Stone Branch, build it, they will come.

[dogghr]

Looking good as always.
We’ve had a burn ban statewide for couple weeks due to dry windy conditions. Numerous forest fires w one fire fighter getting killed last week.
Rain end of this wk and trees leafing should bring things back to normal.


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[George]

Thanks dogghr.

Its going to be a jungle up there. When I finish my burn tomorrow I'll have about 30 acres of food plot burned.













I'm an idiot, these aren't pine trees.





With 5 toms killed on neighboring properties, I'm now offering sanctuary.



Bucks and does are hanging tight and big into the cow minerals.




G

 

[George]

Last burn for the year up top.





















G

 

[gut_pile]

Great looking burn

 

[OkieKubota]

You’re having way too much fun George!

 

[George]

Great looking burn

Thanks gut

You’re having way too much fun George!

I believe that you are correct.

I keep seeing information on how burning later in the season is more beneficial to lactating does but I can't believe that it is more beneficial than having all of these fresh greens to eat while the fawns are finishing up their development while still in the womb.







Burned this year on the left, last year on the right.



Further down the trail is where the ridge trail exits my property to the east. To the right I dropped maples without fire and without fire in the future this area would become another maple thicket again. The last 125 yards of the trail leading off my property will be hinge cut closed this year. This area has now become good deer habitat and will become sanctuary.





New mineral stump area.





Here are two area adjoining areas for contrast, cut/sun, not cut/shade.





G

 

[George]

A big scarlet oak just fell over.



Blue berries.



Fire did a good job top killing the small stuff.






G

 

[Mennoniteman]

A big scarlet oak just fell over.

View attachment 25335

Blue berries.

View attachment 25336

Fire did a good job top killing the small stuff.

View attachment 25337

View attachment 25338


G

I have a lot of scarlet oaks and I have never known any to blow over, I always thought they were a wind proof tree species.

 

[Native Hunter]

A big scarlet oak just fell over.

View attachment 25335

Blue berries.

View attachment 25336

Fire did a good job top killing the small stuff.

View attachment 25337

View attachment 25338


G

Those lowbush blueberries are small but delicious. You will enjoy them.

 

[Triple C]

George - You ever lose any of your mature oaks when you burn thru your hardwoods? We've done 2 burns this year and tried to burn thru the hardwoods with very limited success. Much easier to carry a fire thru pines than hardwoods in our case. Years ago I wouldn't have thought of trying to burn thru our hardwoods but seems it is becoming a very common practice with no one I've ever seen that does it more regularly than you.

 

[George]

I have a lot of scarlet oaks and I have never known any to blow over, I always thought they were a wind proof tree species.

Less to do about the wind than shallow rocky soil and 30 degree slope.

Those lowbush blueberries are small but delicious. You will enjoy them.

Ain't seen a blue berry yet. Indigenous peoples say I have to burn them, so I did.

George - You ever lose any of your mature oaks when you burn thru your hardwoods? We've done 2 burns this year and tried to burn thru the hardwoods with very limited success. Much easier to carry a fire thru pines than hardwoods in our case. Years ago I wouldn't have thought of trying to burn thru our hardwoods but seems it is becoming a very common practice with no one I've ever seen that does it more regularly than you.

I don't kill any trees that I properly account for and work a backfire through.

Snake hunt. Bell is 81lbs now, Spike, 51.





Repeated killing, cutting, mulching, burning, and the mess gets less.



Tulips cast a lot less shade than maples.



I cut dead stuff up again prior to the fire and admired all of the nice elderberry plants.



Right next door in my two acre hinge cut,



I got the saw out a couple days ago and started cutting down the dead hinges, leaving some live ones here and there for some structure.



Most remaining red maples are getting hurt and/or re hurt.







G

 

[George]

My two acre hinge cut has now been remodeled.









G

 

[massey]

Cancer root. I got the joke……I think


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[George]

Training day/minute.





Spike found the serpent, alerted, and kept his distance.



Bell on the other hand, checked the snake out nose to nose. The snake was docile so the training session ended with mixed results.



I laid a couple of maples over the trail leading off my east end of ridge and off my property. I have a camera on the new intersection.



New routes.











I backed out and am now heading down the old ridge line trail.



G

 

[George]

The trail that I'm working goes through and on in to work unit F heading southeast. The ridge line is remote and unmolested by neighbors, steep slope no go zone. I'm getting the green light to make some deer habitat this week.












G

 

[George]

"Well, I'm the crawling kingsnake
And I rule my den"





G

 

[massey]

Wow. That’s so cool. I’ve always hoped to see a king get a copperhead. You lucky cuss. Looks like a good sized copperhead too


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[dogghr]

Awesome snake pics. Almost as fun is watching my Redtail do snake removal flybys. An F22 would be envious


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[KSQ2]

Very cool! When he was a kiddo in MS, my dad had a pet king snake that loved cottonmouths.

 

[George]

I finally got the go ahead to get started, unit F, 22 acres.



I cut a trail down the ridge top, from top to bottom, 500 yards with 100 yards of elevation change.





I probably killed 5000 trees with my hack hammer.







I also girdled and



mulched. Over the 22 acres I averaged 5hrs, 7 minutes, and 30 seconds/acre.







G