Dogghr's Theory of Random Clusters or Hinge Cutting Manipulation

[dogghr]

I’m sure Native you have seen transition of your land from its cattle days. I certainly have. I’ll take some pics next time of conifer thickets that have arisen in areas of tsi not related to my Clusters. The cedars can be a bit of nuisance as they love to overtake open fields. My one stream bed adjacent to a clover plot is shaded as you said by hemlocks that basically didn’t exist in The cattle run days. The forests by far have more undergrowth developing since those guys no longer roam the land.
The last pic shown will go from the grasses to brush and weed and small trees within the next yr or two making a much improved area for bedding and browse.


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[dogghr]

When the guys clear cut 10 acres back in 2015 their access path really left an area wide open from the road. I took front end loader, dug some holes, and filled them with wild cedars. I just dug them with loaded and placed in holes.
My Mom was always curious how they were doing because I used lazy man method to plant.
Today I saw them, now about six feet, and thought of Mother.
Good thoughts

I remember you showing Lakn some of those tree transplants and also of your screening mound building with your box blade. Cool stuff. Should show how those mounds look now. And I remember a picture of the farm you had done for your mom that was neat. I’m sure she is sorely missed at times. Thanks for reading.


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[dogghr]

At the farm last wk and had chance to do a quick check on the newest Random Cluster. Wish I had taken original pic as I assure you this was a mostly leaf covered barren landscape of any flora at deer level. Trees were hinged or dropped over couple years. I preserved for the most part any mature mast producer trying to free their canopies and at the same time allowing more moisture and sunlight exist at ground level.
Opening these areas whether done by fire or chainsaw, or even death of trees, not only allow the sun access but there is a change in moisture content and temp diff. With this new growth, air is allowed to pass more easily giving cooler ground level temps allowing plant growth. In addition, moisture becomes more available as a tree sucking up 40000 gal of water/year is no longer competing.

As native grasses and broad leaf plants and non invasive shrubs establish, new soils are being developed making for a healthier status. While on a less noticeable level, the felled trees, now decomposing and laying cross wise to the slope are creating moisture barriers, redirecting and allowing moisture runoff to be controlled an more absorbed but the soil. In addition they slowly become entrapment of debris which with time will provide humus and litter in which seed will become entrapped and germinate for various flora of low level growth and eventual restructuring the forest canopy.

All this preventing erosion and promoting new growth, creating new edge, and food for attraction of deer as they proceed across my property in a more controlled pattern.
And except for my sweat and fuel cost of chainsaw, these clusters require very little effort for the results achieved.
What grows? There is everything from blackberry, wild clovers, goldenrod, milkweed, ragweed, bluestems, wild oats, indian grass, switch, and many more, many of which is browsed by deer. You want fawning cover? Doesn't get any better and makes for great hiding places from predators of all types. Not just for deer but a variety of animal from rabbits to turkey. A bug infested jungle that turkey love, yet not a thick entanglement preventing passage of large or small animal.

Do you see so called invasives like multiflora rose or autumn olive?? Nope. The greenbrier and blackberry don't have to compete with those because it is a more native forest.
Notice the oak trees left standing. See how without crowding competition they develop trunk sprouts providing more limbs which will now do what? Create more mast production and compete with shade tolerant trees as the old forest once did.

 

[TX-Aggie]

If only I could get my father and uncle to read this thread...I'm wanting to do something like you are doing on our farm. But always get the proverbial answer "it has taken 30 years to get this farm to the point it is right now, and if we make changes that don't work, [we] won't ever see it like this again". Yet - 5 mins later they will commend me on one of my "wild" ideas that I have picked up from y'all.

I just have to keep working on them incrementally, and eventually find some meeting point that both sides can reach in agreement.

 

[TreeDaddy]

My wife and children literally cried when i controlled burned a 20 acre pine plantation and logged another 130 acre bottomland of sweetgum,elm,etc

The subsequent explosion of beauty berry,goldenrod,partridge pea, greenbriar,grape,ragweed,blackberry has the place teeming with wildlife

bill

 

[Triple C]

dogghr...Someone on here turned me on to the Mississippi State University podcast called "Deer University", a few weeks ago and I'm just getting into the episodes. Regarding habitat management and improvement, it seems to be directed more toward the south where we're known for our planted pine stands and the best management practices for attracting deer to this habitat. The one thing that comes through loud and clear, regardless of locations across the whitetail range, is that cover and food are paramount in maintaining ideal deer habitat.
A canopied, mature hardwood forest is very similar to a canopied pine stand/forest with the exception that the canopied hardwoods do provide ample food when acorns are dropping whereas a canopied pine stand provides almost no food or cover. Thus, the need to create areas where sunlight hits the forest floor, providing not only food and cover, but also the other things you mention - moisture and soil building.

I've posted on here that I felt my hinging a few years ago was a waste of time in my case due to the fact that my land is not dominated by mature hardwood forests. I have a 50/50 mix of hardwoods and pine. I love the hardwoods and the mast they produce. But, to accomplish the same as you are doing, (random clusters), I get that naturally when thinning and burning our pine stands. I took this pic a a couple of weeks ago after mowing my clover. This is in a section of pines where I did a 5th row thinning in 2015 that is now, and has been for the past few years, head high in all manner of forbs, weeds and grasses. Everywhere pines were thinned is now a glorious mass of browse and cover. And, this section was burned back in March with the subsequent growth now shoulder high.

Thus, although by totally different methods, we both are producing habitat that provides cover and food, adds to the soil and creates a more diverse habitat. The only reason I mow this strip, which is about 300 to 400 ft long, is to provide a natural entry/exit point into the lower section of our largest plot. I find even the deer take the path of least resistance, i.e., mowed trails, when the cover is super thick. One could say I maintain it as a random cluster in that this trail dead-ends into a beautiful hardwood drainage with mature white oaks, reds and water oaks. The hardwood draw is a great morning sit and the plot is a great afternoon sit with the trail thru the mowed flora providing a path for deer to enter and exit.

Carry on! Love your thought provoking threads...

 

[144]

While on a less noticeable level, the felled trees, now decomposing and laying cross wise to the slope are creating moisture barriers, redirecting and allowing moisture runoff to be controlled an more absorbed but the soil. In addition they slowly become entrapment of debris which with time will provide humus and litter in which seed will become entrapped and germinate for various flora of low level growth and eventual restructuring the forest canopy.

Dogghr- Guess I never really thought about it that way. A bit of a new perspective for me regarding leaving the felled trees. That’s a really good point...



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[dogghr]

If only I could get my father and uncle to read this thread...I'm wanting to do something like you are doing on our farm. But always get the proverbial answer "it has taken 30 years to get this farm to the point it is right now, and if we make changes that don't work, [we] won't ever see it like this again". Yet - 5 mins later they will commend me on one of my "wild" ideas that I have picked up from y'all.

I just have to keep working on them incrementally, and eventually find some meeting point that both sides can reach in agreement.

I've been stubborn a few times in my life so you may eventually convince. Especially if you agree to just do a half ac for test plot and leave the mature trees.

My wife and children literally cried when i controlled burned a 20 acre pine plantation and logged another 130 acre bottomland of sweetgum,elm,etc

The subsequent explosion of beauty berry,goldenrod,partridge pea, greenbriar,grape,ragweed,blackberry has the place teeming with wildlife

bill

Yea we have a diff outlook than most. I do most my heavy work out of sight so driving into the farm, it looks like a park. LOL

dogghr...Someone on here turned me on to the Mississippi State University podcast called "Deer University", a few weeks ago and I'm just getting into the episodes. Regarding habitat management and improvement, it seems to be directed more toward the south where we're known for our planted pine stands and the best management practices for attracting deer to this habitat. The one thing that comes through loud and clear, regardless of locations across the whitetail range, is that cover and food are paramount in maintaining ideal deer habitat.
A canopied, mature hardwood forest is very similar to a canopied pine stand/forest with the exception that the canopied hardwoods do provide ample food when acorns are dropping whereas a canopied pine stand provides almost no food or cover. Thus, the need to create areas where sunlight hits the forest floor, providing not only food and cover, but also the other things you mention - moisture and soil building.

I've posted on here that I felt my hinging a few years ago was a waste of time in my case due to the fact that my land is not dominated by mature hardwood forests. I have a 50/50 mix of hardwoods and pine. I love the hardwoods and the mast they produce. But, to accomplish the same as you are doing, (random clusters), I get that naturally when thinning and burning our pine stands. I took this pic a a couple of weeks ago after mowing my clover. This is in a section of pines where I did a 5th row thinning in 2015 that is now, and has been for the past few years, head high in all manner of forbs, weeds and grasses. Everywhere pines were thinned is now a glorious mass of browse and cover. And, this section was burned back in March with the subsequent growth now shoulder high.

Thus, although by totally different methods, we both are producing habitat that provides cover and food, adds to the soil and creates a more diverse habitat. The only reason I mow this strip, which is about 300 to 400 ft long, is to provide a natural entry/exit point into the lower section of our largest plot. I find even the deer take the path of least resistance, i.e., mowed trails, when the cover is super thick. One could say I maintain it as a random cluster in that this trail dead-ends into a beautiful hardwood drainage with mature white oaks, reds and water oaks. The hardwood draw is a great morning sit and the plot is a great afternoon sit with the trail thru the mowed flora providing a path for deer to enter and exit.

Carry on! Love your thought provoking threads...
View attachment 16432

Funny you posted this Triple as I was thinking of your thinning as I was typing my post. I know you get good results. And each area of the country is different and my methods may not work else where. All should do some readings of early exploration of this country. The mature forests that existed is nothing like some of the propaganda we hear on timber management. The understory of those forests were nearly impenetrable . I may plagiarize and put some of a book on here I've read of early explorers into the eastern mountains if I don't get arrested.

Dogghr- Guess I never really thought about it that way. A bit of a new perspective for me regarding leaving the felled trees. That’s a really good point...



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If you read much especially on no till methods and regenerative grazing it puts a lot of emphasis on water management in wood and field and creeks. A forum member was recently at my place and we talked much of what it was doing here and compared to what I had seen previously on his place. Both many miles apart and much different landscape.

 

[Baker]

Holy Smokes! How have I missed this thread??? My head is spinning after starting at the beginning. I've spent the better part of the last decade trying to simplify things from all the acronyms and unnecessary complexities I see folks integrating into deer and mgt. Then I see this and question maybe I'm going the wrong direction . Mu daughter dropped out of her PHD program in theoretical math cause it was'boring' I'll need to send this to her to see if I can apply.

Cool stuff

 

[pinetag]

Dogghr, I've taken some inspiration from you and this thread and been working on my own random (not so random) clusters this past winter. I will try to take some updated photos later in the summer to see what sort of new growth they achieve as well as provide an update on usage. The bluish areas are hinge/flush cut clusters and the green are micro plots.

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[dogghr]

Dogghr, I've taken some inspiration from you and this thread and been working on my own random (not so random) clusters this past winter. I will try to take some updated photos later in the summer to see what sort of new growth they achieve as well as provide an update on usage. The bluish areas are hinge/flush cut clusters and the green are micro plots.

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Looks great Pinetag. Especially watch as those dropped trees explode with stump sprouts which is why I tend to fell more than hinge anymore.
Oddly, I worked some of my Random Clusters this past wkend and took pics and video. But for some reason can't get videos to upload to youtube, must be the corona. If I can ever get them up, I'll post them. Keep us posted on your results. Good stuff.

 

[pinetag]

Looks great Pinetag. Especially watch as those dropped trees explode with stump sprouts which is why I tend to fell more than hinge anymore.
Oddly, I worked some of my Random Clusters this past wkend and took pics and video. But for some reason can't get videos to upload to youtube, must be the corona. If I can ever get them up, I'll post them. Keep us posted on your results. Good stuff.

I'd like to see those videos.

I knew the moisture and nutrients were pushed up into the stump sprouts but I was amazed to see how much volume is carried up through a mature tree. I guess I never really thought about it until I saw how much was coming out of this river birch stump that was cut down recently.

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[TreeDaddy]

What a gorgeous tangled mess!
Nice result!!

bill