Habitat out loud

[Foggy47]

Those in the cage are white pines. Marv got them in the spring of 23 as 2-gallon pots. The spruces behind were planted in 2016 and they are one row white, one row Norway.


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Wow....those spruce are slow growing. Were those seedlings when you planted 'em?

 

[SD51555]

Wow....those spruce are slow growing. Were those seedlings when you planted 'em?

That is some really awful soil. The spoils from the ditch were dumped there and it’s just concrete clay.


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[SD51555]

Did a little walking around to check on other things. The ROD really stands out right now. This is a giant native that emerged from my 2021 cut in this area. This spot was swamped with criss crossed brush about two feet deep. This bush, protected from deer, came flying out of it. My hand is about 5-6’ up.

This is what that area looks like now.

I checked on Barry. He’s still there.

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[Bowsnbucks]

Barry a bear? I must have missed something.

 

[SD51555]

Barry a bear? I must have missed something.

Yeah. He and I found each other about 6 weeks ago when I was climbing around in that downed brush breaking balsam poplar stems by hand. I was walking on top of the brush and got within feet of him. He came shooting out of there when pushed brush down on top of him.


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[SD51555]

Barry had to wake up and climb out of the tire rut in which he spent the winter. It filled with water. He didn’t go five feet and laid back down.

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[SD51555]

I went out and did some last minute brush clearing around the ROD coming in my 2021 cut. This stuff made it to 7’ in three growing seasons, and it’s everywhere.

I was busting all that brush by hand. I woke up Barry with all that noise, but he just sat there and watched me.

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[Bowsnbucks]

Those busted trunks look like either black or yellow birch from the pics. Is that what they are? B & Y birch went nuts in one of our north-facing cuts from a few years ago. Real quick growth on 'em. Your ROD looks great.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Are the broken trunk trees alders?

Barry might be pretty hungry coming out of hibernation, so hopefully you don't have any twinkies in your pockets during habitat work days. That ROD looks really good, it should be a deer, grouse and rabbit/hare magnet.

 

[SD51555]

The broken stuff is all tag alder.

All birch on my place get spared from the saw, and yellow birch gets extra protection, like I’ll take down other favored trees to give YB room.


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[SD51555]

I can also break balsam poplar like that. It snaps very easily. As I’ve been killing balsam poplar, I’ve been finding lots of quaking aspen regen, and I’m happy to see it.


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[jsasker007]

The bear encounter is awesome. Maybe you will have a new friend. Be cool to have a bear that you can "get along" with. Looks like the ROD is doing pretty good too.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

The bear encounter is awesome. Maybe you will have a new friend. Be cool to have a bear that you can "get along" with. Looks like the ROD is doing pretty good too.

I could see SD leaving it all behind and living at the cabin full time with his pet bear, just like the modern day grizzly adams.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I don't know man, there's gotta be something a little unnerving about having a resident bear! I love being able to walk out my back 40, pitch black and know the only thing I'll likely stir up is maybe a bobcat or yote.

 

[SD51555]

I gotta say, kinda jealous of Guy on a Buffalo’s life.

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[Bowsnbucks]

The broken stuff is all tag alder.

All birch on my place get spared from the saw, and yellow birch gets extra protection, like I’ll take down other favored trees to give YB room.


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Is yellow birch a good tree for market there, or do you keep them as habitat benefit?

 

[SD51555]

Is yellow birch a good tree for market there, or do you keep them as habitat benefit?

I only keep them because I have so few. I think I have 3 or 4. I really have no idea if they are worth anything special. Seems like we have a mill for damn near anything yet, but only 1 of each.


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[SD51555]

Went out and checked the road plot this weekend. The duff layer is thick. I spread a mix of all my clover last fall into that choked off oat stand. I don’t know if and how well those clovers will come thru. I’m considering spreading white sweet clover and collards out here in case those fall seeds don’t take.

I pulled back some thatch on my north end and found moss. So I’m gonna pull a test as soon as I can get a probe down 6”.

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[Brian662]

What is the moss an indicator of? I have one plot in MN where a shady strip along a tree belt seems to be filled with moss.

 

[SD51555]

What is the moss an indicator of? I have one plot in MN where a shady strip along a tree belt seems to be filled with moss.

Compaction and or low pH. I might try to rip up this section of plot with the excavator while I have it.


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