Remove Sweet Gum Tree?

[LanceS4803]

It seems Sweet Gum Trees got a good foothold where some hardwoods were harvested, leaving a lot of sunlight to hit the ground.
They are growing much faster than the new oaks.
Any redeeming value to the trees for wildlife, or should I take the time to cut and poison?

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

Last siege to them. They are like a plague with very little timber value. Almost zero value to wildlife!!

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[ADR]

Last siege to them. They are like a plague with very little timber value. Almost zero value to wildlife!!

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This^^^^

 

[Boll Weevil]

Agree. If they're at a stage you can release those higher quality crop trees, you'll have a much better timber stand for both market value and wildlife in the long run.

 

[LanceS4803]

Thanks. That is what I thought.

 

[treefarmer]

They make decent firewood but split right away or they become like rubber and the axe bounces off.

 

[bigtex]

Cross ties, pallet lumber and firewood are about all they are good for. But like treefarmer said they are a pain in the arse to split for firewood.
I cut all the Sweetgum I can on my property. They re-sprout easily as well.

 

[buckaroo]

some of our land has hundreds of full grown ones. I may cut some for firewood, my hydraulic buster doesn't even like them

 

[LanceS4803]

I was sitting in the stand this morning looking down at dozens of small ones. At some point I'll get the machete and Roundup out.

 

[Swampster]

I use a lot of them for firewood. I generally try to cut them before they get so big they need split. I use an outdoor system, so I can use a little bigger log than you might use in an indoor unit such as a fireplace or stove. Most of my firewood is from my personal brand of management: sweet gum, willow, iron wood, sycamore, birch, box elder, elm, mixed with some maple and ash. I leave the oak, pecan, and hickory alone unless it is damaged or crowded. Yeah, I know that the ash and maple drop a lot of seeds, but I've got to mix something halfway decent in that other trash. I do think that the gum tends to hold a lot of moisture.

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

The only thing I've found useful for them, is they are good to climb

 

[csi-tech]

Man, they are great for a climber. I was hunting in one a couple of weeks ago and the tree cleats really bite in and come out easy.

 

[dogtown]

I cut them down if they are within a few feet of an equal sized oak or if they are crooked. I hope to leave a nice hardwood plot to my kids.

 

[DntBrnDPig]

I know this is an old thread, but I've used the sweetgums on my small acreage for mushroom logs. I bought some Shiitake, Lions Mane, Chicken of the Woods, and Blue Oyster mushroom plugs and used these logs cut in 4' lengths. I did the Shiitakes almost a year and a half ago and they produce a lot during the fall and spring. Especially when its wet. Just did the others this summer so I'm hoping come Spring they will produce as well.

 

[LanceS4803]

Do you leave the logs out there, or bring them home?

BTW, I was in the stand this afternoon watching some does eat the sweetgum leaves right off the trees.