Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
Mill them into useful lumber. :D
Norway Vs. White Spruce
- Thread starter younggun1849
- Start date
Riggsgwp->
5 year old buck +
This is what I would do with red pine.
Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
Stu, the big pines in my swamp are red or jack pine. They're big trunked, but only good for lumber (if they aren't cored out from rot). Branches are 20' plus up, and nothing uses them. Birds and mice probably love the seeds - I'm not planting any more pines than nature gives me free.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Seen lots of that driving across Hwy 2 in northern WI.
Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
I don't think so. The SWCD lady said they were possibly jack's but then she wasn't sure they'd be alive back in the drink. I don't think they have the characteristics of jacks - too well formed. I'm near certain they're reds.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I feel jack pines provide more cover than red or white pine. For a roadside screen, plant a row of jacks on the outside and two rows of spruce on the in side. I had a row of HP/cottonwoods between and after 25 years, I have girdled and fell the HP. I will try and get a current picture this weekend.
bueller
Moderator
Red pines can provide excellent cover for the first 15-20 years. Their quick growing is a positive in the early years and a negative after 20+. They can be used to meet short and mid term goals but you must have something else planned for long term.
I feel jackpine is underrated deer cover. I used to hate them but have grown fond of them. They grow anywhere and they grow quick. Many of them get bent over by the wind and snow essentially creating a hinge cut like woods. Like the red pines though, once mature they don't do much good.
I feel jackpine is underrated deer cover. I used to hate them but have grown fond of them. They grow anywhere and they grow quick. Many of them get bent over by the wind and snow essentially creating a hinge cut like woods. Like the red pines though, once mature they don't do much good.
younggun1849
5 year old buck +
I"m planting just spruce for the screens, then a mixture of pines & spruce for cover.
Here is where I am planting pines/spruce for cover and spruce for screening. Right now I have 2 large fields, and I want to break them up. You'll notice the shapes of how I am planting pines will create a lot of field edge, and I incorporated some funneling into the planting as well. I think a big part of having success on small acreage is making your farm "feel" big. Because of how my farm is laid out I need screening around my fields so I can access the east side of the property without bumping every deer in the fields, or giving away my location to the deer on the ridge. Without screening they bed on top of the ridge and can watch these fields for danger, I don't want them to see the fields at all. Access to hunting around food sources is crucial and I think when this screen is in place it will be a huge asset. Until then, EW and corn will have to hold up. It didn't work this year, I planted too late because I was too busy getting ready to get married in May when I should have planted. Oh well!!
The green lines around the outside are for screening, and the 2 1 acre pine plantings are in the middle of the fields.
Here is where I am planting pines/spruce for cover and spruce for screening. Right now I have 2 large fields, and I want to break them up. You'll notice the shapes of how I am planting pines will create a lot of field edge, and I incorporated some funneling into the planting as well. I think a big part of having success on small acreage is making your farm "feel" big. Because of how my farm is laid out I need screening around my fields so I can access the east side of the property without bumping every deer in the fields, or giving away my location to the deer on the ridge. Without screening they bed on top of the ridge and can watch these fields for danger, I don't want them to see the fields at all. Access to hunting around food sources is crucial and I think when this screen is in place it will be a huge asset. Until then, EW and corn will have to hold up. It didn't work this year, I planted too late because I was too busy getting ready to get married in May when I should have planted. Oh well!!
The green lines around the outside are for screening, and the 2 1 acre pine plantings are in the middle of the fields.
bwoods11
5 year old buck +
I agree they have a place in each planting depending on location. We planted red pine and jack pine on our NW MN farm. They tend to grow pretty fast compared to Spruce up in that country. I have 28 acres of mature spruce now and I need to thin them. New plantings will have red pine/scotch pine/jackpine...mixed with spruce
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Here is the roadside edge of a field screen planted 25 years ago. Jack pine are on the
outside.
Freeborn
5 year old buck +
This is what I would do with red pine.
Where was this picture taken? I like the fence and gate. Why do you have the enclosure to each side of the gate? Does it serve a purpose?
I still need to put a gate to the entrance of my place and have not found a design I like.
Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
It's cattle fence Jerry. Pretty common design, but the name escapes me.
Art, that pic of your white spruce gives me something to look forward to. :)
Art, that pic of your white spruce gives me something to look forward to. :)
Riggsgwp->
5 year old buck +
Pic taken in Montana and pretty common out there using lodge pole pine. I just think it would be cool to have a gate like this.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
That's amazing ground contact for your white spruces for being 25 years old. I was thinking a good screen wouldn't last more than ten years before it starts dropping it's lower branches. Did you thin that at all?
West Branch
5 year old buck +
I have two red pines mixed in with the spruce screen and deer bit 6 inches of growth off two weeks ago right in front of the cabin and 40 ft from the road. It also nipped off the red rosier dogwood to the right of this picture. Our deer seem to find any browse that is around. A couple spruce had the top laying next to them they must have spit it out when they didn't like the flavor.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
I planted about 250-300 RO dogwood this spring for just the purpose; woody winter browse. I find myself wanting to bite off even more for this spring, but my better judgement is reminding me of how much work it was with those larger dogwood plugs. Plus I should probably wait a year to see what the first batch can do.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Our pines NEVER get browsed. I guess there's enough other stuff to eat around camp. Maple, oak aspen get browsed around my hunting area, and any apple limbs that hang within reach. Acorns are the big draw and it takes pressure off evergreens. You guys up in the BIG COLD have different circumstances. Probably any living plant is fair game for hungry deer in that kind of cold weather.
