Was wondering if anybody had any good ideas to thicken up some areas in my timber that are opened up from cattle grazing. Its basically a mile long ravine. My side hills and tops are primo and need nothing, but the bottom is about 40 yards wide and pretty open mainly just brome grass and now thistles. I know I can plant trees,shrubs etc but I would like something faster. It has been 2 years now since the catle have been out and you can start to see the undergrowth, thornbrush etc but that stuff will take years to develope into a gnarly thicket for cover. I can get in there with equipment so fire away if anybody has any good ideas. Also I dont really want any food down there I just want them to bed there. I need something that grows fast and wild.

See if your state offers assistance if you use native grasses and and other native plant material. Maybe your local Cooperative Extension Service.  Are you in the Tall Grass Prairie area?

I have about 11 acres of switchgrass on my property that is thicker than the hair on a dog.  Deer use it for bedding and turkeys use it for nesting.  First year I planted it was a little thin, but by the second year it was great.  Its been in for about 10 years now and still going strong.  Switchgrass seed is reletively cheap compared to many other prairie types of cover.

Bamboo is fast... Only kidding.

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/2528.htm

Deer only bed on top or right below the top of hills.Next time it snows take a walk and check the hill tops you will see what Im talking about.Unless theres a food scource food and then they only bed there while there feeding.Had a friend that wanted to do the same thing.The best thing to do to add thick cover so the deer will stay there.Here's what we did and it work great.We add a food scource that gets thick.I don't know about IOWA but in WEST VIRGINA it's only one choise to fill the thicket.[HONEYSUCKLE]Easy to plant and fertized it takes off.And once it gets started it's there.It's a runned meaning it covers what ever it's planted next to.
 In WV it's a major food scource exsplecly late when theres nothing else left.The nuts are gone the crop fields are picked over brouse is the only thing left.It's huntable as a food scourse as soon as the deer fine it.In 2 or 3 years you have cover the deer will love going to it.As far as exscape cover you'll have it but remember exscaping deer don't like to stay in low lieing areas to long.
 They won't use it for a bedding area either .But they will for a food scource and for exscape cover when forced to.And it is a hot spot durning the rut when doe's come to feed.And when shed hunting time comes.Late after every things gone.The deer flock to it and stay there and feed.
 Here in West Virgina in fine over half my sheds in honeysuckle.Again it's a great late food scource.It seams even worse in the snow.My friends happy and so am I.

Thanks guys keep em comming!!