Timber harvest, planning and aftermath on my small property...

[pass-thru]

I have noticed quite a bit of interest on timber management for deer and profit on this forum and the main forum in recent years. Last year I did a cut on my small property, and just got around to making a video of the process. I documented it so my boys would be able to look back in the future. We good time getting ready for the harvest and afterward. My older son helped to replant the clear cut areas and I also did a video of that. After a growing season we have about 90% survival which is great. Take a look if you are interested.



Tree planting demo:

 

[BSK]

Sadly, I am very VERY familiar with dibble bars!

 

[Antler Daddy]

We have 18 acres being select cut this week. Hunted it this morning and saw several does before the logger showed up an hour after daylight. Watched him drop about 6 bigguns. Hope he misses my cell cam.

Of course, he started this week. All he had to do was wait till Saturday and me or the kids won't hunt this property.

 

[BSK]

Of course, he started this week. All he had to do was wait till Saturday and me or the kids won't hunt this property.

I take it you don't own this property?

I have it written into all logging contracts, no timber cutting October 1 to January 15.

 

[BSK]

pass-thru,

That's some nice-looking Poplar.

 

[Ski]

Thank you for posting. I'm currently shopping for a forester to put my place up for bid. Been working with another consulting forester but fired him, then cruised the property with a state forester and worked with him on a general plan. He was quite helpful in guiding me on what to watch for and how to go about the task. He also confirmed my suspicion of the forester I fired, which made me feel good about doing so. The guy I fired had marked the forest for a high grade cut, not at all what I hired him to do. It sure left me a little paranoid.

 

[Bucket]

pass-thru,

That's some nice-looking Poplar.

I heard recently that poplar is high because of the demand for painted kitchen cabinets vs stained.

 

[BSK]

I heard recently that poplar is high because of the demand for painted kitchen cabinets vs stained.

Surprisingly, the green heartwood is all the rage in kitchen trim.

 

[BSK]

Two summers of growth on my pines I planted as bare-root seedlings.

Funny story, I was hunting along the edge of one of my timber cuts where we planted the pines. A 2 1/2 year-old 6 point came walking the edge right towards my stand. The buck gets about 20 yards away before he sees me. After staring at me for about 10 seconds, looks down in front of him and sees one of my pine saplings and then proceeds to rub it to shreds! It was just a broken-off stump by the time he was finished with it. I almost yelled at him, "Hey, stop that!" I'm sure that's not the last pine I will lose to rubbing.

 

[Antler Daddy]

I take it you don't own this property?

I have it written into all logging contracts, no timber cutting October 1 to January 15.

It is was my granddads and now dad's. They were supposed to have started way back when....no biggie. We also had to convince dad to use a timber consultant vs. just the local logger. We are still debating and being second guessed over that one.

Just glad that the cows are off of it after they ate every living bit of undergrowth and the forest is barren. Still hate to see the big trees go....I played and hunted over 40 years in those woods. Found my first deer track there around 1983.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I have noticed quite a bit of interest on timber management for deer and profit on this forum and the main forum in recent years. Last year I did a cut on my small property, and just got around to making a video of the process. I documented it so my boys would be able to look back in the future. We good time getting ready for the harvest and afterward. My older son helped to replant the clear cut areas and I also did a video of that. After a growing season we have about 90% survival which is great. Take a look if you are interested.



Tree planting demo:

Looks like you have two good helpers! It's great that you are including your son's in the process. They are learning and y'all are making memories together outdoors. Great job! Thanks for sharing the update on your project.

 

[Mattt]

Thank you for posting. I'm currently shopping for a forester to put my place up for bid. Been working with another consulting forester but fired him, then cruised the property with a state forester and worked with him on a general plan. He was quite helpful in guiding me on what to watch for and how to go about the task. He also confirmed my suspicion of the forester I fired, which made me feel good about doing so. The guy I fired had marked the forest for a high grade cut, not at all what I hired him to do. It sure left me a little paranoid.

I know a guy depending on your location. I was happy with his part of the process

 

[Shooter77]

wow great job pass-thru! I've got 30 acres, the state forester said the back half was ready to cut and front 1/2 needed another 5. I wonder what kind of price on popular people are getting? Most of my place is popular, with some hickory & black walnut. The pic shows some of the larger ones on my place.

 

[Ski]

I know a guy depending on your location. I was happy with his part of the process

Eh it's Ohio. One of the state guys was gracious enough to tip me off on a short list of the best consulting foresters in the region. But I do dearly appreciate your offer!

 

[BuckWild]

We have 18 acres being select cut this week. Hunted it this morning and saw several does before the logger showed up an hour after daylight. Watched him drop about 6 bigguns. Hope he misses my cell cam.

Of course, he started this week. All he had to do was wait till Saturday and me or the kids won't hunt this property.

It's been so dry, people are able to cut timber that has been near impossible to access.

I have a friend that is having 66 acres of his 150 select cut. In the last two months they are only cutting 2 days a week because the log yards are full and won't take them but two days a week. The last time I was there, the driver hauling the logs told me that both yards told him the day before that if we didn't get rain, they were closing down the yards indefinitely. Too many logs and the prices are falling...

 

[Ski]

It's been so dry, people are able to cut timber that has been near impossible to access.

I have a friend that is having 66 acres of his 150 select cut. In the last two months they are only cutting 2 days a week because the log yards are full and won't take them but two days a week. The last time I was there, the driver hauling the logs told me that both yards told him the day before that if we didn't get rain, they were closing down the yards indefinitely. Too many logs and the prices are falling...

I've heard similar. Logger acquaintance of mine specializes in white oak barrel logs. He says demand has been met and prices are reflecting it. Did say that chestnut oak is still quite high. And surprisingly sycamore is being requested.

 

[TN1BUCK]

Poplar is dropped off lately

 

[Huntaholic]

Im not getting in this one.

 

[Bushape]

I've heard similar. Logger acquaintance of mine specializes in white oak barrel logs. He says demand has been met and prices are reflecting it. Did say that chestnut oak is still quite high. And surprisingly sycamore is being requested.

Any advice for somebody about to start this process? I have a forestry background so i'm not completely ignorant on what's about to take place with my 40 acre clear cut. However, none of my work ever took deer management into account. Would I be better served to leave occasional 1 acre hardwood stands (mostly tall straight oaks) or random 100 year old behemoth white oaks with large canopies? In my experience it seems like larger canopy trees produce acorn crops more consistantly.

 

[Ski]

Any advice for somebody about to start this process? I have a forestry background so i'm not completely ignorant on what's about to take place with my 40 acre clear cut. However, none of my work ever took deer management into account. Would I be better served to leave occasional 1 acre hardwood stands (mostly tall straight oaks) or random 100 year old behemoth white oaks with large canopies? In my experience it seems like larger canopy trees produce acorn crops more consistantly.

In an otherwise clear cut I don't think you'd be hurt to leave a few sporadic oaks. That's something you'll have to work out with your logger, though.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Huge oaks are often hollow and i would encourage loggers not to cut trees that have a high probability of being hollow.

 

[BSK]

Any advice for somebody about to start this process? I have a forestry background so i'm not completely ignorant on what's about to take place with my 40 acre clear cut. However, none of my work ever took deer management into account. Would I be better served to leave occasional 1 acre hardwood stands (mostly tall straight oaks) or random 100 year old behemoth white oaks with large canopies? In my experience it seems like larger canopy trees produce acorn crops more consistantly.

I no longer recommend clear-cutting for habitat cuts. You can cut an oak forest and get back a pure stand of poplar. Deer eat all the oak stump sprouts, leaving only poplar and other undesirable trees (for wildlife habitat). Now it is possible to clear-cut enough acres so that deer can't eat all th stump sprouts, but that would depend on your deer density.

Personally, I recommend and use one of two strategies: 1) logging contract is to cut everything down to 10" or 12" DBH; or 2) logging contract says they can cut any oak down to 10" or 12" DBH, but all other species can be cut to any size. The point of these restrictions is to leave some young to middle-aged oaks standing in the cuts to reseed them from acorns. A 10" DBH oak is old enough to be producing acorns.

And although the difference between a 10" DBH cut and a 12" DBH cut sounds minor, the results are quite different. A 10" DBH cut is MUCH heavier than a 12" cut. Far fewer trees will be left standing in a 10" DBH cut.

First two pictures below are a 10" DBH cut as it is occurring. Third and fourth pictures are first summer after cutting.

 

[Bushape]

In an otherwise clear cut I don't think you'd be hurt to leave a few sporadic oaks. That's something you'll have to work out with your logger, though.

Yeah I walked it a bit with my logger over the weekend. He's cool with doing whatever I want. Going to get back on it beforehand and leave both random trees as well as a stand or two if it lines up geographically with my food plot and or hunting site.

 

[Ski]

Yeah I walked it a bit with my logger over the weekend. He's cool with doing whatever I want. Going to get back on it beforehand and leave both random trees as well as a stand or two if it lines up geographically with my food plot and or hunting site.

Please keep us informed on how everything goes, from getting it done to the aftermath to the results.

 

[Huntaholic]

I said I wasnt getting in this one, but I have to compliment BSK on finally seeing the light on how clearcutting is NOT the proper way to manage a property!

 

[BSK]

I said I wasnt getting in this one, but I have to compliment BSK on finally seeing the light on how clearcutting is NOT the proper way to manage a property!

Love the maximized regrowth. But hate some of what regrows!

 

[Bushape]

Please keep us informed on how everything goes, from getting it done to the aftermath to the results.

Will do. I have a friend who does drone work and he has agreed to come take an aerial shot of it prior to the timber being harvested. Hoping in time that I can get him back on it to show it after Timber harvesting and then with set out Pine regrowth with plots in place.

 

[Ski]

Will do. I have a friend who does drone work and he has agreed to come take an aerial shot of it prior to the timber being harvested. Hoping in time that I can get him back on it to show it after Timber harvesting and then with set out Pine regrowth with plots in place.

That would be awesome!

 

[squackattack]

I would look at the regeneration (understory) and see what you have. It is going to tell you alot about what you will get after a harvest.

Second I would suggest not going with a diameter limit harvest. Every stand is different. Realize you can flag small clearcuts( group openings) and mark cut and leave trees. Could be a bit confusing but you would get what you want.

Third I like small clearcuts personally. Roads and skid trails would be what I make sure are rehabilitated correctly.

I would hammer down a contract you are happy with. Hard to enforce anything without it if things go sideways.

 

[Ski]

I would look at the regeneration (understory) and see what you have. It is going to tell you alot about what you will get after a harvest.

Second I would suggest not going with a diameter limit harvest. Every stand is different. Realize you can flag small clearcuts( group openings) and mark cut and leave trees. Could be a bit confusing but you would get what you want.

Third I like small clearcuts personally. Roads and skid trails would be what I make sure are rehabilitated correctly.

I would hammer down a contract you are happy with. Hard to enforce anything without it if things go sideways.

That ^ is spot on.