Who has already started habitat work?

[buckaroo]

I've planted 12 fruit trees, clearing land for a bunch of pears this spring. Every year I get the itch this time of year, I had a good deer season and have lots of projects ahead. I think I enjoy this as much as hunting, and I really love hunting

 

[Boll Weevil]

I've already started...at least as far as planning goes. Sitting in a stand with all the leaves off the trees where I can see what needs to be done and making a mental list. Walking to a stand coming across an area that needs to be burned or working to expand a food plot around the edges.

I'm like you and think I enjoy the habitat work as much as hunting.

 

[primos32]

Its definitely starting to creep into my mind

 

[Rockhound]

I've got 8 chestnuts trees to plant and 25 sawtooth from the state. I've been trying to find someone to do some bulldozing but no luck.

My dad purchased 38 acres adjoining the 80 I bought and we're going to plant all of his and 10 acres of mine in pines.

 

[BSK]

Definitely working on long-term plans, some habitat related, others more hunting related.

One of the habitat related activities I'm working on is trying to find a chemical that will actually kill mature trees! :bash: I honestly thought killing trees would be easy. For mature trees, it is not as easy as one would think.

 

[diamond hunter]

backhoe brand herbicide is a good one for mature trees.Also Husqavarna brand has been effective for me also.Ha!

 

[BSK]

If it wasn't for the fact I'm treeing to kill hundreds of trees (literally), I wouldn't fool with chemicals and just get out the chainsaw. Although 4-foot diameter beeches are a tad much for a chainsaw.

 

[buckaroo]

I've rung them with chainsaw and used tordon, some trees take awhile to die

 

[Hunter 257W]

My main plan is more maintenance oriented. I've got to keep pushing on my plan for killing as many Honey Locust trees as possible so they don't overwhelm my planted trees as they almost did last year. These trees are about 10 feet tall so they can be controlled with sprays. I suppose you could chainsaw them in theory - until you walk up to several acres of them and see how thick the thorn covered limbs are all the way to the ground.

I got derailed last year from my spraying when I stepped on a thorn that went through my boot and about an inch into my foot. Hurt like crap.

 

[redlegs07]

I've been watching loggers cut everything 12" and up since mid October on my lease. That's kinda like doing something. Their timing sucked bc just them being there screwed up hunting some but in the long run it'll work out as its a lot of poplar. Of course they're getting the oaks and everything else too. But a lot was too mature. They should be gone in June or so.




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[landman]

I've got my plan down
and last week had a mulching machine in to clear off the steep part of bluff where my duck pit is and had him clear a shooting lane beside an old logging road running along side the Refuge in my hardwoods, I have a shooting house out in a field on a ridge over looking fields(food and switch grass) that logging road is on top of a ridge that deer use a cross over

 

[BlountArrow]

Seems like it never stops for me, except for when I take a break from the intrusive part of it around July to keep the deer content. There are other less intrusive things I can do after July but it pretty much all stops about Mid-October until deer season is over. I've got three different hedge rows I'm creating with various shrubs and a few hardwoods. I'm planting 500 shrubs/trees in January, 500 in February, and 600 in March. Been doing site prep on this one "drainage area" for a full year, cutting and hauling out trash trees like Poplars, Sweet Gums, Maples, Ash, etc and a few others that are on my less than desirable list for deer. I planted 500 trees this Spring and it liked to kill me so I figure 1,600 over the next three months should be a piece of cake :shock: .

 

[southpaw89]

Habitat work started today for me by taking the ole husqvarna to some royal paulownias around the property. Still plenty more that need to be taken out this month, but today put a nice dent in them. Hopefully I left enough stump on them to pull the stump out with the tractor. Planting sawtooths, persimmons, apples, and some chestnuts in mid to late march dependent upon the weather.

 

[buckaroo]

Or you could just squirt tordon on stump and forget it?

 

[diamond hunter]

I have 30 trees to plant cause Ive already got that many tubes,just filling holes,10 concordias,10 wild plum and 10 overcup

 

[southpaw89]

Buckaroo, trust me, I wish it were that simple. My dad is big into healthy eating and wants to keep his farm as organic as possible.