Storm Damage on my property

[double browtine]

So I have 36 acres that are in the forestry program. It was in the program when I bought it, so for tax purposes I just continued it. Last year they required a new application and a new plan so I wrote my own and provided an aerial view with 3 areas that I was going to harvest the trees and make some 1 acre food plots. Well the storm came through on Friday and laid down a bunch of trees. Most were old tall pines, cedars and tulip poplars. I haven't been able to walk through it all cause it is a mess.
I don't know if I can get a logger to come harvest anything cause it's mainly big pines which don't bring alot. I don't want to log my whole property cause it was select cut about 2010 and they took most of the good ones. I'm going to call the property assessor and see what I need to do about my forestry plan.
Any advice from any of you on a way forward if maybe this has happened to your property would be appreciated.

Pros: I have a Case 450 dozer and a chainsaw so I could just make a big burn pile and maybe work every weekend and have a nice place for a food plot by the fall.
The area of destruction is about 100 yards by 250 yards I'm guessing.

 

[TNlandowner]

"I could just make a big burn pile and maybe work every weekend and have a nice place for a food plot by the fall."

You have a good option to create a food plot. You could push the downed trees into a wind row to help protect against erosion and to create a barrier.

 

[BSK]

Unfortunately, I suspect loggers are going to be pretty busy cleaning up such storm damage all over the state.

 

[knightrider]

Get to pushing

 

[MickThompson]

I had something similar happen on a place I can hunt. I chainsawed trails through it and the deer wear it out.

 

[double browtine]

Unfortunately, I suspect loggers are going to be pretty busy cleaning up such storm damage all over the state.

That is what I was thinking

 

[double browtine]

I am thinking about clearing all the flat creek bottom area for a food plot and then leaving most of the hillside damaged area for bedding. The trees look like they went down like dominos!

 

[BSK]

The trees look like they went down like dominos!

They look that way because they do! One falls into another, the weight of which topples the second tree which falls into a third tree, etc.

 

[Ski]

I had something similar happen on a place I can hunt. I chainsawed trails through it and the deer wear it out.

Yessir it's a beautiful thing how that works out. I love cutting trails through thickets and blow down areas. At first I began doing it for my own access but pretty quickly learned that deer will take them over as their own.

 

[BSK]

Yessir it's a beautiful thing how that works out. I love cutting trails through thickets and blow down areas. At first I began doing it for my own access but pretty quickly learned that deer will take them over as their own.

Make a trail and deer will follow it.

 

[TheLBLman]

Generally speaking, deer, turkey, and humans will simply take the paths of least resistance when moving from Point A to Point B.

I used to hunt great distances off roads.
Then I realized most roads follow ridgetops (sometimes creek bottoms),
and there can be advantages to NOT getting so far off roads!

Rutting bucks, "rutting" Tom turkeys, you name it, will typically just walk right along the side of a road in their search for love. If there's much human or vehicular traffic, then the animals just travel a few yards (mostly out of sight) off, but parallel to the road.

The single biggest advantage to hunting close to a road is less chance of "spooking" or alarming game to your presence. I often park my truck, walk @ 3/4 miles up the road, then climb a tree within 50 yds of the road. Usually see a lot more deer than when I walked miles off road to hunt. Only thing different with turkey hunting is I move my setups more instead of just staying in a tree.

Doesn't matter if we're talking I-40, a little traveled country road, or a ridgetop logging road with no traffic. Easiest route for deer & turkey to travel significant distance is typically roadside.

 

[deerhunter10]

Make a trail and deer will follow it.

We let our fields grow all year bushhog them in January and February. We make bush hog trails and funnel deer to where we want them. It is amazing how they follow them.

 

[BSK]

We let our fields grow all year bushhog them in January and February. We make bush hog trails and funnel deer to where we want them. It is amazing how they follow them.

It's crazy how well that technique works.

 

[Bushape]

Sorry this happened. I'd be inclined to cut my cedars tree length and pile them up. People are always looking for posts. I'd also be sure to take a hard look and the stability of the trees that are still standing. You may have several tons that will come down every time the wind blows for a while.

 

[double browtine]

Yeah I think I may just have a logger come in and clear cut the entire damaged area. It will just make for a bigger footprint for a food plot. I saw a small logging outfit getting set up this morning just up the road from my house. I looked up the property and it is only 11 acres and the people live on it. They had some trees go down also. I'm going to see if I can get them to come look at my place since they are nearby.

 

[BSK]

I'd also be sure to take a hard look and the stability of the trees that are still standing. You may have several tons that will come down every time the wind blows for a while.

We noticed that as well. After the hurricane remnants tore down so much forest in our area (up and down KY Lake) fall of 2019, we had a lot of trees that were left standing, but their root systems had been weakened. They keep coming down every time we have a good wind.

 

[double browtine]

We noticed that as well. After the hurricane remnants tore down so much forest in our area (up and down KY Lake) fall of 2019, we had a lot of trees that were left standing, but their root systems had been weakened. They keep coming down every time we have a good wind.

Yeah I noticed a few leaners. That is why I think I'll get an experienced logger to come take a look.

 

[BSK]

Yeah I noticed a few leaners. That is why I think I'll get an experienced logger to come take a look.

Those "leaners" worry the crap out of me! After my experience with a couple of leaners leaning against another tree (and then falling on me without warning), I hate going near them.

 

[Ski]

Those "leaners" worry the crap out of me! After my experience with a couple of leaners leaning against another tree (and then falling on me without warning), I hate going near them.

THAT was a close call. There's nothing safe about storm cleanup. IMO it's exponentially more dangerous than cutting timber. The trees are controrted, stressed, and under unpredictable pressure. I've heard of three deaths so far this spring, one in Florida and two in Ohio. And it's early. Yall be safe out there.

 

[BSK]

THAT was a close call.

And I was parked right next to that broken off stump in the background when the trees started to fall. Thank goodness I still had the engine running and was able to think fast enough to jar down on the accelerator as I realized the trees were coming down on me.