West Branch Land Improvements

[West Branch]

I decided to get a thread started on on the land improvements and general hunting and other stuff for our chunk of ground. The first picture is an overview of the area. The 40 sticking off to the west is owned by my wife and I and the rest of the land within the red is owned by my brother. 600 total acres. Majority of the land to the north is public land with access blocked off by us and other neighbors so low pressure.


Here is the 40 to the west where I am doing most of my work. We started planting the dark green lines in spruce screens last spring. The south side of the property is a gravel pit. The "Old" red pin is the only stand on the 40 which I am taking down this spring. Every time walking to it this past year I bumped deer, the opening there is getting planted in spruce this spring for a bedding area.

Cabin: east center along the road
Yellow: 1 acre food plot - going to try corn this spring
Dark green: Spruce screens
Light green: Kill plots that we plan on starting to clear
Red pins: new stands or blinds that will go up on kill plots

 

[West Branch]

Here is a blank image if anyone wants to mark it up for any suggestions or changes from I plan. The 40s to the W and SW are state land. Private to the S and N and NW. No thermal cover anywhere, I plan on adding spruce and firs to the woods.

 

[sandbur]

Is the gravel pit closed for good?

if so, should any fill be moved around, water holes deepened?

I have found some nice stand of sandbar willow in wet spots in older gravel pits.

 

[West Branch]

I got distracted before I could add pictures. Between the cabin and the gravel pit there are about 12 acres going from SE to NW of alders and willows that looks like this. A lot of wild raspberry mixed in and some red osier dogwood here and there:

 

[West Branch]

There are 4 rows of white and norway spruce between the road and the field for the screen. Also did a 5th row of a little less than half way down of hybrid poplar.


Here are some of the pople later in the year:

 

[West Branch]

Is the gravel pit closed for good?

if so, should any fill be moved around, water holes deepened?

I have found some nice stand of sandbar willow in wet spots in older gravel pits.

Not for good yet. The portion of it on public land is operated by the county. They have had some activity recently, they are actually planning on paving the road that runs north and south. I do hope to deepen at least 1/2 acre of one of the ponds for fish some day. And yes some fill should be moved around over the next few years if I don't find any likely buyers to make some $ with what is left for gravel

The gravel pit actually does have brush, alder, willow, dogwood, a few aspen, wild raspberry, etc that screens of the driveway coming from the road on the north and south sides. The aerial is in the spring, so hard to see with no leaves on the plants. In the early summer the open areas of the pit have a lot of clover and birdsfoot trefoil as well, but it does tend to die out in dry years on the gravel. The west property line gets a decent amount of deer activity moving north and south, where the ditch has some brush growth.

 

[sandbur]

I would try and get some strings or clumps of spruce mixed into this area. Strings for travel lanes to direct movement after leaf fall.

Could you start a nursery of spruce by your cabin and later move them into the tag alder area with buckets?

Or if your screen of spruce appears to be too close together, dig some of those and move them.

I had done something similar in an area of tags many years ago and just released some of the spruce. Same pictures as on the Sandbox thread.

I got distracted before I could add pictures. Between the cabin and the gravel pit there are about 12 acres going from SE to NW of alders and willows that looks like this. A lot of wild raspberry mixed in and some red osier dogwood here and there:

 

[SD51555]

That's a nice pic Art. That looks like a recipe for success.

 

[West Branch]

I would try and get some strings or clumps of spruce mixed into this area. Strings for travel lanes to direct movement after leaf fall.

Could you start a nursery of spruce by your cabin and later move them into the tag alder area with buckets?

Or if your screen of spruce appears to be too close together, dig some of those and move them.

I had done something similar in an area of tags many years ago and just released some of the spruce. Same pictures as on the Sandbox thread.

I have over 100 trees in a nursery area over at the main farm, which is in the center of the whole property picture. Also around 20 white cedar at the cabin. Hopefully some will be big enough to bucket transport in a few years. I may be able to thin some trees from the screen in the future as well.

Here are some 4a plugs I started in the alders last year. Look for the pink ribbon. This year I am going to try some bigger 77 plugs in the woods for clumps and travel lanes. I recently ordered a silky saw to do work on these alders in the future.

 

[sandbur]

I've got 600 4a plugs coming to plant along the edges of some swamps on the north sandbox. Maybe I should have ordered larger ones?

They will be in an old clearcut or edge of the clearcut.

 

[bat man]

I bought a Silky Zubat off Amazon for $54 free freight and it goes through alders like they are made of foam. Great tool for alders for sure.

 

[West Branch]

I've got 600 4a plugs coming to plant along the edges of some swamps on the north sandbox. Maybe I should have ordered larger ones?

They will be in an old clearcut or edge of the clearcut.

The ones pictured are 4a black spruce, they took off pretty good with the early rain even though they were shaded as well. The majority of the 4a plugs were fairly tall, which should be good I would think. I decided to go 2/3 small and 1/3 big for this years order. At over double the price I don't know if its worth it, but in a couple years I should be able to tell you based on how the screens along the field go! The screens are a mix of 4a white spruce and 77 norway spruce.

Here is the 2015 order:

White spruce 4a: 198
Norway Spruce 4a: 198
Norway Spruce 77: 77
Balsam Fir: 154
Red pine plant band: 5
White Cedar Plant band: 10

I am hoping the firs do better in the shaded areas. The plant band are the biggest, so wanted to try a few of those as well. Only .95 cents with the sale a few weeks ago and ordering 500+. My wife's favorite tree in red pine so those will go in the yard at the cabin and maybe one or two at the main farm. I think I will try growing the white cedars in some 3 gallon pots and see how they do after a year or two and then transplant them into the woods.

 

[West Branch]

I bought a Silky Zubat off Amazon for $54 free freight and it goes through alders like they are made of foam. Great tool for alders for sure.

Good to hear. I just ordered the Zubat yesterday. Hopefully will make a day trip up on a Sunday in a couple weeks and give it a try.

 

[West Branch]

I haven't been very good about taking pictures, but thought I would add a few more and continue this as my main land improvement thread:

A big change in the early summer was the road that splits my 40 from the rest of the farm getting paved. View is looking south from end of driveway at the cabin. Deer cross frequently at the bottom of the hill by the creek and also to the north where the road curves. The gravel road was already wide with sweeping corners you could drive 50 on but I would still expect an increase of deer/vehicle collisions with people going a bit faster...



The little pond near our shack was surrounded by iris during June:


Cow parsnip was blooming, these are some neat plants. Saw a couple that were 6.5+ feet tall. Chokecherry in the background looks loaded:


Hazel nuts look like they will have an ok crop this year:

 

[West Branch]

I planted a oats and peas mix on June 14 on the 1 acre plot north of the cabin. Some weeds, but quite a bit of oats and peas coming up. I am hoping the early planting will let both the oats and peas put out grain that can be eaten in the late fall and early winter. I wanted to plant in May but timing never worked out.

 

[West Branch]

This gate was put up on the gravel pit driveway in early May. Posts are welded to a culvert and there is a ditch with water that flows through so can't be driving around this one.

 

[West Branch]

If you look at the closeup of the 40 I took the stand down that is marked "Old" and planted a the area into trees back in early May. This picture was taken a few days after planting. Large trees you can see in the pic below are size 77 balsam firs from Itasca Greenhouse. Checked them yesterday and they have not been browsed at all and have a couple inches of new growth. And the deer keep hanging out in the area. Planted a few 100 spruce and fir spread around a couple acre area.

 

[West Branch]

This past weekend was first time up north since 4th of July weekend. Cruised around looking at fruit/berry production and checking trail cameras. Hawthorn thicket was loaded:



I forgot how many were in this one area, they wrapped around to the left and right as well. Tried a panorama shot but it did not upload. Might be a good idea to walk into here to check for grouse this fall.



Saw two different groups of turkey running around:


The mature oats and peas plot should be a good fall turkey spot:


Saw a couple patches of highbush cranberry:


This wild crabapple was released last winter, hopefully 2016 is a big fruit year. Fruit is similar to dolgo, and they don't get as dark red compared to the one in the farm yard. Flavor is good.

 

[SD51555]

Nice pics! I really like the looks of those loaded cranberries. Mine have been producing for a second year now. I haven't seen much deer usage yet, but I've got my fingers crossed that grouse and pheasant will like em.

 

[bat man]

PM Art on that field mix the turkeys are in. He has been secretly trying to establish a large flock with zero success.