Latest habitat work

[stubborn1VT]

I decided I would start a log of my habitat work.  Hopefully I can make some good progress here at my house.  We have 12 acres.  I only hunt here a few times a year because there is tons of ag around us, and a fairly low deer density.  I'm trying to complete with corn, soy beans, alfalfa etc.  My current plan is planting soybeans and brassicas in an old pasture, and establishing a clover plot in the woods.  Our soil is pretty heavy, and tends to stay wet, so that has been a bit of a challenge.  I won't be tilling any new ground for awhile, so I'm focusing on the woods plot.

Today I cut a few elms that I girdled in the spring.  I burn and sell firewood, so my woods plot is also my wood lot.  I burned a brush pile from last winter.  I will spread that ash on the woods plot before I till in the spring.  I cut a few smallish ash along one edge of the plot, mostly to get more light to a 9" white oak.  I'm trying to do away with the elm and the big poplar, while leaving the better firewood and the oaks and beech.  I cut a couple yellow birch and used the limbs to start another brush pile for the deer and rabbits.  Last winter the deer seemed to prefer the birch to browse on.  I stack my piles up high so they can get at them, even in the deep snow.  I also dropped a larger poplar, just for the deer to browse on.  We have 6" of snow, so I can see what the deer do as I work on my plan.  All in all, I spent 6 hours at it with the saws, the fire, and my 32HP Kubota.  

My general plan is to expand the woods plot, use the brush piles to feed & steer critters, get out some firewood,  thin the wood lot, and extend my little log road further.  I'm happy that I saw more deer in 2017 than I did in year's past.  I'm pleased that the resident does utilize the 1/3 acre of soybeans and the few turnips I planted.  I'm kind of bummed that most of that is gone already.  I'm puzzled that the deer don't spend any time in the 1/4 acre woods plot.  There was good patches of clover by late summer, but they only seem to walk through the woods plot to get to the soybeans.  I went from seeing 2 resident does in 2015, to 4 does in 2016.  In 2017 I saw the same 4 does and had the occasional buck visit.  I got pictures of a spike, a 4 point, a big 5 point, and a bigger 6 or 8 point.  None of these bucks hung around.  I don't have any interest in shooting the does, so I would like to see bucks on a more consistent basis.  Until then, I have other spots to hunt that have produced year after year.  

Mostly, I'm keeping this log for something to do.  It would be great if others had similar projects to share.  Today was great.  Progress is slow, but over the years I have carved 1/4 acre out of the honeysuckle, buckthorn, ash & elm saplings.  I've taken 5 or 6 cords of firewood out.  It's a process.  

[dbHunterNY]

yellow birch elm and ash are readily browsed.  the poplar is junk though as far as I know. not good for anything. i'd cut every one.  some friends of mine I think use a chickory and clover mix that's pretty hardy on their logging roads and can take the abuse.

[stubborn1VT]

Deer love poplar shoots, so I'm suckering them.  Yeah, they need to go.  I got a pretty good start last year, but there's more.  I'm not so sure the deer cared for the elm, but I will probably stack the brush up anyhow.  I have had good luck with clover/chicory. Don't think the chicory will grow here since it's so dang wet.  I have some poplar logs stacked up from last winter.  I'm hoping I can block them 2 foot and sell them to someone who sugars or has an outdoor furnace.  

[LET EM GROW]

11 hours ago, dbHunterNY said:

yellow birch elm and ash are readily browsed.  the poplar is junk though as far as I know. not good for anything. i'd cut every one.  some friends of mine I think use a chickory and clover mix that's pretty hardy on their logging roads and can take the abuse.

I haven't noticed any browse on Ash buds over the years.. But at my place they love Poplar suckers/shoots. I plan to make some "Mineral Stumps" with those. I have a mess of poplar/Maple. Plan to thin the poplar this winter and feed the deers. 

[LET EM GROW]

12 hours ago, stubborn1VT said:

I decided I would start a log of my habitat work.  Hopefully I can make some good progress here at my house.  We have 12 acres.  I only hunt here a few times a year because there is tons of ag around us, and a fairly low deer density.  I'm trying to complete with corn, soy beans, alfalfa etc.  My current plan is planting soybeans and brassicas in an old pasture, and establishing a clover plot in the woods.  Our soil is pretty heavy, and tends to stay wet, so that has been a bit of a challenge.  I won't be tilling any new ground for awhile, so I'm focusing on the woods plot.

Today I cut a few elms that I girdled in the spring.  I burn and sell firewood, so my woods plot is also my wood lot.  I burned a brush pile from last winter.  I will spread that ash on the woods plot before I till in the spring.  I cut a few smallish ash along one edge of the plot, mostly to get more light to a 9" white oak.  I'm trying to do away with the elm and the big poplar, while leaving the better firewood and the oaks and beech.  I cut a couple yellow birch and used the limbs to start another brush pile for the deer and rabbits.  Last winter the deer seemed to prefer the birch to browse on.  I stack my piles up high so they can get at them, even in the deep snow.  I also dropped a larger poplar, just for the deer to browse on.  We have 6" of snow, so I can see what the deer do as I work on my plan.  All in all, I spent 6 hours at it with the saws, the fire, and my 32HP Kubota.  

My general plan is to expand the woods plot, use the brush piles to feed & steer critters, get out some firewood,  thin the wood lot, and extend my little log road further.  I'm happy that I saw more deer in 2017 than I did in year's past.  I'm pleased that the resident does utilize the 1/3 acre of soybeans and the few turnips I planted.  I'm kind of bummed that most of that is gone already.  I'm puzzled that the deer don't spend any time in the 1/4 acre woods plot.  There was good patches of clover by late summer, but they only seem to walk through the woods plot to get to the soybeans.  I went from seeing 2 resident does in 2015, to 4 does in 2016.  In 2017 I saw the same 4 does and had the occasional buck visit.  I got pictures of a spike, a 4 point, a big 5 point, and a bigger 6 or 8 point.  None of these bucks hung around.  I don't have any interest in shooting the does, so I would like to see bucks on a more consistent basis.  Until then, I have other spots to hunt that have produced year after year.  

Mostly, I'm keeping this log for something to do.  It would be great if others had similar projects to share.  Today was great.  Progress is slow, but over the years I have carved 1/4 acre out of the honeysuckle, buckthorn, ash & elm saplings.  I've taken 5 or 6 cords of firewood out.  It's a process.  

I have similar projects i Would like to tackle as well. I started 2 winters ago, I didn't get anything done last year. But hope to get some done this year. Especially for winter browse. My 3.5 acres of plots are wiped out already. When i start i will keep a log as well. If i can remember. lol. I have a very young growing family so it shard to get out and do much anything while they are so young..

[G-Man]

Poplar  is great cut it low so it suckers.. when They get 20ft tall cut again .. main food for grouse and deer.. instead of removing the elm try hingcutting them to thicken up areas and create bedding for buck( they love to bed under them especially if you can fall 3 or 4 onto each other. To hold the buck you need the thick cover.. other great tree to hinge are red maples as they will provide food as well as cover. 

To get the deer to use your woods plot. Feather the edge reducing the hight of the timber and creating a ticket around it.. piling brush and tops on the down wind side will force deer to enter it from either end allowing for a better wind so you can set stand effectively..

Best of luck.. I have a large hinge cutting project this winter as well to thucken back up 20 acres I can see 100 yards in.. I prefer seeing no more than 50 yards with 30 or 40 being even better.

[stubborn1VT]

4 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Poplar  is great cut it low so it suckers.. when They get 20ft tall cut again .. main food for grouse and deer.. instead of removing the elm try hingcutting them to thicken up areas and create bedding for buck( they love to bed under them especially if you can fall 3 or 4 onto each other. To hold the buck you need the thick cover.. other great tree to hinge are red maples as they will provide food as well as cover. 

To get the deer to use your woods plot. Feather the edge reducing the hight of the timber and creating a ticket around it.. piling brush and tops on the down wind side will force deer to enter it from either end allowing for a better wind so you can set stand effectively..

Best of luck.. I have a large hinge cutting project this winter as well to thucken back up 20 acres I can see 100 yards in.. GoodI prefer seeing no more than 50 yards with 30 or 40 being even better.

Good info.  That's my plan for the poplar.  I don't have enough red maple right now, so I'm leaving the ones I have.  I know they love to eat the shoots though. 

There is bedding in 3 directions.  A combination of white pine, hemlock and brush.  200 yards from my plot it is so thick that I almost have to crawl to follow the deer trails. I like the idea of using brush to steer them.  I have to really think about where they are coming from, and where I want them to come out.  The resident doe group is really wary, and they seem to always circle downwind before coming out.  Either that or they just wait for dark.  It seems almost impossible to bow hunt, but I can back off with a rifle and not spook them.  

You can't see the plot from anywhere because there is honesuckle and buckthorn growing so thickly between the trees.  This area was pasture 30 years ago.  I can see 60-70 yards in a few spots.  

Thanks for the input, and good luck with your project.  20 acres is a chunk!

[G-Man]

20 acres is all I can do in a winter I  have 274.. most is in good shape as I have been having logging done fairly regularly.. this piece was cut in 99 and is now large pole. Many junk trees to cut ..mostly hornbeam and hickory.. my land was all sheep farm in early 1900s soil is very compacted..but 20 years of work and it produces double digit deer take every year. 

[stubborn1VT]

I wish I had more hop hornbeam.  Not junk in my book.  It's one of the best burning woods we have, and birds love the "hops".  Logging really helps.  Everyone's land was a sheep farm in the 1900s!  Twenty years of work!  That's awesome.  It must feel good to see the fruits of your labor.

[G-Man]

15 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I wish I had more hop hornbeam.  Not junk in my book.  It's one of the best burning woods we have, and birds love the "hops".  Logging really helps.  Everyone's land was a sheep farm in the 1900s!  Twenty years of work!  That's awesome.  It must feel good to see the fruits of your labor.

Junk as in 0 value in timber or for game animals. I have some that were 12 in in dia. The guy cutting firewood loved them. Very indicative of compressed compacted soils. Much rather see the oak and maple amd cherry grow. 

It's a slow process .. attended many Dec workshops.. but it is rewarding seeing the woods regenerate very diversified vs the near monoculture created by hi-grading the timber for decades ..

[stubborn1VT]

I think they have more value for game animals than you think.  I have watched partridge eat the seeds out of the tree tops, and turkeys eat them off the ground.  The county forester told me they are like beech nuts as far as nutritional value.  

High grading is a problem.  Glad you have seen results.  I wish I could do some actual logging at the family farm.  There's no way my father, brother and I could agree on the particulars.  They would want me to do the work, and they would get all the wood!  So I will have to settle for working on our 12 acres.  

[sailinghudson25]

Stibborn1,

Have a Forrester check out the logging at that farm.

Focus on cover and bedding.  Also, focus on making quiet and secluded travel routes for the hunter to their spot.  Brushy zig zags...

[dbHunterNY]

I have a ton of ironwood in by the spot I mentioned.  stuff takes over sunlight kissed ground it seems.  lots of clay and rocky soil though where I am.  hinge it for deer cover and get it lower for turkeys. when the tree finally dies it makes awesome firewood that throws some heat.

I haven't had any luck with poplar as deer browse unless it's young growth.  most any species a deer will eat though that's young growth like mineral stumps or suckering from hinges, etc deer will seek out.  it's very rich in nutrient content, much more so compared to older growth.  I've stopped trying to hinge stuff over top of each other for canopied bedding.  just collapses too much and is more maintenance.  instead I just hinge outward and create side cover open in the middle for doe family bedding.  tops and other stuff the bucks usually find somewhere close by they like.

we don't have a ton of desirable browse species that's new growth.  historically we've had crazy amounts of doe per square mile just in our small area within the WMU.

[dbHunterNY]

have white birch too but I feel like that stuff is worthless.  I've had that opinion because every year I've got widow makers of them in my hunting spots here.  one year I was on stand (tethered to the tree) and one fell within bow range of me.  scared the hell out of me and I hate them. lol

[stubborn1VT]

I agree about poplar.  I'm just using the tops for winter browse and leaving the stumps high.  I don't have enough ironwood to worry about it.  I will keep it for firewood.  A forester once told me that patches of ironwood are a sign of heavy browsing by deer.

I've been getting rid of the white birch wherever I cut.  The windstorm we had this fall knocked a bunch down in a couple of my spots.  

I won't be hinge cutting much of anything at my house.  I have more cover than anything else.  It's a good thing during gun season because it's too thick to hunt.  I'm trying to thin out a few areas so I can see a little bit.  I need more food. 

I released and pruned the two wild apples at my house.  I also planted 6 others, but one from Stark Brothers died, and they forgot to ship two others.  I haven't been thrilled with them.  I will plant another 4-6 in the spring.  

I will try to till up more of our back "pasture".  We'll see how that goes.  It's pretty wet.  If I can get another strip of 30 year old sod tilled up, I will add more soybeans and turnips.  I need to try to plant Egyptian wheat, a sorghum or field corn to screen the newer sections from the main road.  

The list goes on and on...

[stubborn1VT]

Went back out today 11-2.  The deer haven't been back after the last snow.  I towed out my 6'x10' dump trailer with the Kubota and brought out a small load of blocked firewood.  I cut some more elm that I had girdled last winter, as well as some small yellow birch.  Dropped a bigger white birch.  I stacked up all the brush so it won't get buried in the snow.  This coming week looks real cold, so hopefully the deer find it to browse on.  

I dropped an elm on top of an existing brush pile, and a rabbit busted out.  It went right into another brush pile.  

I'm picking a line to climb the hill and extend my log road.  There's more elm and a couple of red maple on top that I'd like for the wood pile.  There is also some white oak and cherry that I'd like to clear out around.  More softwoods on top of the hill.  I'm not sure how aggressive I will get with them.  The white pines are to the east, so they don't block a ton of sunlight.  I may cut some of the smaller softwood to use to steer critters.  I think I will probably end up having a big fire up there to get rid of a bunch of the dead stuff and brush.  

Anyhow... it's Christmas Eve.  People are coming over in an hour or so.  Happy holidays all.  

[G-Man]

On 12/19/2017 at 8:18 AM, stubborn1VT said:

I think they have more value for game animals than you think.  I have watched partridge eat the seeds out of the tree tops, and turkeys eat them off the ground.  The county forester told me they are like beech nuts as far as nutritional value.  

High grading is a problem.  Glad you have seen results.  I wish I could do some actual logging at the family farm.  There's no way my father, brother and I could agree on the particulars.  They would want me to do the work, and they would get all the wood!  So I will have to settle for working on our 12 acres.  

If they were smaller and in reach of grouse.under 20ft but these are skinny tall trees I'd much rather have the cherry oak and chestnut growing.as well as aspen  shoots.(buds and catkins are favored by grouse) most of what was left is hickory and I just don't need that much as  I need diversity . And thermal cover.

[stubborn1VT]

I checked on my little woods plot yesterday.  It's awfully wet still.  It doesn't get a ton of sunlight, and it's at the bottom of the hill.  The clover seems to be doing alright.  

When it dries out, I'm hoping to plant the new log road that I cut over the winter.  I cleared a section about 20 yards by 60 on top of the hill.  My plan is to scuff the worst of the wood and roots with my tractor and box scraper.  After that I will try to use the 4 wheeler and chain harrow to loosen the soil up.  It should work in the woods and not be bothered by rocks and small stumps.  Hoping to plant clover with oats as a nurse crop, mostly because I already have the seed.

As a side note, yesterday after work I went to the local limestone quarry and picked up 3.5 ton of "lime ash".  It's 50% ag lime and 50% wood ash.  I will spread it on the pasture plot mixed with composted horse manure using a small manure spreader.  I will bag up some for my woods plots and spread it by hand.  All the existing plots have been getting pelletized lime, so they just need maintenance.  The new areas will need a good dose, but the tractor and bucket will help with that.  

I also fertilized my 6 apple trees and sprayed them with fungicide.  Hopefully this early summer isn't as wet as last year.

I enjoy the work, but our 12 acres isn't exactly "deer heaven".  We have lots of cover and a little food.  I think I sat here 3 or 4 times last year and didn't see a deer.  I have seen more deer since I started messing around with soybeans.  The cameras showed 1 decent buck when I wasn't here.  

Anyhow... There is a rambling post, mostly for myself.  There's not much else to do since I filled my turkey tags and it's raining again.