Quick rewards from logging

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Pretty minimal browse as this stuff is not exactly first choice but it is at least green moist and no needles. They are for sure all over the new structure though. You can count beds by the half dozen easy. It looks like we have 30 deer bedding there with lack of snow to cover old sign. I see a group of 6 does at one time and have 3 - 1.5 yr old bucks and 2 pretty nice 8's in the mix yet. Hoping to find my first shed soon with all this new activity in one condensed area.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I did have one shed buck this weekend on camera but didnt look around for any sheds. I cut the remaining out reach branches off the big cedar and piled them up. Im sure the camera will show the power of those tasty greens as a food source.

 

[shawnv]

Looks like your plan is having some good results esp with the overall low deer density in your area.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

I wish all those mature low timber trees would be located where I really want them to bed. This is the first of many babysteps until the forester tells me what I can and cant do next yr. I really the MFL writeup 50 times. Some locals swear I cant even cut a shooting lane. I think there dead wrong.

Talk to your forester, tell them what you want to do and ask them how much you can do. I've worked on a BUNCH of MFL ground. I've yet to have a forester not work with the rules a bit for me. They generally want to work with you, not against. You wouldn't believe how much stuff they've let me get away with over the years....but you need to talk to them first. that way they feel like they are working with you, not that you are trying to pull one over on them.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I read our agreement over and over and the general idea behind it is that if we log for profit the county gets a cut. We can cut whatever we want for personal firewood. These hemlocks are the only standing trees we ever cut besides for a shooting lane. The stuff that gets wacked for shooting lanes becomes firewood for us personally.
Right in the contract it said to thin out non profitable timber trees to enhance growth of desirable trees for logging and to possibly plant new species to enhance the woods and something about wood duck houses. Really the only thing set in stone was to not cut the desired logging trees and to not make a sale without notifying them. We have a mandatory select cut next year. The thing with that is all the good hunting is deep in the woods where the loggers didn't want to go 10 years ago because it literally is swamp land with muck soil, and the risk of getting big machinery stuck is high. That same 20 acres in the back is criss crossed windblown cedars everywhere so getting around with machinery is a pain.
The front 10 or so is either the overgrown canopied hemlocks I started tipping over in the pics or wide open hardwoods with very few mature trees. The hardwoods has a lot of small 1 to 4 inch maples and oaks. Probably too many in a way because they are all competing against each other. I would push to thin out some of those to get to logging size in the future and hinge cut the small maples that are crowding to create browse and cover.

Maybe I should just give the forester a call this season and say "hey here's what we want to do". The lady that wrote or contract no longer works in that department or our area so whoever comes to see the woods is going to get there first ever look. I know that my dad put down making firewood for personal use and a little deer/turkey hunting as his main goals for the property.
I don't see a logger chomping at the bit to get into our property right now to cash in. Also we kept up the old logging roads from last time and use them as access trails so I don't see it being as big of a shocker damage wise this time around.
I was not worried about getting a slap on the wrist from the MFL with cutting the big hemlocks as they are not real high on the desired logging list and that should have fell right into the plan where they asked to thin less desirable trees. When they show up next year the tops will remain but the 12/15 feet of branchless bottoms will be stacked and split in our yard by then. Its not great firewood but its not junk either.

Steve, for the 3rd time in about a year I was ready to pull the trigger on having you do a photo evaluation and I even filled out the questionnaire, but I promptly lost my job so that is on hold for now.
You might cringe at all the "improvements" we have made versus starting on a blank canvas anyway. P.S. your Big Buck Secrets book is worth every penny. Great job on that.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

I doubt you'd regret calling your forester. I probably shouldn't say this, but I've had them allow me to plenty of hinge high dollar trees. I've had Soil Dept heads allow me to work ground that's not supposed to be worked, plant things contracts stated I shouldn't and a whole bunch more. They typically came with conditions, but it was a heck of a lot more than I had rights to hope for. It's been my experience that you get to know the people that oversee your contracts, be polite and it's borderline amazing what some will allow you to do, at least it was borderline amazing to me the first couple times. They tend to genuinely seem to want to help you achieve your goals. Even if there isn't anything you want to do right now that "pushes" things, you never know what you may want in the future. A little upfront relationship building now may pay off later.

Thanks for the book plug. In all sincerity, coming for you guys here, that really means a lot...And absolutely no worries on the plan thing. Man, sorry to hear about the job. I know it always sounded super cheesy to me anytime I didn't get a job I wanted or got laid off from one I had, but it really seemed true that "when one door closes, another opens," "it may turn out to be the best thing possible," and all those clichés. The odd thing was they were right for me. Here's hoping they're right for you!

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Thanks for the book plug. In all sincerity, coming for you guys here, that really means a lot...And absolutely no worries on the plan thing. Man, sorry to hear about the job.

You can take all the credit you want for the book, it was excellent. And the plan....I AM SORRY, I need some help as I feel like this property has a ton of potential if we just went about it the right way. I am not saying it is off the table, but with so much up in the air at the moment it on pause for sure.
I will be happy to add to this thread in 2 years when hopefully all that sunlight we added to the forest floor makes that once park like section of the woods get real hairy real fast.

I will take some better shots from within and maybe even just some shots from certain quadrants of the property and turn this into my land tour. I really value the advice from our local experts. Love this site, thanks for all of your time.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I like that plan Smith. I will check with my dad and see what he thinks about it. The woods is still his and he pays the taxes although I set up all the stands and plans hunting wise. He is a hunter but my obsession has lapped him at this point. Ultimately the guy that pays bills calls those shots. Great idea though. Especially if I show those Hawthornes dominating with nothing underneath. I don't see how they would say no.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

My dad would drive 20 miles to save 3 cents a gallon on gas....the tax break has saved him well over $10k since we have had the land. For the most part we don't hold back because of it.

 

[sandbur]

That MFL sound pretty restrictive compared to the two programs we have in Minnesota for private lands.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Oh yeah we are MFL closed. If it was wide open for everyone you might as well not have land at all. I don't have the stas but its something like $480 a year in taxes vs. $2,000.

 

[PackerBacker]

I would talk the forester. I'm in the process of having the hinge cutting that was recommended reviewed by the DNR Forester for my area since my property is in MFL too - he seems to be pretty excited about it. Just doesn't want me hinging any cedar which was already not part of the plan.