They look like they might be some type of privet. Have you ever seen them flower? If so, can you describe the flowers?

yes thats it!!! It's been a year and trying to remember what the flowers look like is pretty hard. but looking at some online they are a white flowery looking thing. as to what kind it is ill still do some digging. do you have any idea what the tall wirey looking things are? still cant find anything online about them. but thank you so much, you have no idea how much you helped me out there. if you know anything about them to further educate me on them I would greatly appriciate it, you've been a big help so far.

Privet is pretty indestructible (and downright aggressive down here in the south).

Is the other one you're trying to identify just a bunch of branches? Or does this foliage go with it?

{{gwi:254083}}

Yes those are from the ones in the back yard. The ones that are just branches right now. They have some leaves coming in, but my dilemma with them is they are really tall and not much coming in on the bottom. I have a shady spot back there right now until I cut a dying pine tree down. I just don't know what these are and have been trying to figure it out for the past year. That way I'll have a better idea as to how far I can prune them how resilient they are and so forth. They both are beautiful when fully green and provide great privacy, however they are getting out of control and I don't want to kill them cause my wife loves them. As for this picture. It only produces leaves, and it looks like they have long thorns OR sharp budding branches, as I have been poked a couple times when I am out there. Come fall and winter they are bare and look wirey and just grow all intertwined straight up. Now the tops are growing all over the place, left right up. It is a mess. again thanks for the help.

I would guess you should compare this one (the leaves pictured above) with Buckthorn.

Here is a link that might be useful: Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

I just planted privets this year.

For every 12 inches they grow, cut them back 6 if you want them for a privacy hedge. It sounds like you want to prune them back more than that, and that's fine, but pruning them SHOULD help them fill in better at the base. I looked at your pictures, and I didn't see what I know to be privets, but those could be a different variety than what we have here in Wisconsin. ???

If you want to train them into a hedge, and they are privets, prune them back and they should fill in, though I know that with age some privets tend to get twiggy.

Good luck.