Stone Branch, build it, they will come.

[George]

I picked the tree of the day on the way up, pitch pine, pinus rigida.



Two days ago I left my bar and chain in a tree, not one of my prouder moments. I made a hasty, terrible, undershot birds mouth and overshot the back cut on the other side.



So that is where I started yesterday.



Lots of cutting to reopen deer trails



and deer trail/skid trails.










4 hours of work to get back up to the starting point.



Tree of the day. Today I start my final assault on the ridge.



G

 

[Native Hunter]

Today I'm planting 4 apple trees. After that I'm back to cutting trees like you are doing. Keep up the good work.

 

[cutman]

Does the tree of the day get cut down or admired?

 

[dogghr]

Per the stuck bar and chain….. good to see you are human George. Always aggravating to get a stuck bar


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[George]

Does the tree of the day get cut down or admired?

Trees of the day have all been keepers thus far.

Per the stuck bar and chain….. good to see you are human George. Always aggravating to get a stuck bar


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I was happy to get that one on to the ground.

I was having a chain guide situation yesterday and didn't get anything done except picking a tree of the day, another scarlet.








This could be a cull tree of the day, today.






Up towards the top, a bunch of little oaks that will be reset with fire.




G

 

[George]

As I drop trees, I'm mulching open travel corridors.





Stunted oaks are also getting cut for a reset.



I have a nice little thicket in the middle of the hill side where I'm mulching out maples while leaving some for rubs.



I faced some thought-provoking maples on the left flank.









I'm caught up on the right flank.



Tree of the day, a scarlet pushing 30" DBH.



G

 

[T-Max]

Stunted oaks getting cut for a reset. Treated stumps? Or cut and hoping the resprouts grow a desirable tree?


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[George]

Stunted oaks getting cut for a reset. Treated stumps? Or cut and hoping the resprouts grow a desirable tree?


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I want the stumps to grow a new stem. I'm not using any chemical on this slope.

Meanwhile on the opposite slope, a tale of two aspects, east facing slope, steep, moist mesic.



Tulips grow tall and straight.





Warm weather shut down sap flow.



I was looking to put the hack hammer into this red maple when I took a moment to re-evaluate. The bigger red maples on this slope are as tall and straight as the tulips.





Turns out, on this slope, red maples are crop trees.



Tree of the day, a 27" DBH, 3 + logs, red maple.





Heading into steeper ground in the top of the ditch.




G

 

[Buckly]

Nice looking trees although I’ve never seen red maple worth much on the stump. I suppose it depends on how many you have. I ran into mostly red maple on my cutting and I never let one get in the way of improving habitat. Hard maple on the other hand was worth good money. Are you planning on a timber cut now?

 

[George]

Nice looking trees although I’ve never seen red maple worth much on the stump. I suppose it depends on how many you have. I ran into mostly red maple on my cutting and I never let one get in the way of improving habitat. Hard maple on the other hand was worth good money. Are you planning on a timber cut now?

When the logger went through 27 years ago he harvested red maple as saw logs, I know by the stump sprouts, they must have some value. The area that I was leaving them is about 2 acres full of crop tulips and hickory. It is an area that will remain closed canopy. Red maple is pretty nice wood. I figure any commercial timber harvest is 20 years out.

Going up



Plenty of uglies and ice damage.





Tree of the day, a 110-inch circumference tulip that looks to have been split head to toe by lightning.





An area at the top where I dropped trees a few years ago.





G

 

[T-Max]

When the logger went through 27 years ago he harvested red maple as saw logs, I know by the stump sprouts, they must have some value. The area that I was leaving them is about 2 acres full of crop tulips and hickory. It is an area that will remain closed canopy. Red maple is pretty nice wood. I figure any commercial timber harvest is 20 years out.

Going up

View attachment 27351

Plenty of uglies and ice damage.

View attachment 27352

View attachment 27354

Tree of the day, a 110-inch circumference tulip that looks to have been split head to toe by lightning.

View attachment 27355

View attachment 27356

An area at the top where I dropped trees a few years ago.

View attachment 27353

View attachment 27357

G

Would you consider that area at the top from a few years ago a prime candidate for the Bic? Looks almost too thick to travel through. Maybe perfect for a bedding backdrop though? What’s the plan with that?


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[George]

Would you consider that area at the top from a few years ago a prime candidate for the Bic? Looks almost too thick to travel through. Maybe perfect for a bedding backdrop though? What’s the plan with that?


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Good eye, T-Man, that spot is a pretty good indication of what would happen with TSI in the absence of fire. My plan is to burn the whole 25 acre ditch minus a narrow strip down on the one side where those nicer red maples are that I left.

G

 

[Buckly]

Yep, red maples usually grow nice and straight and make good saw logs. They are usually part of any timber harvest where they reside. They just have a lower value than good hardwood trees. If you’re leaving the canopy on in that area it’s a moot point regardless. Carry on.

 

[George]

My workday yesterday, before and



after.



In this area I had flying squirrels putting a guilt trip on me for cutting down their homes so I did some girdling instead. I'm going back to the hack hammer outside of this work zone.



I'm to the top of the ditch with my back to my property line 50-60 yards back behind me.










I was contemplating this monster clump of red maple with saw in hand and decided that I will hack this tree instead.



Another pitch pine again for the tree of the day. I would like to see some pine regeneration in this area with the reintroduction of fire.




G

 

[Buckly]

Just curious. With all those hills and terrain features, How are your property lines marked So you know where your at?

 

[George]

Just curious. With all those hills and terrain features, How are your property lines marked So you know where your at?

The people were trying to sell this property for years as 248 acres. They had a fresh survey done, 164 acres, in order to sell it. I have pins, paint, and old fence to guide me. I freshen up the paint. Me and forester Bill would match up gps points and trees with fence in them.

G

 

[George]

Before



after














G

 

[George]

The last 4 days of hammer swinging, sticks and slopes.





















G

 

[Native Hunter]

You are going to have a hunting paradise when all of this is over.

 

[George]

You are going to have a hunting paradise when all of this is over.

My first good shed, a nice rub on a sourwood, things are looking up.

G