Forest regrowth

[mtholton]

I’m looking at potentially adding more land to my property. The land i would be purchasing was clear cut as part of the MFL program in WI two years ago. It’s not the prettiest as a result. It’s starting to thicken up making great cover... just curious does anyone have any pictures of regrowth after 5 years? 10 years etc? I know there are a lot of variables, but Just trying to visualize what I could expect down the road.... hard for me to see beyond the brush right now.




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[BuckSutherland]

Buy it, especially if it hooks up to your existing land. We have a clear cut federal land behind ours in N MN and they are deer magnets. The first couple years arent that good, but after about 3-4 years they start to get awesome for bedding. If you dont like it you can always resell it. Probably not gonna lose value. Ours is mostly just thick popple, but there is plenty of other stuff in there too other than conifers. I looked and dont have any pictures to share, otherwise I would.


Hopefully it was winter logged cause the regen is superior to summer logging.

 

[weekender21]

The right side of this picture is the beginning (edge) of a 5 year old (2013) select cut. It’s one of the few areas I haven’t thoroughly explored. As you, we purchased this piece to add on to land we bought earlier. I knew deer were bedding in it so I stayed out all summer after we closed.

Following the hunt when I took this picture I eased up the hill to peak in. I’ve never seen so many rubs in one area. Our clear cuts vary in age from 6 months to 5 years and all receive heavy deer use.

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[Telemark]

I would buy it if the price is right. A lot of potential there.

 

[bowhunternw]

What are your predominant trees, is it mostly aspen? If so I could get some pics.

 

[roymunson]

We hunted a farm where the paper company had sheared everything 5 years before. It was so freaking thick I'm not sure how deer got thru it, but they did, and we hunted the edges and did well... It also thinned out over the years. I'd go for it. You can always take your chainsaw and make the blank slate into your own masterpiece

 

[mtholton]

What are your predominant trees, is it mostly aspen? If so I could get some pics.

According to the MFL report, "central hardwoods" and "Oak Forest" and Pines and Aspen

 

[roymunson]

If you do buy , it'd seem like a good time to buy a bunch of seedlings and put them in the ground

If nothing else, you'll have projects galore for the next 10 years

 

[mtholton]

If you do buy , it'd seem like a good time to buy a bunch of seedlings and put them in the ground

If nothing else, you'll have projects galore for the next 10 years

Haha I think my wife is afraid of that. I bought 109 acres 1.5 years ago and haven't made a dent in those projects and this piece would be another 120...

 

[roymunson]

Haha I think my wife is afraid of that. I bought 109 acres 1.5 years ago and haven't made a dent in those projects and this piece would be another 120...

the approval of wives is generally overrated...

haha

 

[BuckSutherland]

If you don’t buy it you could get a bunch of brown it’s down Fudds that end up with it and kill everything that walks. That can get REALLY hard on your hunting and the enjoyment of your existing parcel. Neighbors suck! If you still own the original 20 years from now and don’t buy it and could afford to you will regret it every time you look at it. Don’t ask me how I know. The neighboring land usually only comes for sale once in a lifetime. Good luck

 

[roymunson]

the approval of wives is generally overrated...

haha

or at least I think it is. Let me ask her and I'll get back to you.

 

[j-bird]

Buying adjoining property tends to be a once in a lifetime sort of thing in my area. If it has been cut then the value should be pretty low as well AND lack many potential buyers. When it comes to managing hunting ground....Size Matters! If you can swing it, I would...buy low...let it mature some and sell for a profit if you need to later. I would certainly try to promote more valuable trees to grow if you have the means to do so. In a few years that is going to be a deer magnet and if it becomes too much OR not what you envisioned...you can always sell later.

 

[mtholton]

Thanks all, I appreciate the input. I hope to get the opportunity to buy it (was promised to sell to another party first, but they haven't come up with a offer). I agree I'd regret it for sure... No question there, just again the question of convincing the boss at home that is wanting a house remodel:)

 

[4wanderingeyes]

i balked at my neighbors land, because of the price, but 2 weeks later someone low balled him, and he accepted. I would have paid more then he offered, but I didnt want to low ball him before it even went on to the market. I regret it now.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I'll offer another opinion based upon a somewhat similar opportunity. Within months of one another, I had the chance to buy a large adjoining tract of clearcut to my north and/or smaller adjacent piece of mature hardwoods + tillable ground on my south side. After comparing based upon a number of factors, I chose to pass on the clearcut but bought the other smaller piece.

In my part of the country a clearcut without a management/rehab plan can QUICKLY become a low-potential, high-maintenance proposition. Exploding invasives, erosion control, quality forest regeneration, water quality, access could all mean a significant financial and time investments on the part of the new landowner. Factored together and over the longterm, you may/may not realize your desired objectives. Getting right down to brass tacks, I had to be realistic about short and longterm expectations considering I already manage a fair amount of existing ground.

 

[jsasker007]

If it were me I would buy it. Now is the time on that property to make any trails or roads you may want on the land. The longer you wait, the more work you will be facing. You can shape it into what you want it to be fairly easy in the first couple years after it has been cleared. Land is an investment as they won't be making any more. As the bigger cities keep growing and expanding there is less land available every day. The value of land will keep going up and you should be able to get your money back and then some depending on how long you want to hang on to it. I say go for it.jmho

 

[cavey]

I’m looking at potentially adding more land to my property. The land i would be purchasing was clear cut as part of the MFL program in WI two years ago. It’s not the prettiest as a result. It’s starting to thicken up making great cover... just curious does anyone have any pictures of regrowth after 5 years? 10 years etc? I know there are a lot of variables, but Just trying to visualize what I could expect down the road.... hard for me to see beyond the brush right now.


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I'm assuming that the property was strong with oaks and other mixed hardwoods before the cut like most of the properties around there (that it was not a clear cut pine grove); post clear cut you likely get a mess of maple saplings popping up. I'm not sure if that area has much for poplar pockets but those two species really take off in our area after a cut even if it was not the dominant tree prior to the cut. You'll know if there are oaks regenerating in the first few years - the small oak trees will hold their leaves late and you'll see those golden brown oak leaves going into winter - they really stand out. They will look like bushy oak shrubs. Briers will come in in a year or two and stay until the under story of new saplings shoot up enough to shade them out. If it was a hard clear cut its going to be a mess for years (5 or so (that can be good in a way)) you will eventually have a thick brushy woods of little trees which you can hardly move through with briers ... Notice I keep mentioning briers - you will grow to hate them even if they are good habitat. So at first mainly blackberry briers then saplings, then those saplings that out competed the smaller ones will dominate and you'll start to see a die off of the shorter trees by about 6-7 years you'll be able to snake through the saplings and the briers will be down and dead except for some of the more open spots - those patches can persist for years. Each year after, the less vigorous new trees will die off and there will be more and more space between trees as the canopy continues to move upward. The deer will be in there bedding for the first 6-8 years. Then they will use it less and less for bedding as it is getting less thick with taller trees and more of a clean uniform patch of young trees due to the large uniform cutting method (if, there are down tops that will provide bedding cover for years even as the young trees overtake the brush).

The area will be for the deer/grouse for the first 10 years and not so much for you. There has been a number of cuts around your area over the years - do a road trip (maybe skip stopping in wheeler for road coolies) But Boyceville or Connersville --- yes, and you'll get an idea pretty fast.

It is a very rare opportunity to gain adjoining land, if affordable think strongly about getting it - even if clear cut, hopefully they realize the land is devalued by the loss of timber and that they made their money off the trees and are just looking to add a little more coin to their pockets by the sale of the property and not try to jack up the price to much. Time goes by fast and it doesn't take to long for the trees to come back but it is a 10-15 year thing... kind of makes you wish you were 20 something again.

 

[Chainsaw]

I have bought only four contiguous parcels and have never regretted buying any of it; I do regret however not buying two more contiguous properties that I could have afforded. I don't and didn't need more land but owning it is a lot better than the possible ramifications that can come from a bad neighbor or two. The opposite of course could have happened as well but it did not.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If you can buy adjoining land ………. BUY IT !!! Those opportunities are like winning lottery tickets - once in a lifetime.