branches touch theground. The practice is also referred to as top-cutting, top-pruning, or cut-and-bend. Thedesired result is a living brush pile that canfunction as shelter for quail and other smallgame. Half-cutting is most appropriate on

sites where woody plants have lost theirlower limbs and ground-level loafing andescape cover is sparse or absent. The tech-nique is simple to apply and requires mini-mal cost and time commitment.

Settings. Appropriate settings for half-cutsinclude woodland edges, tree-linedfencerows, and stands of trees in open areassuch as pastures. The technique should beconsidered also for edge improvement alongrights-of-way, in forest openings, and adja-cent to food plots and other plantings.Patterns can range from staggered cuts alongan edge to a series of trees or limbs droppedin a checkerboard design. Individual oaks andelms often provide sufficient cover whenonly one is cut. Spacing should be a maxi-mum distance of 300 feet from other half-cuts or suitable ground cover.

Tree selection. You can make half-cuts ona variety of trees that break off cleanly whenthe top is felled. Suitable species includehackberries, elms, hawthorns, oaks, willows,and tall shrubs. Many other species also maybe candidates for half-cutting. When possi-ble, select trees that harbor fruit-producingvines; this will increase the value of half-cutsby making additional food available atground level. Make your half-cuts either onthe main trunk or on the lower branches of atree or shrub. The objective is to get cover onor near the ground without killing the plantbeing treated. Always make the cuts in thespring after the sap has risen and leaves havematured. If you use large trees, cut themwhen they are resilient but not too full ofsap. When you top whole trees, cut the trunkwith a chain saw or buck saw from 3 to 5 feetabove the ground, opposite the desired direc-tion of fall. Make the cut just deep enough sothe top can be pushed over, leaving a con-necting strip of living bark. These sheltershave a functional life dependent on contin-ued tree growth. If the half-cut results in treedeath, the cover still has some value forscreening the loafing activities of quail.

Flat-topped shelters. Flat-topped sheltersmay be constructed by top-cutting treesgrowing close together along an edge orfencerow. Cut the trees from 20 to 30 inchesabove the ground and lay them over eachother so that trunks of earlier cuts supporteach later treatment. Scrubby species, such as

2 3

Build up with small brush Dotted lines indicate additional brush

Figure 1. Here are three examples of different types of brush piles. Whatever type of materi-al is used to make a brush pile, the most important step is to criss-cross the material asshown in each of the examples.

mum distance between brush piles, orbetween existing quail cover and brush piles,should be from 200 to 300 feet, but will varyaccording to site characteristics and targetspecies. When properly constructed andlocated, brush piles can serve as a versatilemanagement technique for wildlife in a vari-ety of farm settings.

What Materials Do YouNeed?

You can build brush piles from materialsavailable in the vicinity of a site. Oaks, locust,and other rot-resistant trees make durablebases. Other suitable materials include largestumps, cull logs, old fence posts, largestones, metal grills supported by cinderblocks, and tractor tires. You may use smalltrees and limbs of almost any species as fillermaterial.

How Do You Build a BrushPile?

Build your brush piles during the dormantgrowth season. If possible, the work should

accompany clearing or thinning operationsto eliminate extra handling and travel costs.Land management practices that providesuitable material include timber-stand man-agement, brush control, pasture or croplandclearing, release-cutting, pruning, fencerepair, and clearing of fire lanes and open-ings. Brush piles are usually mound- orteepee-shaped, with the largest material form-ing the base and layers of smaller limbs andbranches added as filler. When using woodymaterial, the base should consist of sturdytrunks or limbs at least 6 inches in diameter.To make the base, place two to four layers oflogs at right angles (logs should be about 4 to6 inches apart on each layer), or bring thebutt ends of four trees together so that thecanopies form an outer circle. Brush clippingsshould cover the base and touch the groundand allow approximately 6 inches of clear-ance at several points along the base to admitquail (Figure 1). The size of brush pilesdepends on specific functional requirementsfor target species, such as headquarters forquail or emergency cover for small game infeeding areas. A headquarters should normal-ly be from 6 to 7 feet tall and at least 15 feetin diameter (base); structures 24 to 36 feet indiameter provide the best headquarters. You

can also install smaller brush structures onquail range to provide escape cover while treeand shrub plantings are being established.Brush piles designed for escape cover shouldbe from 4 to 5 feet tall and approximately 10to 12 feet in diameter, but smaller piles maybe built where woody cover is sparse. Brushpiles designed for rabbits should be from 4 to 7feet tall and approximately 10 to 20 feet wide.

Constructing Christmas TreeBrush Piles

The basic structure for a Christmas treebrush pile is an A-frame built from availablescrap lumber. Poles, logs, and branches canbe used for A-frame construction just as effec-tively as milled lumber, as long as they can besecured together. To build the brush pile, wireand nail lumber together to form a supportapproximately 8 feet wide and 8 to 20 feethigh. Attach cross braces at various levelsalong the frame. Then pile trees against thestructure from side to side and in layers with-in the frame. This layering provides coveringfor many species. There is also greater free-dom of movement within the pile for smallbirds, and the dried pine needles create afloor ideal for nesting by other animalspecies. These structures are pleasing to theeye year round because the trees remaingreen through the winter and into the earlysummer. Additionally, Christmas trees arereadily available in January of each year. Timeand cost for pickup will be reduced by publi-cizing a disposal point where local residentscan take their trees; unsold trees also may becollected from Christmas tree lots. Be surethat all tinsel is removed from the treesbefore using them for brush piles.

Constructing Living BrushPiles

You can provide supplemental cover forsmall game by half-cutting trees and shrubsso that their tops or branches touch theground. The practice is also referred to as top-cutting, top-pruning, or cut-and-bend. Thedesired result is a living brush pile that canfunction as shelter for quail and other smallgame. Half-cutting is most appropriate on

sites where woody plants have lost theirlower limbs and ground-level loafing andescape cover is sparse or absent. The tech-nique is simple to apply and requires mini-mal cost and time commitment.

Settings. Appropriate settings for half-cutsinclude woodland edges, tree-linedfencerows, and stands of trees in open areassuch as pastures. The technique should beconsidered also for edge improvement alongrights-of-way, in forest openings, and adja-cent to food plots and other plantings.Patterns can range from staggered cuts alongan edge to a series of trees or limbs droppedin a checkerboard design. Individual oaks andelms often provide sufficient cover whenonly one is cut. Spacing should be a maxi-mum distance of 300 feet from other half-cuts or suitable ground cover.

Tree selection. You can make half-cuts ona variety of trees that break off cleanly whenthe top is felled. Suitable species includehackberries, elms, hawthorns, oaks, willows,and tall shrubs. Many other species also maybe candidates for half-cutting. When possi-ble, select trees that harbor fruit-producingvines; this will increase the value of half-cutsby making additional food available atground level. Make your half-cuts either onthe main trunk or on the lower branches of atree or shrub. The objective is to get cover onor near the ground without killing the plantbeing treated. Always make the cuts in thespring after the sap has risen and leaves havematured. If you use large trees, cut themwhen they are resilient but not too full ofsap. When you top whole trees, cut the trunkwith a chain saw or buck saw from 3 to 5 feetabove the ground, opposite the desired direc-tion of fall. Make the cut just deep enough sothe top can be pushed over, leaving a con-necting strip of living bark. These sheltershave a functional life dependent on contin-ued tree growth. If the half-cut results in treedeath, the cover still has some value forscreening the loafing activities of quail.

Flat-topped shelters. Flat-topped sheltersmay be constructed by top-cutting treesgrowing close together along an edge orfencerow. Cut the trees from 20 to 30 inchesabove the ground and lay them over eachother so that trunks of earlier cuts supporteach later treatment. Scrubby species, such as

2 3

Build up with small brush Dotted lines indicate additional brush

Figure 1. Here are three examples of different types of brush piles. Whatever type of materi-al is used to make a brush pile, the most important step is to criss-cross the material asshown in each of the examples.

Adequate resting and escape cover is criti-cal to proper management of ground-nestingbirds, rabbits, and other small game.Although living brush is preferable, in mostcases you can build artificial brush piles tosupply immediate shelter for many specieswhere natural cover is limited. Artificialbrush piles conceal and protect wildlife frompredators and the weather, and they establisha medium for seed germination and plantgrowth. Construction of brush piles has mostoften been recommended for management ofthe bobwhite quail and cottontail rabbit.Brush piles constructed for game animals alsowill be used by many nongame species.

Where Should You Build aBrush Pile?

Suitable locations for brush piles includeopen fields and rangeland, fence corners, fieldedges and shoulders, gullies, woodland borders,clearings, and other sites adjoining feedingand nesting cover. Brush piles help to preventerosion and provide wildlife cover whenplaced along the head of a gully, but neverplace them in the middle of an eroding wash.They may also be appropriate near impound-ments, stock ponds, potholes, and other

watering places in open terrain. Ifyou install brush piles adjacent tofood strips, they will make theplots more attractive and availableto both game and nongamespecies. Place them at each end ofan elongated food strip or where

the surrounding area is lackingin natural cover. The opti-

Fact Sheet 599

hackberry, are suitable for this treatment. Onconifers too large and old for top-pruning,and on some deciduous trees, cut and bendthe lower limbs to form an umbrella of cover.The use of living brush piles is a cost-effectivetechnique for managing small-game species,especially bobwhite quail. These structuresshould not be used as the only managementeffort, but should always be used in conjunc-tion with other practices designed to improvefood, cover, and water resources.

Adapted from:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1984.

“Wildlife Resource Notes.” InformationExchange Bulletin 2 (2). Washington, DC.

Reviewed by:Peter S. Jayne

Eastern Region Manager

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Forest, Park and Wildlife Service

4

Wildlife Management: Brush Pilesby

Robert L. TjadenAssistant Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources

University of Maryland, College Park

Jonathan KaysExtension Natural Resources Specialist

Western Maryland Research and Education Center

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland, CollegePark, and local governments. Thomas A. Fretz, Director of Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland.

The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The University’s policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations onnondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VIof the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans With Disabilities Act of1990; or related legal requirements should be directed to the Director of Human Resources Management, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742.

Wildlife Management:Brush Piles

V2002

This Wildlife Management series was published by Maryland Cooperative Extensionwith joint expertise and funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and theDepartment of Natural Resources. Marylanders interested in wildlife management canrefer to this series for basic wildlife management concepts, species’ needs, managementrecommendations, habitat requirements, food and cover plants, and other general con-siderations. Contact your county Extension office for more information on wildlife man-agement. Fact sheet titles in the full series are:

Fact Sheet 597 Introduction to Wildlife ManagementFact Sheet 598 Planting Crops for WildlifeFact Sheet 599 Brush Piles for WildlifeFact Sheet 600 Field Border ManagementFact Sheet 601 Eastern Cottontail RabbitsFact Sheet 602 Bobwhite QuailFact Sheet 603 Ring-necked PheasantsFact Sheet 604 Ruffed GrouseFact Sheet 605 Mourning Doves

Fact Sheet 606 Eastern Wild Turkeys

Fact Sheet 607 Tree Squirrels

Fact Sheet 608 Black Bears

Fact Sheet 609 Wood Ducks

Fact Sheet 610 Dabbling Ducks

Fact Sheet 611 Diving Ducks

Fact Sheet 612 Canada Geese

Fact Sheet 613 Songbirds