For millions of years, fire has periodically burned the land. Every time fire burns an area of land, the fire manipulates the vegetation on the forest floor. Some species of vegetation are more tolerant of fire than others. Depending on the intensity of the fire and the time of year of the fire, different outcomes are achieved. Below are a few ideas of how prescribed controlled burns can benefit wildlife and habitat. Time of the Year to Burn and Planned Outcome. Burns in winter, spring and summer have different outcomes. With the goal of producing high protein and tons of food per acre, we plan burns at different times … [Read more...]
Forestry
Prepare for Hunting Season with Minimal Disturbance to Wildlife
Hunting season is upon us again. It is time to prepare your patches and work on stands. Less disturbance to your game will make for more productive hunting. Below are a few tips that may be helpful. Typically, tractor noise does not bother the wildlife. Most of the time a tractor is a signal that there is food or will be food soon. We recommend trying to keep activity to a minimum in the spring to help young birds and fawns get a little age on them and leave cover. By mid-summer, roads should have been mowed roads once. If you don’t mow a couple of times in summer, small saplings and weeds take over. Many of us have hunted the … [Read more...]
What it Means to Be a Forester
Longterm Commitment & Lifelong Relationships My first cousin that I grew up with on the family farm recently passed. He was also a forester and land broker and a very good one. One of his clients called in tears and was so upset about this sudden and tragic event. This made me think of the lifelong relationships we develop with our clients over time. This is especially true as a forester. Managing forest and land often becomes a lifelong relationship. I have managed land, harvested timber and reforested timberland for many clients for over 40 years. My son has come to work with me, and he has developed relationships with the adult … [Read more...]
How Prescribed Burns Can Benefit Land in the Southeast
Wildfires on the West Coast seem to be in the news every year due to low humidity, hot weather, and gusting Santa Ana winds. The destruction and devastation is unbelievable, with damages totaling billions of dollars. This certainly makes us all think about our land on the east coast and how to prevent Wildfires. The Southeastern U.S. Environment Our environment and topography are different than the west coast though. Our land in the Southeast is divided, with many streams and wetlands, making us less susceptible to the large fires. The mountainous dry, windy, terrain of the west is quite difficult to manage. There are things we can do … [Read more...]
Good Timber Management Improves Wildlife Habitat, Before and After Harvest
We’ve written about the positive impact of a second thinning on wildlife habitat. All pine plantations need thinning. Whether it is a first thinning or subsequent thinnings, you will experience increased growth, better stand health and improved wildlife habitat. But what does good timber management look like after the harvest? There are different reasons for thinning and how we manage timber to reach the objective or management goal. For this objective, we are looking to improve wildlife habitat and management food sources and habitat specifically deer and turkey. One requirement was that thinning operations was not to take place during … [Read more...]
Aging Pine Trees and What You Learn from Core Samples
Using an Increment Borer to Take Core Sample When you age a pine tree, you basically count the growth rings you see in the cross section of the tree. Each year, the tree will put on a summer ring and a winter ring. The summer ring is whitish, and the winter ring is brownish. It is easiest to count the dark rings. I have counted over 200 rings on large pine trees. If you want to know how old a tree is in your yard, you probably don’t want to cut the tree down. There is a tool that is called an Increment Borer. This tool enables you to take a core sample (cylindrical plug) out of the tree. The tool has a hollow tube with threads on … [Read more...]