Thinning

[Bucaramus]

My landowner called and he is bringing in some folks to thin some of our old growth hardwoods soon. We're on 130 acres. I suggested maybe he thin some of the thicker pine areas too. He's a great guy and pretty much lets us do what we want within reason. What kind of plans should we be making now that some new daylight will be hitting the ground? Likely will be thinning inside the blue circle. Most all hardwoods.

 

[fireman32]

Prescribed fire, and if it’s thin enough the natural forage will be great habitat.
I’d leave a couple of acres thick as well.

 

[crackerdave]

Burn slow,if you do burn.A hot fire will kill hardwoods if there's a lot of fuel on the ground.
I saw a beautiful stand of big white oaks get toasted because of heavy fuel piled up around the trunks.

 

[WishboneW]

Recommend you get professional advice via the DMAP.

$200.

 

[Kev]

My landowner called and he is bringing in some folks to thin some of our old growth hardwoods soon. We're on 130 acres. I suggested maybe he thin some of the thicker pine areas too. He's a great guy and pretty much lets us do what we want within reason. What kind of plans should we be making now that some new daylight will be hitting the ground? Likely will be thinning inside the blue circle. Most all hardwoods.View attachment 1283654

Is this a commercial thinning or a hand crew thinning?

 

[Bucaramus]

Is this a commercial thinning or a hand crew thinning?

More likely a hand crew. They run a nearby lumber yard and if they're the ones I believe they are it's a pretty small operation.

 

[Kev]

So the wood will be taken?

 

[deers2ward]

I don't think you need to do anything, but wait to see the finished product. It's going to look and hunt totally different than it does now. Hopefully they are not high grading and will leave the oldest oaks alone.

The sunlight coming in there is going to create all kinds of browse and cover.

Why is he only doing the blue part and not the rest? Testing them out to see how they do? Pacing himself and saving the rest for a rainy day? About how many acres is the blue area would you guess?

 

[Bucaramus]

So the wood will be taken?

Yes. To their lumber mill.

 

[Bucaramus]

I don't think you need to do anything, but wait to see the finished product. It's going to look and hunt totally different than it does now. Hopefully they are not high grading and will leave the oldest oaks alone.

The sunlight coming in there is going to create all kinds of browse and cover.

Why is he only doing the blue part and not the rest? Testing them out to see how they do? Pacing himself and saving the rest for a rainy day? About how many acres is the blue area would you guess?

He's doing some now just for some walking around money. Its hard to say how much they'll end up doing and which trees. They probably will take the largest but I bet I can talk him into leaving some of the bigger ones. He's a really good guy and we get along great.

 

[rstallings1979]

Yes. To their lumber mill.

I love hardwood bottoms...I know it is not much for habitat for deer excluding the acorn drop but a mature hardwood bottom is a thing of beauty in my opinion in the fall and winter.
When I cut some our Pines a few years go the timber buyer was begging for some of the hardwood and I told him he may have better luck in 40 years when my boys are managing it but the hardwoods are left alone until then. I can't believe the amount of Hardwood I see getting cut and delivered to places like Battle Lumber & Beasley when I travel around that area of the State.

 

[Bucaramus]

I love hardwood bottoms...I know it is not much for habitat for deer excluding the acorn drop but a mature hardwood bottom is a thing of beauty in my opinion in the fall and winter.
When I cut some our Pines a few years go the timber buyer was begging for some of the hardwood and I told him he may have better luck in 40 years when my boys are managing it but the hardwoods are left alone until then. I can't believe the amount of Hardwood I see getting cut and delivered to places like Battle Lumber & Beasley when I travel around that area of the State.

I love a hardwood bottom too but truth be told, hardwoods need to be managed just like pines. That's part of what's wrong with our National Forests is no management. Short of acorns, there's nothing to eat in there at all.

 

[Gut_Pile]

Depending on tree size, getting some of those really old white/red oaks out of there could be a big benefit to the other trees. Some recent, and also very old studies have shown that acorn production really drops off once oak trees reach 30 dbh

Middle aged, canopy released, trees are going to be your best producers

 

[Gut_Pile]

 

[oochee hunter]

I did a operator select thinning in the river swamp 3 years ago, we removed all the wolf trees, older mature trees +28 inches dbh, making holes in the swamp floor. Holes meaning all trees removed around the bigger trees to allow sunlight in. Then proceeded to select cut and thin the rest of the swamp. The younger oaks are now starting to expand there crowns and will soon be producing acorns, the holes are full of briars and browse. It is a very good wildlife habitat.

 

[westcobbdog]

My landowner called and he is bringing in some folks to thin some of our old growth hardwoods soon. We're on 130 acres. I suggested maybe he thin some of the thicker pine areas too. He's a great guy and pretty much lets us do what we want within reason. What kind of plans should we be making now that some new daylight will be hitting the ground? Likely will be thinning inside the blue circle. Most all hardwoods.View attachment 1283654

Your plans should include gathering and removing stands, even if told "that one is ok where it is" also if you have any protected stream buffer zones the stands aren't safe from falling trees in those, either. Also roads will be rutted and impassable in rain until they are repaired, too. Going thru this now in Hancock...

 

[Long Cut]

Nobody can blindly give you recommendations; we don’t know the age, density, species within the block.

Highly recommend DMAP but unfortunately, there’s only 1 Biologist covering the entire State.. until they hire several more. Per the email I received from Kevin on Wednesday.

That being said, Timber Consultant and protecting the mature oaks would be my #1 & #2
See if you can get 2-3 spots cleared & stumped for food plots while they’re there. Even if the spots are .25 - .5 acres each.
Make sure they come back and repair the roads when they’re done, with a Dozer.

It’s not your land and you cannot call the shots, but I’d push to thin bottom 1/2 now, then in 5-10 years thin the top 1/2 to promote forest diversity. Integrate burn blocks within to further promote habitat diversity.

Clear out around all the mature oaks they leave and carry a fire through there this Spring or next Winter to burn off all the debris left behind.
I’d plan on burning the hardwoods every 2-3 years to encourage grasses & Forbes and prevent woody browse from taking over the understory.

Mature hardwoods can tolerate fire. Just don’t pile up dead trees & limbs all around the trunks of trees you wish to keep.

Dr. Grant Woods
Dr. Craig Harper (UT)
Dr. Bronson Strickland (MSU DeerLab)
Dr. Steve Demarais (MSU DeerLab)
Dr. Marcus Lashly (UF)
National Deer Association
UF Deer Lab

The above have excellent videos on YouTube and the internet in general to follow and implement.

Hope this helps.

 

[Boondocks]

Basically just move your stands and stand back and watch untill their done. You don't own it so nothing you can do.