Ask Extension - deer damage (Forest & Tree Health)

I have a small gingko tree that was damaged by a deer last Summer/Fall. The deer stripped the bark all the way around the main trunk. There are 2 branches with new leaves this Spring making a Y off the trunk below the damage. Everything else above the damage appears to be dead-- no leaves or other signs of life. Should I cut off everything above the damage?

Extension Message
From:	Christopher Evans Forestry Extension and Research Specialist Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences cwevans@illinois.edu

If the tree was completely girdled by the deer and no leaves or new growth is above that girdle-point, yes you can cut it off and allow the sprouts to form a new leader.

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