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.
