Woods Management

[landtracdeerhunter]

I would like to get some ideas from anyone who has done, or is thinking about this type of improvement.  All input is welcomed.  I have a 7 acre parcel that is thriving with oak, hickory, and maple trees. Biggest are about 2 foot on the butt. It has a few thorn apple trees.  The woods  is bursting with wildlife and the habitat is excellent.  I have another parcel which is about 10 or so acres, that have a few hickory and maple. There are also a few ash which are dieing out, but is loaded with thorn apple trees.  They are about 30+ feet high. One side boarders a neighbors woods of about 100 acres. Now the idea was not to get rid of all the thorn apples, but rather thin them, so I can establish more oak and hickory. The idea is not for lumber, at least not for my lifetime.  Improving habitat for all wildlife is the main idea here. I have about 100 oak and hickory trees about 2 foot tall ready to be transplanted this spring. There are two spots that have heavy under brush. Should I leave this?

[G-Man]

If you can see further than 75 yards cut the big trees!! the exception would be trees thst produce every year, or that tend to have exceptional crops . leave them! get to know what kind of hickory you have pig nut? shagbark? bitternut? the preference in food choice for game is dramatic!! what is the underbrush? oak/maple seedlings? leave em alone... hop hornbeam ? dogwood? beech? cut it down. more info is needed to do proper wildlife management.wha tgame are you looking for??. get a good tree book!! in general the thicker the better for big buck... a good forester can do wildlife management as well as timber management.

[sweet old bill]

I use to have 26 acreas over in North PHarsalia and lived there . I had them do selected cutting on tree over 16 inch in base or higher. They took out ask, maple and some other good hard woods. I made a good piece of change and had them come back in another 4 years to again check out my woods and they cut again...The wood just seemed to explode with the cutting by allowing more light. Were they had draged out the trees, I put into food plots for both the early season and then winter. I seemd also to get so many more deer coming into my areas with the new food sources.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Thanks for the replies. Growing in the smaller parcel is  shag bark hickory, white and red oak that seem to be great for red, gray, and box squirrels, turkey, rabbits, grouse, and yes, even a pheasant or two. Alot of song birds are also common.  The deer funnel in all year, but, desert is great for them in the fall with all the nuts.  The thorn apples lose their apples and leaves in late August. They don't seem to do much except serve as a reminder where not to lean. The brushey area are full of red willow with small ash trees. The deer like those areas for cover.  The forester idea sounds great and is takened into consideration.  The food plot where the skidder drove sound like that could be some great habitat.  I have fence row oak trees that supply a nice amount of seedlings. It's amazing how many nuts grow there without being consumed. 

[Localqdm]

Landtrac, look into selling some of that thornapple! (Osage)  Its the best bow wood out there, I bet there are some on this site that would buy, or try Ebay.  You could have it cut into boards or just spit it into staves.  I haven't seen too much of it in NY. 

[G-Man]

You'll be amazed how much natural regeneration will occur when light can reach the forest floor, nuts that have lain dormant for years sprout everywhere!! Shagbark is the sweetest hickory nut out there, your lucky to have them, by your type of trees it seems like a semi lowland. If you decide to go with a forester tell him your looking for wildlife management first and timber second. If timber harvest is going to happen you can work reseeding logging roads and landings in to the contract to be seeded with your choice of seed is even possible! Great way to make some money and get some heavy equipment work done as well! once the heavy stuff is done its a lot easier to maintain and replant in the future. I have almost 4 acres of logging road in white clover.. planted and done at no expence to me.