Green Hill Land and Forestry Blog

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...]

How and Why to Age Harvested Deer

Quality Deer Management & Aging of Harvested Deer The promotion of Quality Deer Management and the pursuit of harvesting a Pope & Young or Boone & Crocket buck has come a long way over the years. Huge amounts of money are spent on deer management and all the things associated with it. We have written about enhancing habitat, food supplements, forage and browse. A key measure in deer management is determining how old that buck is when harvested. An important part in collecting data about the deer herd and health, is the age of the deer. How does a collective of data stack up year to year in relation to the age of the deer? … [Read more...]

A Guide to Pine Trees in Georgia

Whether you’re looking for new land that’s well-suited to new tree growth or adding to existing land, pine trees are always a great choice. In fact, of the estimated 111 pine tree species worldwide and 49 species that are native to North America, Georgia provides a native home to 11 varieties. Of course, some other species have been introduced to the state as well but for our purposes of planting trees for commercial forestry use (including wildlife management), we stick to three species. These species are Loblolly, slash and longleaf Pines. Georgia’s Native Pines Before you can select a species to grow, you need to know what your … [Read more...]

Machine-Planting vs. Hand-Planting Trees

When it comes to planting trees, you can easily find proponents and critics of both approaches. The reality is that hand-planting and machine-planting, aka mechanical-planting, both have pros and cons. Therefore, it’s vital to carefully consider your options and to look closely at the land in question. After all, what works best in one area isn’t always going to be the right solution for another tract of land. How Does Hand-Planting Work? Although some companies stump loudly for machine-planting, those of us at Green Hill Land and Timber do a lot of hand-planting and make certain it is done correctly. There are many reasons for this, … [Read more...]

Good Timber Management in Second Thinning Improves Wildlife Habitat

Determine Management Objectives If you have timber that is 20 to 25 years old, it is time to thin or groom again. You probably have already determined your timber management objectives and hopefully have written them down. Revisit your objectives and refine them based on the timber stand you now have and the wildlife species you’re managing for. Keep these points front and center when developing or reviewing objectives: The soil will only support a certain volume of timber before it will stagnate and develop health issues. Thinning opens the stand and allows the residual timber stand to grow and be healthy. Opening the stand also allows … [Read more...]

Enhancing Summer Forage and Deer Browse

Is your wildlife population getting the best natural food during the warmer months? Hopefully you have provided good winter forage for your deer population and summer browse and forage is beginning to emerge. Antler development is beginning, and a healthy buck will certainly grow a better rack. All wildlife species will thrive with proper management of high value browse and food supplements. What Limits Deer Browse and Food? Natural woodlands habitat comes in many shapes and forms. A forest that is unmanaged will certainly have many species of wildlife. Timber will also grow and often times quite well. You can certainly still enjoy your land … [Read more...]