Wood lot mngt. Opinions

fireman32

"Useless Billy" Fire Chief.
40 acres of mixed trees, primarily hardwoods. Over the years I've been cutting undesirable trees out, leaving all oaks, hickory pine and any fruit bearing tree or brush. The trees where I have done this are noticeably bigger than the trees that haven't been thinned. My question is, is this completely good for wildlife and optimal for the soil( growing conditions or should some trash trees be left. It's also low land with a good population of maple. And most of the trees I remove are sweet gum, sycamore and some others I've yet to identify.
 

35 Whelen Jr

Senior Member
Sounds like a pretty healthy forest. I have heard that a completely sterile forest isn't good. I've heard leaving 1-2 snags (dead/dying) every acre is good. That way all the bugs and such that attack trees will focus on the snags and not on the healthy trees. It also encourages a place for wildlife to hang out, too.

In this video the guy that made the video fixes up a snag for bats and birds to roost, and he even put a bird house in there, too.

 
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Cornfed

Senior Member
I agree with taking all the sweet gums out, those are just pests. I would girdle some trees though and leave them to become homes for wildlife. Put in some firebreaks to protect your investment and give you some nice trails to get around too. Having some diversity is healthy so you have mast production at different times of the year to keep game in those woods.

Oh I also believe the NRCS can come out for no additional charge and walk/ talk with you as well- although they are Federal and were off work this last furlough...

If you are interested, as far as managing for timber production you should really get with a forester and do a timber cruise to ascertain a professional's opinion in relation to the local area and what forecasting can be done for the market's demands. One thing you don't want to do is let those big beautiful trees get to the point that they start dying off from disease or damage and you lose a good opportunity to harvest them at their best potential/ find a healthy balance for the forest. A certified forester can also come up with a timber management plan and recommend what to plant for future generations. You ever heard the saying, "plant a pear for your heirs"?

My inlaws have developed much of the old family land into timber tracts. My wife and I will take the reigns eventually so I pay attention when her dad talks- I want our kids to keep it going too. Although I may not have the best helping answers I hope I helped a little.
 

HoCoLion91

Senior Member
I have the same questions regarding a piece of land I recently purchased. It is a 40 acre tract with approx. 20 acres in 8yr successional field with broom sage and scattered volunteer pines and cedars. I plan to prescribe burn this area this winter after deer season. The border of the field has a field road around it and mature Oak trees. Growing under the Oaks are volunteer cedar trees 2-6 in diameter and small pines 4-6 inch diameter.
I am trying to manage the property for deer, quail, and turkey. I have started clearing out the cedars and small pines from under the canopy of the mature oaks in hopes of increasing the acorn mast crop and deer access to them.
I was wanting to get some thoughts and opinions of others about clearing out unwanted brush and trees that provide no food value such as cedar, pines, sweet gum.
 

Luke0927

Senior Member
I hate sweetgums but turkeys and birds will eat their seeds, maybe good for the turkeys when there are not other mast crops available.
 

ucfireman

Senior Member
I hate sweetgums but turkeys and birds will eat their seeds, maybe good for the turkeys when there are not other mast crops available.
Deer browse them too, Cut them down and then let them re sprout to about 5 feet and cut them back every few years so you don't get the balls. I do this with privet also. Bush hog it in the spring and it will be 2 feet or higher during deer season (late season food).
Variety is the key to a healthy forest
 

Deernut3

Senior Member
I've often thought about getting a tree injector and chemically thinning the less desirable stuff off of my place. I think effort wise a good controlled burn would work just as well, except for the tree's over about 4" dbh.
 

HoCoLion91

Senior Member
Here is an example of clearing cedar and pine trees from under oaks so deer can get access to acorns. I did this work on my land to increase food for deer and turkeys. Maybe it will pay off in the future. I didn't cut down all the cedars. I used some for cover for the shooting house .
 

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Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator
Staff member
I like it. I do stuff like that too. Another advantage is late in the evening the deer will move into that shaded edge before coming fully into the opening. Good chance for looking them over and deciding what to shoot or not.

I like the tractor in your avatar. What is it?
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
I would be careful about thinning out too much stuff if you're managing for wildlife. Deer, turkeys, and especially quail don't like to live in open woods with only big trees. Those cedars and brush are valuable escape and bedding cover, and help protect the game from predators. All those trees have evolved with all the wildlife. Even something like a sweetgum that doesn't seem useful feeds a lot of birds, squirrels, butterfly and moth larvae, and such-things that eventually either directly or indirectly feed the bigger animals. Diversity of species and habitat types is good and healthy. Maybe thin some areas and leave some grown up in thickets. Critters like a variety of habitat.
 

HoCoLion91

Senior Member
Its a Kubota L3901, 4wd, FEL, hydrostat, 38 HP. Bought the whole package with disk, bush hog, box blade, and trailer. Have really enjoyed using it this year. Makes pushing brush up in a pile a lot easier.

Yes, NCH, I am trying to be careful about cutting down too much stuff. This land has been abandoned for 15 years and has a lot of scrub brush under the big oaks and is choking out some smaller oaks. Just trying to open it up a little. I'm leaving a lot of thickets and cedars.
 

jakebuddy

Senior Member
The single best advice I could give after 20 years of managing land for wildlife is whatever you do don't do it every where. Have several different habitat types on a given property and also be mindful of there arrangement to each other. PS death to sweet gum.
 
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