Cover!

[WMAn]

On Panther Swamp NWR, we once had a series of events that went like this. Refuge employee gets four wheel drive tractor stuck. He thinks, "It's not that bad. A log skidder would pull it right out." Refuge employee calls refuge forester and asks, "Can I use the log skidder parked over here to pull a tractor out?" The forester responds, "How bad is it?" "Not that bad. I'll have it out in five minutes." responds the refuge employee.

Five minutes later, the log skidder is now stuck behind the tractor. Refuge employee and refuge forester think to themselves, "hey, the ground is pretty dry behind the log skidder. I bet that big Cat D6 dozer will pull both of 'em out." Employee and forester call refuge manager and assure him it's not as bad as it sounds.

Five minutes later, the three of them discover it was as bad as it sounded. The surface mud hid a thin crust of dry gumbo below. This crust has now broken and the tractor, skidder, and dozer are all buried.

The project leader (big boss) joins the manager, forester, and employee on the scene. After using a few choice words to question their parentage and judgement. He says, "No one goes home until everything is out."

Fourteen hours later, the three of them went home.

 

[Gravey]

My son and I planted 500 in a day and a half. We had at least 80% make it but at first they looked like they didn't. They looked rough but rebounded. Now I have more killed from bucks destroying them, they shred them from top to bottom.

That's why I asked how many on average make it. I planted 13 small trees under 2' or 3' at my house and have 2 left and that's only because I put stakes with chicken wire around them. The dang deer rubbed them to the point they snapped.

 

[BSK]

Great story WMAn!

If it isn't obvious already, NEVER let me near your equipment...

I was working on coastal island in GA. An area that had to be GPS mapped was so torn up from logging that you couldn't get an ATV across the giant skidder ruts. So the timber company I was working for got the "bright" idea of letting me drive one of their big skidders--6-foot-tall tires and articulated steering. Having never even sat in a skidder, they gave me 15 minutes of driving instructions and of I went with GPS strapped to the top of the cab (Super cool!). 2 hours later I had that skidder stuck so deep in a swamp that water was pouring in the cab and I had to swim out!!

 

[WMAn]

Great story WMAn!

If it isn't obvious already, NEVER let me near your equipment...

I was working on coastal island in GA. An area that had to be GPS mapped was so torn up from logging that you couldn't get an ATV across the giant skidder ruts. So the timber company I was working for got the "bright" idea of letting me drive one of their big skidders--6-foot-tall tires and articulated steering. Having never even sat in a skidder, they gave me 15 minutes of driving instructions and of I went with GPS strapped to the top of the cab (Super cool!). 2 hours later I had that skidder stuck so deep in a swamp that water was pouring in the cab and I had to swim out!!

PICS!!!

 

[BSK]

I believe I burned those pics to keep my associates from using the evidence against me!

Actually, I'll have to email one of the guys I was working for and see if he kept any pictures of that "incident!" It was a tad embarassing...

One picture I KNOW he still has (because I've seen it published in an article he wrote on habitat management) is a picture of me up to my chest in a godawful swamp, back-pack GPS unit held up over my head, as I mapped the open water of the swamp. Not wanting to sound like a wimp, I hadn't told him I had an intense fear of alligators. He was an ex FL DNR alligator specialist and had years of experience with them. As I was sloshing chest-deep through this swamp, he was walking the outer edge. At one point he said, "When you're finished, you'll have to look at these huge alligator tracks going into the swamp. That guy must be all of 14 feet long." I started to get very nervous... A little later he said, "You might want to shuffle your feet a bit, as I can't find where that gator came out of the swamp. I'm pretty sure he's in their with you." I got a lot nervous... Somewhere about that time he snapped a picture of me in the swamp and the look on my face is classic!

 

[Boone 58]

Dang, Wayne county looks a lot like that!

 

[fairchaser]

Great story WMAn!

If it isn't obvious already, NEVER let me near your equipment...

I was working on coastal island in GA. An area that had to be GPS mapped was so torn up from logging that you couldn't get an ATV across the giant skidder ruts. So the timber company I was working for got the "bright" idea of letting me drive one of their big skidders--6-foot-tall tires and articulated steering. Having never even sat in a skidder, they gave me 15 minutes of driving instructions and of I went with GPS strapped to the top of the cab (Super cool!). 2 hours later I had that skidder stuck so deep in a swamp that water was pouring in the cab and I had to swim out!!

That's just funny. :crazy:

 

[monster11]

Why would you want to plant pines? IMO i don't see the point in plantin something that doesn't provide food&cover. just curious why all the pine talk??

 

[BSK]

Why would you want to plant pines? IMO i don't see the point in plantin something that doesn't provide food&cover. just curious why all the pine talk??

What do you mean "doesn't provide cover?" A young pine plantion is THE BEST COVER available in a hardwood environment.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

What is the best kind of pine to plant overall for all-around purposes?

 

[BSK]

What is the best kind of pine to plant overall for all-around purposes?

That depends on what you are trying to create. A visual barrier? Cover?

For cover, I prefer loblollies because of their rapid growth. They do lose their lower branches rapidly, but if planted fairly close together, they will produce good thermal and visual cover from about 4 years of growth through about 15 years of growth. At 15 years of growth they can be thinned (cut down every other, or every third row of trees) allowing sunlight down through the canopy which in turn will allow forbs and briers to grow, again increasing cover and producing natural deer foods.

For visual barriers I prefer an inner core of loblollies for rapid growth into a visual barrier, but an outer edge of slower growing and "bushier" pines such as Virginia Pine or White Pine. The loblolly will loss their lower branches allowing views under the canopy, but the outer edge of slower growing but thicker pines will provide a visual break for many years (at least 20).

 

[bluff blind]

I'm seriously considering having my standing mature pine cut next year (50 acres?).

To go back in a replant pine afterwards, does any clean up or clearing need to be done?....Can the pine stumps be left, or need to be cleared? etc

 

[PickettSFHunter]

What is the best kind of pine to plant overall for all-around purposes?

[/quote

Pitch x Loblolly hybrid IMO. Tough suckers.

 

[monster11]

Why would you want to plant pines? IMO i don't see the point in plantin something that doesn't provide food&cover. just curious why all the pine talk??

What do you mean "doesn't provide cover?" A young pine plantion is THE BEST COVER available in a hardwood environment.

Ya young pine may be cover with no food. but what happens years later when i's a total desert under neath them?

 

[@fulldraw]

Actually it's not a desert. It's a little gold mine, especially late season. One reason, honeysuckle is usually plentiful under pines because of the disturbance from logging.

 

[BSK]

Why would you want to plant pines? IMO i don't see the point in plantin something that doesn't provide food&cover. just curious why all the pine talk??

What do you mean "doesn't provide cover?" A young pine plantion is THE BEST COVER available in a hardwood environment.

Ya young pine may be cover with no food. but what happens years later when i's a total desert under neath them?

Thin the pines. Cut every 2nd or 3rd row (in both directions). This allows sunlight to the ground and good regrowth. In fact, the best practice is to thin the pines and then run a fire through the area. This technique will greatly enhance food and cover production.

 

[monsterbuck07]

I hunted a pine thicket last week, sat and watched 12-15 deer eat on a downed cedar tree and eat on pine needles like it was crack. Would never have believed it unless I saw it! Where is the best place to buy from? I know yall have hit on it but I want to make sure. Thanks!

 

[monster11]

Actually it's not a desert. It's a little gold mine, especially late season. One reason, honeysuckle is usually plentiful under pines because of the disturbance from logging.

I'll stick with my honey suckle under my oaks after logging disturbance. :cool: