Made a Timber Compromise

[PickettSFHunter]

Well it looks like Im going to finally get some timber cut. I just couldnt keep waiting and waiting for things to turn around, and I dont think they are going to soon. All the waiting has kept me from getting in the fields that I want to put in on my Morgan Co. place and has kept me from having any browse or bedding areas. The property is basically all mature white oak hardwoods that you can see 150-250 yards through in the Winter. Good when theres acorns but I need cover! So Ive talked to my timber man, I marked out about 22 acres worth of timber to be cut using GIS software, and will be marking it on the ground Thursday. Im mostly concentrating toward the front of the property in a 5 acre and 15 acre section. Im hoping they will be done by deer season but if not then at least it will be up front where I dont hunt. Im also having them do two 1 acre clearcuts towards the back, but will get them started on that first so Ill be sure they are done with that. I should have started this earlier this year, but have just been holding out, my mistake I guess. I will feel bad if it goes into deer season, but I want this to be done and over with so I can get some fields in. Another compromise I guess. After its all said and done, I should have about 33 acres of big timber still left, in case things ever turn around. Im anxious about getting started, maybe around the start of August, will post up some pics when it does.

 

[Jarred525]

Sounds good smstone, tough call I know. I thought white oak was doing really well right now?

Looking forward to seeing your progress. I need to post some pics myself and give an update. Maybe I can do that after this weekend.

 

[BSK]

For the higher grades of white oak (short of veneer), the local mill is paying $0.75 to $0.80 per board foot.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Grade 1 White Oak was at $0.645 last I checked here locally 2 weeks ago. With Grade 3 being as low as $0.26. I do have some veneer though that Im hoping to get good money out of though. We will see I guess.

 

[Jarred525]

I was seeing grade 3 at .35, 2 at .60, and 1 at .80 a few weeks back, although I did not have much oak.

 

[Football Hunter]

sounds good,I told my guys to work on during deer season,its only one season,I need the cover,and the money

 

[BSK]

...I need the cover, and the money

I hear that! We've already made a pretty penny off the few acres cut. In fact, there may be a tractor purchase in our future!

 

[Football Hunter]

...I need the cover, and the money

I hear that! We've already made a pretty penny off the few acres cut. In fact, there may be a tractor purchase in our future!

Looking forward to it,cant thank you enough for the recomendation of Jeremy,will never bring up buck limits again

 

[jmb4wd]

...I need the cover, and the money

I hear that! We've already made a pretty penny off the few acres cut. In fact, there may be a tractor purchase in our future!

Stinking timber is going to cut me out of a job!!! lol

 

[BSK]

...I need the cover, and the money

I hear that! We've already made a pretty penny off the few acres cut. In fact, there may be a tractor purchase in our future!

Stinking timber is going to cut me out of a job!!! lol

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

...I need the cover, and the money

I hear that! We've already made a pretty penny off the few acres cut. In fact, there may be a tractor purchase in our future!

Stinking timber is going to cut me out of a job!!! lol

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

You can get a five shank plow and take off what you need to.

 

[BSK]

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

You can get a five shank plow and take off what you need to.

Have you seen any five-shank chisels for sale?

 

[jmb4wd]

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

You can get a five shank plow and take off what you need to.

Have you seen any five-shank chisels for sale?

I saw one on Nashville Craigslist under farm and garden a couple of weeks ago. I will keep my eyes peeled

 

[Jarred525]

I'll take $30,000 for mine

 

[BSK]

I'll take $30,000 for mine

When it comes to making ridge-top food plots, a chisel plow is the most valuable tool available.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

You can get a five shank plow and take off what you need to.

Have you seen any five-shank chisels for sale?

No but we use a seven shank and take two off.

 

[BSK]

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

You can get a five shank plow and take off what you need to.

Have you seen any five-shank chisels for sale?

No but we use a seven shank and take two off.

I'm just not sure a 45 HP 2-wheel-drive tractor will pull a 5-shank through my hard ground.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

Not until we can find a small chisel plow, which we've had real trouble locating (looking for just a three-tine chisel for a 45 HP tractor).

You can get a five shank plow and take off what you need to.

Have you seen any five-shank chisels for sale?

No but we use a seven shank and take two off.

I'm just not sure a 45 HP 2-wheel-drive tractor will pull a 5-shank through my hard ground.

Probably not, we use a 62 hp, and make a couple passes. If you get one try to get one with guage wheels, and spring loaded shanks.

 

[BSK]

If you get one try to get one with guage wheels, and spring loaded shanks.

I've never seen one with guage wheels, but that makes sense. I would never consider using a chisel plow that doesn't have spring-loaded shanks. I learned that they hard way when I was using the teeth of a box-blade like a chisel plow, hit a buried stump, and ripped one of the teeth right through the frame of the box-blade! :blush:

 

[Football Hunter]

If you get one try to get one with guage wheels, and spring loaded shanks.

I've never seen one with guage wheels, but that makes sense. I would never consider using a chisel plow that doesn't have spring-loaded shanks. I learned that they hard way when I was using the teeth of a box-blade like a chisel plow, hit a buried stump, and ripped one of the teeth right through the frame of the box-blade! :blush:

ouch!

 

[Jarred525]

I'll take $30,000 for mine

When it comes to making ridge-top food plots, a chisel plow is the most valuable tool available.

Agree, the only thing that will work on my ridge top plots and not tear up.

 

[timberjack86]

IF it was my timber and I could wait on it a little while I would wait till this fall when the sap goes down everything[should] GO UP AND IF YOU HAVE REALLY GOOD WHITE OAKS LOGS YOU WILL BE GIVING THEM AWAY AT 645 A THOUSAND BOARD FEET WAIT TILL FALL. WHITEOAK USALLY BRINGS $1 TO $1.5O BOARD FOOT FOR VENEER LOGS. My opionion but you can do what you want. I tell all landowners with above average timber to wait till fall.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

IF it was my timber and I could wait on it a little while I would wait till this fall when the sap goes down everything[should] GO UP AND IF YOU HAVE REALLY GOOD WHITE OAKS LOGS YOU WILL BE GIVING THEM AWAY AT 645 A THOUSAND BOARD FEET WAIT TILL FALL. WHITEOAK USALLY BRINGS $1 TO $1.5O BOARD FOOT FOR VENEER LOGS. My opionion but you can do what you want. I tell all landowners with above average timber to wait till fall.

Thanks for the advice. The cruise is getting done in about 2 weeks, then taking bids for awhile, so maybe itll be Fall before any cutting goes on.

 

[timberjack86]

That is what the market usesally does there is a place in kentucky that sent me a price list begging for whiteoak and walnut logs. I would have the timberman call around and get the best prices and another word of advice is call around and get refrences because any good timber crew will have refrences and if you dont personall know the logger I would watch every load that comes off the place because I know alot of loggers that are slicker than a used car salesman and GOOD LUCK!

 

[BSK]

WHITEOAK USALLY BRINGS $1 TO $1.5O BOARD FOOT FOR VENEER LOGS.

The problem is, VERY few areas have veneer-quality logs anymore.

 

[timberjack86]

I disagree around the plateua there are alot of veneer left around the bluffs and ridges where most pulp wood loggers cant get . We logged two tracks in middle TN full of veneer logs around christmas and it was a good christmas for my family lol

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Yeah we still have a good bit of veneer left around here as well.

 

[BSK]

True timberjack86 and smstone22. There is a lot of veneer still in the coves and steep bluffs of the Plataeu. But over my way (towards KY Lake), every piece of property is high-graded so often (generally every 30-40 years), that veneer is somewhat rare. It usually takes 60-80 years of growth from clear-cut land to get veneer oak in my area.

 

[timberjack86]

Yeah I agree when timber is cut that frequetly it does take a long time to get veneer back. Also depends on how they cut it, clear cut or select cut and quaility of soil. Where people go wrong is they have timber clear cut and then wonder why all that grew back in thier lifetimes was bushes. Timber needs sunlight but it needs more shade so it has to reach for that sunlight thats why a whiteoak out in you yard in direct sunlight will never make more than a tie tree it never has to reach for sunlight therfore it sprouts branches every where. same goes for any type of tree.

 

[BSK]

I prefer to see scattered clear-cuts instead of heavy high-grading. When oak seedlings or stump sprouts must compete with all the other seedlings/sprouts that explode in a clear-cut, those young oaks have to grow vertically as fast as possible to keep accessing sunlight. This produces tall, straight trees with few side branches.

However, heavy high-grading allows the trees left standing to grow many side-limbs, ruining future veneer potential. If someone is going to selectively cut or conduct Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) for future timber value, they need to make sure white and red oaks left are not completely daylighted (standing in the open). They need at least two sides covered to keep from limbing out.