2020 Native Habitat improvement thread!

[OkieKubota]

I just wanted to start this thread so we can start thinking about, showing, or talking about what we are doing for 2020...
Here on the hollow I fired up my Stihl and cut down several small to midsize trees today near our south plot. I am pretty much cutting down most anything that’s not a good stand tree or white or red oak so I have been cutting Hickory, post oak, and elm. Ran through 3 tanks of fuel on my MS 250 and opened up and released several trees. Not using my dozer for this in this area because the white oaks and red oaks are all intermingled and I would have to take down or damage too many of them.

Over on Home 10 (25+ acres now) I am clearing land with the dozer for a new fishing pond. Should be a couple acres or so in size when completed. I also cleared out several acres of blackberrys and cedar trees and did a controlled burn.

What is everyone else doing?

 

[TreeDaddy]

Nice work

Looking forward to this thread

December through February is "tree plantin' " time here

This years container grown chestnuts(~200) , sawtooths, going in

Also a few controlled burns of ~5-6 acres

bill

 

[Triple C]

Okie - Primary goal at the Triple C will be battling invasive privet, removing encroaching water oaks on a few food plots and general TSI in the hardwoods. Beyond the the farm will be the beginning of construction on our final home which will eventually take us out of metro ATL and back to our hometown, much closer to the farm, children and their families.

 

[Native Hunter]

Nothing all that special for me, but we have had some warm and dry days recently, and I'm already doing habitat work on some of those days. Right now, my main focus is going through the fruit and nut section of the tree planting and removing non-productive species to make room for more desirable trees.

For instance, the wild plums and serviceberry that I planted have never done much. They just take up a lot of space and provide very little benefit. However, the sawtooth oaks, chestnuts, pears and some apples/crabapples have been phenomenal producers. By the end of spring, I hope to remove most of the non-productive stuff and replace it with either proven species as mentioned above or something new I want to try. I love managing and experimenting in my tree planting more than I do hunting.

As the year progresses, it will just be more of the routine stuff like mowing, plotting and chainsaw work. Best wishes to everyone in 2020!

 

[dogghr]

Not much on the agenda this year. Going to get rid of dang tree tubes and cage them. Never will use tubes again. Some work to transition hillside fescue to native fields. And of course chainsaw work in the clusters.
Actually giving some serious thot of placing for sale sign on the place. Not sure yet.

 

[lakngolf]

The thread should be titled "Can We All Collectively Match Okie in Habitat Improvements?!!"
This past summer I cut a lane from a ladder stand down into some thick woods near my four year old clear cut. We keep corn there and it has become a popular spot. Even some bucks on camera in daytime. Jack and I have already been scheming to (1) make the food plot in the area larger [green] and (2) build a shooting house on the west side [black]. When will season be over so we can get to work?



In addition we need to clear many trees in Cari's Corner for a better food plot.

 

[BenAllgood]

I'm converting hay fields to habitat. That will consist of moving hay grounds into old fields and planting some apples and pears. I'll also be releasing some persimmons and trying to find more of those little gold mines to release.

 

[OkieKubota]

I got in 1 afternoon on the dozer over a week ago and I got 3 hours of sawing in yesterday and that has been all I have done. My wife was in the past 2 weeks for Christmas so everything has been about family and being with her while she was in. I have a lot of things to do so I am going to start again this afternoon with the dozer...May do a little video...

 

[OkieKubota]

Not much on the agenda this year. Going to get rid of dang tree tubes and cage them. Never will use tubes again. Some work to transition hillside fescue to native fields. And of course chainsaw work in the clusters.
Actually giving some serious thot of placing for sale sign on the place. Not sure yet.

What is your plan if you sell?

 

[j-bird]

Nothing major on my agenda for 2020 habitat wise....

Fighting invasive plants, plotting, plant a few apple trees, some buffer/brush work. To be honest I need to do a better job of just staying on top of what I already have out there!

I might take on another blind build as the implementation of actual windows was a big hit.

 

[TX-Aggie]

My father and I will start opening up one of our fields that is choked with cedar and locust trees. As well as, continued war on the ones encroaching our current open fields to keep them at bay.

We will also be planting another set of Ozark Chinquapins (if we get nuts again from the Foundation).

I have also ordered another 100 or so mix of White Oak, Chinquapin Oaks, Red Oak, Bur Oak, Hickory, Persimmon, Beautyberry, Wild Plum, Chokeberry, Elderberry, etc trees/shrubs from MDC that we will be planting to start replacing the Black Walnuts my grandfather had ringing his fields.

Finally, continue cutting out tractor trails and roads with the goal to use as fire breaks in future years.

 

[dogghr]

What is your plan if you sell?

Well now that’s a good question. After last years drama, going to the farm this fall was always bittersweet. I’m not taking quick decision but right now is prob direction I’’m headed. Daughter and SIL lives several states away and doubt would ever get much use from farm. I have lone permission on couple good large farms I’ve hunted in past, just would be back to no personal land management is the downside of that. In addition land prices are thru the roof here and prob could make 1-200000$ more than I paid for it 10 years ago. And maybe even buy another track of just 30 acres or so. We shall see, Have a lot of sweat put in this place for sure to walk away, but someone will always reap the benefits which I think all of us who manage really are thinking in the back of our minds.

 

[BrianVT]

Well now that’s a good question. After last years drama, going to the farm this fall was always bittersweet. I’m not taking quick decision but right now is prob direction I’’m headed. Daughter and SIL lives several states away and doubt would ever get much use from farm. I have lone permission on couple good large farms I’ve hunted in past, just would be back to no personal land management is the downside of that. In addition land prices are thru the roof here and prob could make 1-200000$ more than I paid for it 10 years ago. And maybe even buy another track of just 30 acres or so. We shall see, Have a lot of sweat put in this place for sure to walk away, but someone will always reap the benefits which I think all of us who manage really are thinking in the back of our minds.

You can come work at my place anytime you want. I'm not partial of who's sweating here.

 

[OkieKubota]

 

[weekender21]

The state (NC) agreed to a burn plan our county forester submitted. I don't have all the details yet but they're doing the burning at no cost to me. I'm hoping to get 20-30 acres of south facing slopes burned.

I'd like to work on a few access trails this year. I see an ebike in my future to climb the 500-1000 feet necessary to reach my back ridges. I'd like to do so on my borders. One trail in particular starts on a steep grade, I'm thinking switchbacks may be in order.

Continue to limb and improve our existing food plots. I have some big plans for the future but a few more years of observation won't hurt. The last thing I want to do is put a bedding area or food plot in a place that I shouldn't.

 

[dogghr]

I’m not sure what that oak tree did to piss u off Okie but you went after it w a vengeance. Good job. I plan to lease dozer escalator to make perimeter access road this year or maybe hire you. Lol. All I could think of in your video was the tree that fell on your tractor. Thanks for showing.


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[Jon]

Okie love the video, those ms250s are nice little tanks! Sounds like you have a lot of plans and the equipment to do it.

 

[lakngolf]

Way to go OKIE. I applauded when it hit the ground.
That soil looks pretty good there on Home 10+5+10 or whatever

 

[Merle Hawggard]

I've been wanting a 2 row planter to plant a sunflower field for doves.
Bought this planter. I may have to trim it down a bit however.

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[OkieKubota]

I’m not sure what that oak tree did to piss u off Okie but you went after it w a vengeance. Good job. I plan to lease dozer escalator to make perimeter access road this year or maybe hire you. Lol. All I could think of in your video was the tree that fell on your tractor. Thanks for showing.


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Okie love the video, those ms250s are nice little tanks! Sounds like you have a lot of plans and the equipment to do it.

Way to go OKIE. I applauded when it hit the ground.
That soil looks pretty good there on Home 10+5+10 or whatever

Thanks guys...I have taken several other videos but for some reason YouTube is now saying they aren’t in the correct format or something and they are taken with my iPhone just like that one was. I may take my iPad out there next time and try it that way because everything seems to work better on it...I took a lot more out yesterday.

Interesting fact is right where that oak stood I now have water bubbling out of the ground and working below that area has gotten difficult due to the saturated ground. I left some downed trees there because I would get stuck trying to move them. It’s running good enough I think it would fill a pond in a few days...wild!