Improvement projects you regret doing?

[Shooter77]

Just wondering if you've done "improvements" to your hunting areas and afterwards regretted doing them. I have 1 for sure, I cut some trees out of a 1/2 acre micro plot hoping for better sunlight back in Feb/March. I cut about 15 trees down along the edges and in this plot. Problem was, it was more work then I realized trying to get them cut up and out of the plot. So I've got about 6 the size of basketballs still left in the plot and has really messed up a great thing I had. On the flip side, I had a hen nesting in a group this spring and was out there checking some fruit trees I planted and had a fawn jump up from beside one of the trees and run off through the plot. I have a few others that have been minor that wasn't a big deal.

After I started cutting and before clean up....

After some of the clean up...those trees in the middle and are the far end are creating a mess for me this year.

before I cut any of the trees looking back...

 

[Boll Weevil]

Good topic.

For me less about the project itself and more about how involved or how much time it took to really call the job "done" and check the box. Early on it was way too easy to start several projects and then mother nature, priority, available time...heck just life got in the way. It was easy to get frustrated in the early years where now I've got a far better idea what it's going to take to get a particular improvement job done.

In some ways this sounds like your project above, Shooter. It's still a good improvement, just taking a little more time/effort than originally expected. Sometime down the road don't be surprised if you change your tune to, "That was a good project after all."

 

[BSK]

When I was first experimenting with food plots, but didn't have a tractor, I thought it would be a good idea to pull an agricultural disk with my truck. That didn't turn out too well.

 

[BSK]

For me less about the project itself and more about how involved or how much time it took to really call the job "done" and check the box.

This exactly. After we had our first small clear-cuts made, I thought it would be a great idea to plant some of them in pines. And results-wise, that idea was dynamite. Small patches of 5 to 15-year-old pines in a hardwood environment can be an absolute Mecca for deer. It was the planting that was the problem. Ater planting 6,000 pines by hand on a steep slope covered in downed tops in an ice storm, I swore I would never touch another pine seedling. So what did I do last year? Planted 4,000 more in clear-cuts right after 8 inches of rain in February. Mud to our knees. Uhhhh....

 

[BSK]

Thinking we could mow down the head-high weeds in 2 1/2 acres of food plots for our throw-and-mowing fall plantings with weed-eaters. Glad we did that when we were really young.

 

[BSK]

But to be honest, the worst management mistakes I've made over the years have been NOT doing things sooner. I can't count the number of changes I made begrudgingly only to look back and wonder why I didn't do those 10 years sooner.

 

[deerhunter10]

What a topic. Truly regret probably not. Getting into stuff that I think should be easy and quick that turn into long drawn out projects happens a lot. Looking forward to this thread.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

Didn't really "do" it as much as I didn't do anything to stop it. Have 100 acre cattle farm that's a bunch of small fields with probably 20 acres of it beings spread out patches of woods and fence lines. Cattle went away, timber was logged, the entire place turned into a natural CRP basically. Thought it would be a deer's dream, and maybe it is, but they're basically unhuntable. The deer can move anywhere they want at any time with no rhyme or reason. No pinch points now. Used to sit and see 20-30 deer in a morning hunt. Now may not see one. They're there, just we'll hidden and not concentrated.

 

[tn24]

When I was first experimenting with food plots, but didn't have a tractor, I thought it would be a good idea to pull an agricultural disk with my truck. That didn't turn out too well.

Dang! What did you do, hit an unexploded ordnance?

 

[Hduke86]

Didn't really "do" it as much as I didn't do anything to stop it. Have 100 acre cattle farm that's a bunch of small fields with probably 20 acres of it beings spread out patches of woods and fence lines. Cattle went away, timber was logged, the entire place turned into a natural CRP basically. Thought it would be a deer's dream, and maybe it is, but they're basically unhuntable. The deer can move anywhere they want at any time with no rhyme or reason. No pinch points now. Used to sit and see 20-30 deer in a morning hunt. Now may not see one. They're there, just we'll hidden and not concentrated.

Can you do some burning and get the benefits of clearing it, new growth that you can manage and then plant some pines for bedding but also help funnel?

 

[clwg97]

Just wondering if you've done "improvements" to your hunting areas and afterwards regretted doing them. I have 1 for sure, I cut some trees out of a 1/2 acre micro plot hoping for better sunlight back in Feb/March. I cut about 15 trees down along the edges and in this plot. Problem was, it was more work then I realized trying to get them cut up and out of the plot. So I've got about 6 the size of basketballs still left in the plot and has really messed up a great thing I had. On the flip side, I had a hen nesting in a group this spring and was out there checking some fruit trees I planted and had a fawn jump up from beside one of the trees and run off through the plot. I have a few others that have been minor that wasn't a big deal

I am a big fan of the small Micro Plots. One thing that I will do when clearing more trees out is when I cut them I try and make them fall and make natural barriers on the edge of the plots. I had one plot about 1/4 acre in size and it only had 3 access points for the deer to come in and out of. The way your plot looks is that the deer can enter and exit from any side they want. Once I did this it really increased how much I picked up on my game cameras because it made them enter on a specific path.

 

[BSK]

Dang! What did you do, hit an unexploded ordnance?

From going round and round in small circles (long, narrow food plot) power-steering pump ruptured and sprayed power steering fluid onto the hot engine block. When the vaporized power steering fluid finally ignited, truck went off like a bomb.

 

[BSK]

I am a big fan of the small Micro Plots. One thing that I will do when clearing more trees out is when I cut them I try and make them fall and make natural barriers on the edge of the plots. I had one plot about 1/4 acre in size and it only had 3 access points for the deer to come in and out of. The way your plot looks is that the deer can enter and exit from any side they want. Once I did this it really increased how much I picked up on my game cameras because it made them enter on a specific path.

I bet that makes for good bow-hunting opportunities too, knowing where deer have to enter/leave a plot.

 

[BSK]

I would say trying to make LARGE scale forest improvements with hack-and-squirt alone. For the amount of effort I put into it, the results weren't what I was hoping for. I should have just gotten a logging crew in there and really cut some timber.

 

[Shooter77]

I am a big fan of the small Micro Plots. One thing that I will do when clearing more trees out is when I cut them I try and make them fall and make natural barriers on the edge of the plots. I had one plot about 1/4 acre in size and it only had 3 access points for the deer to come in and out of. The way your plot looks is that the deer can enter and exit from any side they want. Once I did this it really increased how much I picked up on my game cameras because it made them enter on a specific path.

I tried to drop them off the plot, problem is a lot were leaning the wrong way to accomplish this with my skill level. I had one large walnut I went to cut and when I hit the center it was rotten and kicked 90 to the right. That what the pile is in the middle. I'm blessed that I do have a lot of pinch points on this plot. The far back is a pond, up the left side there is some big trees that have died and fallen, creating a few more pinch points. On the right side, there is a rock ledge that runs out to about half way in plot. the deer avoid it and come down behind that middle brush pile. that's a saddle going up and over to neighbors property. On the saddle, there's a 900' elevation gain from the food plot to the top and on the right side is 500' rise.

 

[SwampChicken]

I would say trying to make LARGE scale forest improvements with hack-and-squirt alone. For the amount of effort I put into it, the results weren't what I was hoping for. I should have just gotten a logging crew in there and really cut some timber.

How large scale are we talking here? I've got plans to hack and squirt in January on my property but it's only going to be an acre or two?

 

[BSK]

How large scale are we talking here? I've got plans to hack and squirt in January on my property but it's only going to be an acre or two?

I was trying to do dozens of acres. Maybe 25 total. Eventually got a logging crew and cut 100 acres. Not only did the logging produce profoundly better habitat, we made a fair amount of money off the logs as well.

 

[RockMcL]

I tried to drop them off the plot, problem is a lot were leaning the wrong way to accomplish this with my skill level. I had one large walnut I went to cut and when I hit the center it was rotten and kicked 90 to the right. That what the pile is in the middle. I'm blessed that I do have a lot of pinch points on this plot. The far back is a pond, up the left side there is some big trees that have died and fallen, creating a few more pinch points. On the right side, there is a rock ledge that runs out to about half way in plot. the deer avoid it and come down behind that middle brush pile. that's a saddle going up and over to neighbors property. On the saddle, there's a 900' elevation gain from the food plot to the top and on the right side is 500' rise.

I cut into a hollow walnut tree full of bees. My son could hear the bees from 20 feet away and was hollering at me but between the saw & my hearing protection I had no idea. Worked out without getting stung and dropped where it was supposed to, just needed my second saw and some wedges to get my saw out of the collapsed trunk. All luck though not skill.
Live through it, learn from it and hopefully no limp...

 

[squackattack]

For me, the hack and squirt has been the most enjoyable. Almost like cutting hay, just zone out and plug away. Very therapeutic. I don't have a deadline though.

 

[Ski]

For me it's been putting water tanks in the wrong spot. It's happened twice. First was in a drainage because I thought rain runoff would always keep it full. And I was right. It kept it plumb full of leaves!

Second te was just in a bad spot. I put it in a narrow bottom that opened out into a food plot a couple hundred yards away. Does love it but bucks rarely visit. Water tanks on ridges and shelves get constant buck traffic. Lessons learned

 

[Ski]

The most valuable tool I have for inner timber plots is an ATV log arch. I have a personal sawmill and use the log arch for skidding logs. I can use my UTV to skid 32" diameter x12ft long logs. Dragging trees off to the side of a plot is a breeze. I also drag tree tops and debris into piles or strategically create pinch points or thick areas. It's not the typical habitat tool but man it sure is handy!

 

[BSK]

What a fascinating tool. Didn't know they existed.

 

[BSK]

I have a personal sawmill and use the log arch for skidding logs.

I tell you what, after our 100-acre timber cut, I've got so many piles of leftover log sections (stuff not fit for the sawmill, but could be used for other things), I could keep someone who sells firewood busy for years.

 

[RockMcL]

For me it's been putting water tanks in the wrong spot. It's happened twice. First was in a drainage because I thought rain runoff would always keep it full. And I was right. It kept it plumb full of leaves!

Second te was just in a bad spot. I put it in a narrow bottom that opened out into a food plot a couple hundred yards away. Does love it but bucks rarely visit. Water tanks on ridges and shelves get constant buck traffic. Lessons learned

Ski, ridges and shelves makes so much sense. Ah ha moment there. Thanks

 

[Ski]

I tell you what, after our 100-acre timber cut, I've got so many piles of leftover log sections (stuff not fit for the sawmill, but could be used for other things), I could keep someone who sells firewood busy for years.

Oh I bet! Cutting trees makes an awful mess. I've been dealing with ash trees lately, and boy they make a mess. All the dead standing ones drop branches so I have to clean up debris before I cut the tree, not after.

 

[squackattack]

Oh I bet! Cutting trees makes an awful mess. I've been dealing with ash trees lately, and boy they make a mess. All the dead standing ones drop branches so I have to clean up debris before I cut the tree, not after.

Be careful cutting dead trees, the wood acts differently, because of a lower moisture content. Ash especially.

 

[Ski]

Be careful cutting dead trees, the wood acts differently, because of a lower moisture content. Ash especially.

Yessir they sure do. I've been salvaging them for several years now, trying to outrun the dang emerald borer. Unfortunately they're killing trees faster than I can log and mill them. I've about got it licked though. Still a few dozen big solid ones yet to get but most of what's left is still alive. I think by spring I'll have salvaged what is salvageable. What's not will rot away. Such a waste.

 

[BSK]

What does ash wood look like? What can it be used for?

 

[Ski]

What does ash wood look like? What can it be used for?

It ranges from boring blonde with no character, to varying shades of brown with blue hughes. It's great for barn siding and fence boards and woodworking. Lots of tool handles are made with it.

 

[BSK]

Interesting. Thanks Ski.