Now is the time for a lot of habitat work.

[G-Man]

This time of year starts habitat manipulation season. Got out and marked about 80 trees to hinge cut or drop today, got the saws dropped of f to shop for sharpening and tune up, need about 3 more mornings to mark some more trees in various areas to hinge and drop this winter. 

Marking out what will be planted where in plots this year ,some trail clearing and cutting out a plot edge to enhance natural browse and soft mast available 

Getting the guys from camp organized for a few cutting weekends so. More gets done than just me cutting on off days. Hope to get about 7 acres thickened up in 3 or 4 weekends. 

Early spring starts maintanence on equipment so its ready for planting season.

What are your winter routines?? 

Edited January 4, 2021 by G-Man

[Fletch]

Taking a nap after reading all your work!! lol

JK, I don't have to much of my own prop so, I need to pull in some stands, 1 off state and a few off private. I do want to figure out how to get a small plot in my clearing by the tower. I have no equipment to till though. Would love some turnip/mix but not sure how to get started on that idea.

[G-Man]

1 hour ago, Fletch said:

Taking a nap after reading all your work!! lol

JK, I don't have to much of my own prop so, I need to pull in some stands, 1 off state and a few off private. I do want to figure out how to get a small plot in my clearing by the tower. I have no equipment to till though. Would love some turnip/mix but not sure how to get started on that idea.

As for stands i got 8 down 32 left to pull, 

A simple yard leaf rake, spary of gly,  a soil test , fert and lime raked in and plant is all that is needed. Keep in mind radish leafs are eaten before turnip leaves depending on when you want maxium draw for hunting.  You can do that in late summer. 

Edited January 4, 2021 by G-Man

[Fletch]

4 minutes ago, G-Man said:

As for stands i got 8 down 32 left to pull, 

A simple yard leaf rake, spary of gly,  a soil test , fert and lime raked in and plant is all that is needed. Keep in mind radish leafs are eaten before turnip leaves depending on when you want maxium draw for hunting.  You can do that in late summer. 

I may be asking you for some input! I love a good mix where it is not all hit the same time.

[Robhuntandfish]

i just started getting a plan for some food plots this year.  Was already cutting brush on Jan 1 though.  I am def restricted where i am to what i can do, but plan is to inprove it as much as i can this year.  Some small food plots and widening some trails that have grown in, and planting those trails as well best we can.  I am actually looking forward to the work and seeing how it comes out. And if weather allows I will be back out this weekend cutting more brush as it seems like the best time to do it before everything grows in.  Then food plots in late julyish

Edited January 4, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[suburbanfarmer]

Question for G-Man

What I have learnt is that it take 4-5 yrs for trees that have been cut and dropped to totally decompose in a swamp due to high moisture but if its dry and high that tree trunk will be there after 10 yrs also. So with all those trees you cut down, how long before they turn to mulch or your plan is just to create a thicket ?

[Zag]

2 hours ago, G-Man said:

This time of year starts habitat manipulation season. Got out and marked about 80 trees to hinge cut or drop today, got the saws dropped of f to shop for sharpening and tune up, need about 3 more mornings to mark some more trees in various areas to hinge and drop this winter. 

Marking out what will be planted where in plots this year ,some trail clearing and cutting out a plot edge to enhance natural browse and soft mast available 

Getting the guys from camp organized for a few cutting weekends so. More gets done than just me cutting on off days. Hope to get about 7 acres thickened up in 3 or 4 weekends. 

Early spring starts maintanence on equipment so its ready for planting season.

What are your winter routines?? 

I hinged a section a few yrs ago but I feel like I hinged so many trees parts of its a tangled mess to the point deer don’t even use it because it’s impassable almost. Have you expert that? or how do you do it to avoid that?

[G-Man]

18 minutes ago, Zag said:

I hinged a section a few yrs ago but I feel like I hinged so many trees parts of its a tangled mess to the point deer don’t even use it because it’s impassable almost. Have you expert that? or how do you do it to avoid that?

You want to create a patch work so. There are trails thru and around the " clumps you created. You also need to maintain that area cutting down water sprouts that get out of deer reach. So by leaving these trails thru you also ave access to. Maintain.   

If you made it that thick go in and cut trails and make them enter and exit where its best for a stand.  This works very well in clear cut areas that have grown in after a couple of years, a weedeater with a blade cutting trails thru it will become deer trails thay go by the couple of trees left buy the loggers in the area.  Only need to be 2 ft wide to really become effective. Can also use this method in fallow fields as deer will start using the trails for ease of movement in and out of the cover.

[G-Man]

Been dropping aspen for grouse and deer once over 15 ft they really do nothing for wildlife , cutting stumps low this time of year will cause root sprouts and create a great aspen thicket providing browse and buds and catkins for deer and grouse.

[Nomad]

I do little more than move a stand or too, and perhaps open up some more lanes . Yesterday I did a bunch of chainsaw work, so we can shoot from a Couple stands out into some farm fields .

Dropped one stand that will be moved, but it’ll take a bit of chainsaw work to clear an opening in the thicket edge where it’s going . Six or eight runs between a crop field and two thickets where this corner is all within in 50 yards . Should be an awesome rut stand ,always lots of doe in the thicket behind the stand .

This year is ideal for the work ,no snow,  mild temps. I won’t have to do a thing late summer, early fall 

[suburbanfarmer]

3 hours ago, G-Man said:

Been dropping aspen for grouse and deer once over 15 ft they really do nothing for wildlife , cutting stumps low this time of year will cause root sprouts and create a great aspen thicket providing browse and buds and catkins for deer and grouse.

Do you remove the logs? If not isnt that what creates a tangled mess to navigate?

[land 1]

going to do some cutting tmrw have done cuttings every yr since 2016 i have seen  deer using the property more and more its great winter food supply

[wolc123]

I have to get a bit more firewood cut, then I plan on some hinge cutting in a couple of sanctuary areas at my place.   I also want to open up some shooting lanes around my "opening day of gun season" stand, on the edge of a swamp, over at my folks place.  I am waiting for them to get the Covid vacseen shot before I go over there.  That stand has produced for me on the last 3 years, but a little bit of clearing would make it easier to get a clean shot from it.   I had to let a doe and fawn pass last year because I could not get a clean shot at them.   When a buck came thru 15 minutes later,  he also would have escaped, if I didn't have a grunt call.    

I have to be careful to not cut too much, which I fear would cause the deer to abandon their normal travel route at the swamp edge.   There is a fine line between cutting enough for clear shots, and too much.  

I don't have a lot of equipment maintenance planned, because a barn and silo demolition project will eat up most of my free time this winter and early spring.  I do have an old 8 ft cultipacker I picked up from a neighbor last summer for $ 40, that I would like to get rebuilt for use over at my folks place.   It has a couple of busted wheels (I will cut it down to 7 ft), needs a little welding on the frame, and some new wood bearings.   My old tractor has a rear rim that looks like it is almost ready to let go, but hopefully I can get another season out of it.   The calcium filled rubber tube is breaking thru the rim near the valve stem.   If anyone comes across a good deal on an 11.2" x 28" R-1 tire & rim , pm me.     

Edited January 13, 2021 by wolc123

[LET EM GROW]

Cant wait to get into my property with a saw.. I have a ton of poplar that will get dropped and be instant deer foods and cover. Have a few acre wood lot that will get thinned out to promote sunlight to the forest floor. And on our lease i want to thicken up a few small  pockets of woods/brush to promote small bedding locations. A chainsaw is a land managers best friend for sure.. 

[stubborn1VT]

I have been out with the saw also.  Focusing on soft maple and poplar for now.  I want to get the firewood out and then I plan to drop some of the ugly white pine and hemlock to let in light and possibly provide bedding.  I may be able to get some saw logs out of them and bring them to my brother.  He bought a portable saw mill this fall.

I also want to do some more clean out around the few bigger oaks.  I did that around one tree and it seemed to really pay off in growth and in acorns.  

Good luck to everyone out there and be safe.

[stubborn1VT]

8 hours ago, wolc123 said:

I have to get a bit more firewood cut, then I plan on some hinge cutting in a couple of sanctuary areas at my place.   I also want to open up some shooting lanes around my "opening day of gun season" stand, on the edge of a swamp, over at my folks place.  I am waiting for them to get the Covid vacseen shot before I go over there.  That stand has produced for me on the last 3 years, but a little bit of clearing would make it easier to get a clean shot from it.   I had to let a doe and fawn pass last year because I could not get a clean shot at them.   When a buck came thru 15 minutes later,  he also would have escaped, if I didn't have a grunt call.    

I have to be careful to not cut too much, which I fear would cause the deer to abandon their normal travel route at the swamp edge.   There is a fine line between cutting enough for clear shots, and too much.  

I don't have a lot of equipment maintenance planned, because a barn and silo demolition project will eat up most of my free time this winter and early spring.  I do have an old 8 ft cultipacker I picked up from a neighbor last summer for $ 40, that I would like to get rebuilt for use over at my folks place.   It has a couple of busted wheels (I will cut it down to 7 ft), needs a little welding on the frame, and some new wood bearings.   My old tractor has a rear rim that looks like it is almost ready to let go, but hopefully I can get another season out of it.   The calcium filled rubber tube is breaking thru the rim near the valve stem.   If anyone comes across a good deal on an 11.2" x 28" R-1 tire & rim , pm me.     

There are some really good deals on rims on Ebay.  I replaced both rears on my Kubota this summer.  Got them for $165 each, shipped to my door. 

Just be sure that you match up the offset and bolt pattern.  I had a heck of a time getting this info from some sellers.  I got them from mytractorparts on Ebay after he sent me a diagram.  

[knehrke]

My big ticket item this winter is to directionally fell the ash that are lining the trails, so that they don't fall down, poison ivy covered, across our ATV and walking paths...my buddies say that they're not down for helping me to cut them up if they do lol.

Second item is to do some vine work with my little Stihl arborist saw, an MS151. I noted a few oriental bittersweet vines, the ones that wrap around and choke trees, during bow season, and I sure don't want them to take hold. And there''s always native grape vines threatening trees that we've planted over the years.

And finally, there are a few stands to be moved and lanes to be cut while the leaves are off the trees. 

[suburbanfarmer]

Funny you bring up poison ivy, it seems dead ash trees and poison ivy go hand in hand. Always together

[The_Real_TCIII]

I built these a lot of years ago with the kids and never got around to hanging them. Finally put them up today. Pulled a stand too, I feel productive!


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