How much habitat work

[b116757]

I maintain my tree plantings by at least walking them fooling with tubes that got messed up pruning etc. My small plots have been planted with Durano White clover for less maintinance. I’m sure I will keep adding some trees moving forward as I love to plant trees. I do canopy release on walnuts and oaks I try to do it every ten years or so but this is a bit of a challenge to accomplish. I spray many hundreds of gallons of herbicides each year for brush control in pastures and fence rows. Mowing trails usually once a year late summer or early fall just to make walking them more enjoyable come hunting season. Annually burning pastures/fields. Pond maintenance cleaning and dam repair/stocking them turtle removal. Lots of crossover in what I do for our farming operation and habitat work so my lines aren’t as clearly defined as habitat work as it is for some folks. To say I’m busy is a pretty good understatement. I didn’t really include fence repair/contruction or barn maintenance or the rental properties in this list of what I keep busy with when not at my 40+ hour a week job let’s just say I don’t fish much.

 

[MW22392]

I've done the big things. Did way to much TSI early on but those place are still thick. Planted miles of MG so that's done.
My work these days is planting and spraying beans and mowing clover. I agree in ag country the critters are already around. No need for perfect weed free magazine food plots.

why do you think you did too much TSI? Isn’t it the more TSI the better the habitat?

 

[gjs4]

have two modes- the passive just engage mode and the preplan get chit done mode. As others have shared when local, on the property that I have spent my entire life on...t is whittle away and maintenance proceedings with cams, glassing and hunting as enjoyment. My personal local places are more outcome based, do what i need to do on an annual basis and love them when there is a shooter. Out of state is a mix of both. I take a week, plant a ton of trees, cut trails/trees, clearing....etc....then a mow and plot trip, then a prep and plot trip..... my enjoyment there is a shed hunt, morning coffee walk or a beer at a campfire. Perhaps if there were target bucks or i could see and feel the evolution of the place into something better (for deer...as i do for conservation, its value, etc) Id find more. If and when i do kill a buck on y own Ohio dirt, I will proudly share my bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks as I hope to cry like a baby and finally let the roller coaster ride be fun.

 

[Bill]

why do you think you did too much TSI? Isn’t it the more TSI the better the habitat?

Only because it was a lot of work.

 

[Jlane35]

Guys doing TSI, why not just bring a forester in? Not enough acreage?

 

[MW22392]

Not enough desirable timber. Not straight and not a desirable species.

 

[Bill]

Guys doing TSI, why not just bring a forester in? Not enough acreage?

Don't want to paint with a broad brush but many foresters are more interested in board feet as opposed to antler inches.

 

[omicron1792]

Don't want to paint with a broad brush but many foresters are more interested in board feet as opposed to antler inches.

I’ve had numerous Forresters and timber men on my property over the past 8 years. There is a zero percent chance I could get one to come and do tsi work, even if I paid them to do it.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Guys doing TSI, why not just bring a forester in? Not enough acreage?

Undesirable species, inaccessible timber stands, and yes...low acreage. I just bought a neighboring property of 15 acres and wanted to have a 3 acre pure hemlock stand clearcut. Had all I co do to find a logger to do the work for me. Just not enough hemlock to make it worthwhile for the pros with 1.2 million tied up in equipment. I did eventually find a great guy who logs with 30 year old beat to hell equipment he somehow keeps running so no overhead.

Also...I like doing TSI myself.

 

[Jlane35]

Fair enough. I just wasn’t sure. I’m dealing with more acreage and plenty of oak. We are all in different situations and that’s why I was curious.

 

[Turkish]

Fair enough. I just wasn’t sure. I’m dealing with more acreage and plenty of oak. We are all in different situations and that’s why I was curious.

TSI can mean a lot of things. There’s also loggers and foresters. TSI can mean cutting, harvesting, selling pulpwood or even lower quality saw timber. A forester and logger could definitely get involved. “TSI” may also refer to just terminating trees, with or without chemical. Loggers won’t do this. Timber contractors specialize in this type of work and are usually the same folks that do tree planting. Foresters can/will advise on prescriptions for this. Recently was involved in a pre-merchantable pine plantation thinning. Contractor cut hundreds of small trees per acre and left them laying. A couple different state foresters were involved.

 

[omicron1792]

Fair enough. I just wasn’t sure. I’m dealing with more acreage and plenty of oak. We are all in different situations and that’s why I was curious.

I’ve got plenty of acreage too….

 

[omicron1792]

TSI can mean a lot of things. There’s also loggers and foresters. TSI can mean cutting, harvesting, selling pulpwood or even lower quality saw timber. A forester and logger could definitely get involved. “TSI” may also refer to just terminating trees, with or without chemical. Loggers won’t do this. Timber contractors specialize in this type of work and are usually the same folks that do tree planting. Foresters can/will advise on prescriptions for this. Recently was involved in a pre-merchantable pine plantation thinning. Contractor cut hundreds of small trees per acre and left them laying. A couple different state foresters were involved.

Pre commercial thinning is not what I was thinking for tsi. I guess that could be called that, but not really what this thread was addressing IMO.

 

[omicron1792]

Of separate note I did chainsaw girdle and squirt on about 5 acres 1.5 years ago. Hundreds and hundreds of mature sweetgum. It was fun work in ways, but very very strenuous. I would guess most wouldn’t be up for it.

The trees have all died and broken and fallen over last few months. Looks like a tornado went through. I didn’t lose any of the mast trees I targeted for release.

That said, not sure a deer could walk through the area. Trees down everywhere. It’s god awful ugly too. Area abuts my main gravel road in, and I have to park my truck and walk to barn to get tractor almost every time I’m down because a new tree has fallen over the road.

 

[b116757]

I aggressively release mast trees and walnut and sometimes make snag areas like your discribing under story really takes off in those areas. This year I’m going to log several hickory’s many in the same general area and this will really stimulate growth.

 

[SD51555]

Undesirable species, inaccessible timber stands, and yes...low acreage. I just bought a neighboring property of 15 acres and wanted to have a 3 acre pure hemlock stand clearcut. Had all I co do to find a logger to do the work for me. Just not enough hemlock to make it worthwhile for the pros with 1.2 million tied up in equipment. I did eventually find a great guy who logs with 30 year old beat to hell equipment he somehow keeps running so no overhead.

Also...I like doing TSI myself.

I've talked to a few different foresters about my property. I've got a 40, and after describing what I've got for a timber stand, the forester told me nobody would ever be able to haul equipment to log what I have. Just no value in poplar and ash on small acres. Sucks on one hand, liberating on the other. At least now I know I can do whatever I want out there. I still try to use everything I cut down. Sometimes that purpose is simply to make a mess, or be a brush pile, or be a pile of softwood logs that will rot into mulch in a number of years.

I've also used a lot of my no-value logs and brush for heft when needing to raise up the soil a little. I'm also harvesting a good deal of ash firewood to help out my neighbor, and I only burn ash in the campfire. The biggest contributor of that brush though is the species that make it after it's knocked down. A nice little snag of brush that a deer doesn't want to climb into has been the biggest contributor to the ROD rebound on my place.

I've got some holes around the property where I had to borrow dirt to fix something else. I'm going to backfill those holes with softwood chunks and push some dirt over the top.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Of separate note I did chainsaw girdle and squirt on about 5 acres 1.5 years ago. Hundreds and hundreds of mature sweetgum. It was fun work in ways, but very very strenuous. I would guess most wouldn’t be up for it.

The trees have all died and broken and fallen over last few months. Looks like a tornado went through. I didn’t lose any of the mast trees I targeted for release.

That said, not sure a deer could walk through the area. Trees down everywhere. It’s god awful ugly too. Area abuts my main gravel road in, and I have to park my truck and walk to barn to get tractor almost every time I’m down because a new tree has fallen over the road.

I have a similar situation with acres of mature Sweetgum stands

Have you considered burning the 5 acres of dead trees that you treated?

bill

 

[omicron1792]

I have a similar situation with acres of mature Sweetgum stands

Have you considered burning the 5 acres of dead trees that you treated?

bill

I have burned it once. It will eventually burn, but the big logs take several years to get where they will burn up fully.

It’s fine. It will be nice in several years. It was just a lot of work and they all died at once!

I’ll try to take a pic when I’m out there next. It truly looks like a tornado area.

Now, tornado areas here are often great for deer because sunlight reaches ground and you get a flush if young growth. I’m sure my area will be the same too

 

[GMan5465]

I've talked to a few different foresters about my property. I've got a 40, and after describing what I've got for a timber stand, the forester told me nobody would ever be able to haul equipment to log what I have. Just no value in poplar and ash on small acres. Sucks on one hand, liberating on the other. At least now I know I can do whatever I want out there. I still try to use everything I cut down. Sometimes that purpose is simply to make a mess, or be a brush pile, or be a pile of softwood logs that will rot into mulch in a number of years.

I've also used a lot of my no-value logs and brush for heft when needing to raise up the soil a little. I'm also harvesting a good deal of ash firewood to help out my neighbor, and I only burn ash in the campfire. The biggest contributor of that brush though is the species that make it after it's knocked down. A nice little snag of brush that a deer doesn't want to climb into has been the biggest contributor to the ROD rebound on my place.

I've got some holes around the property where I had to borrow dirt to fix something else. I'm going to backfill those holes with softwood chunks and push some dirt over the top.

Is the woods just not mature enough or just not enough acres? Is it not enough to make it worth the foresters time to coordinate? I had 13 acres logged on my property and worked directly with the logger. They were working in the area, which helped. If you hear or see some cutting in the area, stop in and inquire.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Similar story. Got 6 acres of pines thinned because logging was going on some other property close by. Not sure where it was but my forester knew about it. Does take a bit of stars aligning and have to be flexible. Got the letter about thinning needed from the tax relief program that part of land is enrolled in and had 2 yrs to comply. Called my forester and he says how about cutting next week!?

We were having a very wet spring after a moderate winter and the logging guys were having a tough time getting on land during that time after also not being able to log usually frozen ground during the winter. They were getting behind on some payments would imagine.

Helps to have a sandy hill when flat areas 10 miles away were turning into lakes.