Property Mgt in the Northeast designing a hunting property

[Jon]

As some of you know, professionally I design properties in the Northeast, predominantly in New York State. This year I’ve been on many properties, complete fields, all timber, wetlands, mixture of shrubland and woodlands...I’ve walked in snows up to my armpits, and frankly I laugh and love doing it especially when things are difficult. I wanted to relay a few sticking points for those that enjoy this but recognize the seriousness in trying to design a hunting property, and in my business its focused on ROI and for those that read this think about things more simply to optimize results.

My basic thinking points...

- Every action creates a reaction in the environments we work in, so consider the consequences of your actions when applying certain techniques afield.
-there are a dozen ways to skin a cat, know your options and pick the one with the highest success and lowest impact that could result in negative consequences on animals/plants.
-focus on sunlight mgt in all vegetation types and tie the goals of that to an outcome that will serve your landscape, don’t just cut trees or remove herbaceous material without an idea of the end result.
- it takes time to fix soil, be patient.
- do not make an uniformed decision and in most cases nature and it’s examples provides an answer, remain observant.
- the first answer to your question shouldn’t be I’ll mow, cut or spray...slow down and assess what the natural area provides and think about how to impact it minimally with the highest return.
- do not purchase equipment (tractor) unless it’s essential to your property mgt plan. If the tractor isn’t demanding 40-75 hours of use per year it’s probably not an essential purchase.
- don’t hire a consultant expecting you can run with a plan and not have workload that may be beyond your scope or time. Sometimes smaller properties are more conducive to single landowners, so choose wisely how you prioritize and how much land you can manage to be productive.
-last point we may know way more than we recognize, youtube information can confuse us more than help at times. If you’ve hunted your land for years and aren’t reaching the goals you expect, step back and recognize that there is no perfect answer, and sometimes the concepts we hear or create may work or fail, that’s what forums like these are for, be open minded and helpful to others and share those success and failures!

Thank
Jon Teater


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[Mennoniteman]

As some of you know, professionally I design properties in the Northeast, predominantly in New York State. This year I’ve been on many properties, complete fields, all timber, wetlands, mixture of shrubland and woodlands...I’ve walked in snows up to my armpits, and frankly I laugh and love doing it especially when things are difficult. I wanted to relay a few sticking points for those that enjoy this but recognize the seriousness in trying to design a hunting property, and in my business its focused on ROI and for those that read this think about things more simply to optimize results.

My basic thinking points...

- Every action creates a reaction in the environments we work in, so consider the consequences of your actions when applying certain techniques afield.
-there are a dozen ways to skin a cat, know your options and pick the one with the highest success and lowest impact that could result in negative consequences on animals/plants.
-focus on sunlight mgt in all vegetation types and tie the goals of that to an outcome that will serve your landscape, don’t just cut trees or remove herbaceous material without an idea of the end result.
- it takes time to fix soil, be patient.
- do not make an uniformed decision and in most cases nature and it’s examples provides an answer, remain observant.
- the first answer to your question shouldn’t be I’ll mow, cut or spray...slow down and assess what the natural area provides and think about how to impact it minimally with the highest return.
- do not purchase equipment (tractor) unless it’s essential to your property mgt plan. If the tractor isn’t demanding 40-75 hours of use per year it’s probably not an essential purchase.
- don’t hire a consultant expecting you can run with a plan and not have workload that may be beyond your scope or time. Sometimes smaller properties are more conducive to single landowners, so choose wisely how you prioritize and how much land you can manage to be productive.
-last point we may know way more than we recognize, youtube information can confuse us more than help at times. If you’ve hunted your land for years and aren’t reaching the goals you expect, step back and recognize that there is no perfect answer, and sometimes the concepts we hear or create may work or fail, that’s what forums like these are for, be open minded and helpful to others and share those success and failures!

Thank
Jon Teater


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I like this topic, I'm always looking for new ideas and fresh input, and I like the idea of targeting a specific region that brings together like minded people with the same set of problems. Your opening statement is great, however, I find it strong on hypothetics but short on specifics. What is often the weakest area that a northeast landowner should consider focusing on first? What improvement will bring the greatest return with the least amount of labor? Or, the least amount of money? What common habitat misconceptions are prevalent in the northeast? Have you done any scientific research or studies on northeast whitetail habitat?

 

[Jon]

I like this topic, I'm always looking for new ideas and fresh input, and I like the idea of targeting a specific region that brings together like minded people with the same set of problems. Your opening statement is great, however, I find it strong on hypothetics but short on specifics. What is often the weakest area that a northeast landowner should consider focusing on first? What improvement will bring the greatest return with the least amount of labor? Or, the least amount of money? What common habitat misconceptions are prevalent in the northeast? Have you done any scientific research or studies on northeast whitetail habitat?

Sure, it’s hard to be specific on some of these topics until you assess the concern or discuss an individual property. Generally and on most properties I was on this year (especially in New York) the timber is in the 75–120 age class on 65-80% of property. In many cases it was 99%, there is a lot of subspecies vegetation on properties but diversity is typically not in abundance. That tends to be the most workable and prevalent topic. Expectedly, the most advantageous improvement is forest improvement in these examples, specifically creating anew young vegetation in designated areas. Then part two, after timbering, the restoration for specific improvement on deer properties most don’t know where to start... essentially I tell folks to already have specific improved areas mapped, post harvest organize the structure which I provide them rules for. I’ll share two of my rules, any stems (10 dbh inches or larger) of felled trees that remain based on improvement cuts and are not pulled from the property cut every 3 feet, pile at least 50-60% of those stems. Do not create false canopy or designated bedding structure near designated snag trees... just a couple basic examples. But you get the point post timber harvest and/or basic implementation requires rules of thumb to shape properties.

The biggest mistake I see and I’ve had a chance to review other consultants (you name it I’ve possibly reviewed and reworked their plans) plans is how to maintain a semblance of productive improvements overtime effectively, essentially how to keep improved areas productive with less physical effort. Most of these consultants haven’t hunted NY, which varies in eco type more than most states, and deer population and hunting pressure is less comparable to states like Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and other states. I do believe NY is a gem though.

Least amount of money is finding local transplant trees, one of the highest concerns based on snow load is concentrated areas of evergreens with less transparency (with a focus on specific age and species based on native and localized trees) to reduce localized snow load. That applies to most every property I’ve been on. Size and orientation of these plantings are critical rule. Basic rule 8 acres per 40 acres designated, adjacent forest improvement should be in 50 basal area, which is focused on woody regen not herbaceous material. Or if herbaceous 20% due to lack of young plant community (site specific based on other design considerations) with integrated trail system that also provide good sources of food during summer/fall periods. It’s really area and goal specific. I think you get the point it depends on what I’m trying to achieve in the localized area.

Misconceptions not habitat specific but improvement wise, stop applying common sense tactics like YouTube celebrities suggest. I spend more time talking down special facets, I.e waterholes to certain landowners. All, the NE is not the Midwest or the south. I want to be clear I do recommend waterholes, but I’m asked that way too often. Habitat specific- A battling topic that’s region specific, stop cutting and eradicating beech unless 60% or more of the property is a monoculture, if your applying a ground active herbicide this delays regen so ensure your transplanting, or introducing herbicide on a certain percentage, group selection, across the stump cut areas.

Scientific, published studies I have not. I do rely on studies, most fromTexas a&m and penn state. I’m a feel touch kinda guy, observation analysis, application supported with studies. Most of want I do isn’t anecdotally based but definitely some of it is.


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[Chainsaw]

My camera captures last year confirmed the value of Beech, at least last year. Cameras at apples were the most productive but a single camera was in an area of beech trees and it captured a significant amount of regular daytime mature buck activity. Also check out Rusty's video's of Buck activity on his property tour thread and beech is in the running as popular buck hang outs on his property as well.

 

[Mennoniteman]

My camera captures last year confirmed the value of Beech, at least last year. Cameras at apples were the most productive but a single camera was in an area of beech trees and it captured a significant amount of regular daytime mature buck activity. Also check out Rusty's video's of Buck activity on his property tour thread and beech is in the running as popular buck hang outs on his property as well.

Are the deer eating beechnuts, leaves, or just seem to like hanging out under beech trees?

 

[Chainsaw]

Oddly I didn't notice any beechnuts. It was just a high traffic place. At my property it was an edge among a cutover where all marketable trees were cut but all beech were left and it was near a drainage.. The result was an open understory among blackberries thick enough to make people travel difficult to impossible. At Rusty's property it was the same open understory but without any obvious edge or drainage.

 

[Jon]

Some may not know this but in many stands I visit beech is browsed heavily, assuming it’s young. Beech is identified as a non browsed species or a starvation food for deer, many times the level of attraction is lowered based on other preferred woody plants and if you ever nip off a beech bud you’ll think what would eat this, but the landscape and transformed ecosystem have changed based on high grading in many areas to consider other human factors and diseases, and I believe dietary wise deer have adapted their diets to this type forage, especially in northern NY areas.

Considering the density of the stand and height young beech tends to provide favorable cover, as they die to disease and age, the structure created from standing trees and rotting trunks and branches and regen does a lot for wildlife, few other trees species sucker as well as beech.


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