Stone Branch, build it, they will come.

[George]

How many years have u been working on this George? I have to say, this is one of my favorite habitat threads on the web because of the depth of your timber management.


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Thanks Mark, I started working on my property in Ky in 2019. Things were greatly accelerated when my EQIP contract was finalized 11 months ago in July on the remaining 136 acres. The contract stipulates completing the work in 7 units over a period of 7 years, unit G being the last unit was to be finished in 2030. I'm a little ahead of schedule I will have all of the contracted work done in July, 1 year. The work that I have completed is really just the beginning of what needs to be done. The NRCS has more money that they need to give me and they already have me in the process of contracting me into the CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program) plan. Randall from the Ky Wildlife and Fish department is coming out this morning for a tour plan. He mentioned, for example creating 1 dead snag per acre, with 10,000 dead trees on my property that shouldn't be a problem. I see on the website that they can also teach me about prescribed burning. I think that I may end up being the poster child for returning fire onto the Ky landscape. The CSP is designed to be a further reward to landowners who have already done the EQIP work.

G

 

[George]

Down along the cut



and looking back up. The before and after photos in a year or two will be drastic, not a clear cut but more like a clear hack.



I finished up the south slope to the bottom yesterday, 8 plus acres.





Neighbor's food plots down on the other side of the creek.



I didn't hack any trees on the other side of the creek, they'll continue to keep the creek cooler.









G

 

[George]

Fire won't carry.



Mid slope further up in the ditch.



I walked up to this tree preparing to swing before I paused, american chestnut it is.







Looking down into my next work area. Sometimes I think about going fishing but just keep swinging.




G

 

[George]

I'm going back through an area that I hacked with gly and burned 2-3 years ago.



A scattering of seed trees.





I'm clear hacking this area below, save the seed trees.







G

 

[George]

The new food plot.











G

 

[weekender21]

The new food plot.

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G

Love it. Hack hammer in tow this weekend for me!


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[KSQ2]

Looking good!! With a somewhat wet spring still having an effect, the deer are loving the browse in our part of the world too.

 

[George]

Looking at where I'd been and



where I was going.





I killed about every tree in this picture.



Despite lack of food on the ground bucks still bed down in this ditch.



I found the back half and 10 yards up the front half of a fawn.



I believe an inexperienced mother dropped her fawn in this spot with no cover where it was eaten by coons. I didn't work fast enough to save it.



Lots of mid-slope ice damage and maple overstory removed.





Last tree hacked. Unit G was contracted to be completed in 2030. 12 months after the Feds signing the contract and giving me the go ahead on July 11th, I have completed all of my work on the contracted 136 acres. 40g cha ching. This month I'll be contracting into another 5 years, Conservation Stewardship Program, so they can pay me another 20g as a reward for the work that I have completed.




G

 

[George]

My new food plot seems to be drawing the right crowd.







A bite of smilax.




G

 

[George]

Seeing turkey poults for the first time on my ground and now for the first time, twin fawns.





This little one made a getaway.









I believe this guy to be my homeboy 140" 10 pt, 5 1/2 years this year.






G

 

[George]

Forester Bill Knott's last visit, checking out my chestnut.



Collateral damage, I had a good sized tulip between two hacked trees die.









G

 

[KSQ2]

You got another big black dog? What did you name her??

 

[George]

You got another big black dog? What did you name her??

I was calling it a him thinking that it was a traveling young male. I don't have much experience with these animals. What indicates a female to you?

G

 

[KSQ2]

I was calling it a him thinking that it was a traveling young male. I don't have much experience with these animals. What indicates a female to you?

G

lol, just a guess, I have no idea! Your last addition to the family is a female I believe, I thought you were continuing the trend. I guess I should be careful; can I get into trouble for "misgendering" a bear????

 

[George]

lol, just a guess, I have no idea! Your last addition to the family is a female I believe, I thought you were continuing the trend. I guess I should be careful; can I get into trouble for "misgendering" a bear????

I'll name her Elliot, after the little girl that played in Juno.

G

 

[George]

Yea, I have history with this deer. How long do deer live?









With the removal of two dominant bucks, he ruled the show up there last hunting season.



I have a deer to hunt this year.





G

 

[MarkDarvin]

This is a fascinating thread. I very much appreciate how well you've stayed with it, not only the work, but documenting it all. The program you just finished up, and the one you're pivoting to next, what are the end goals of the work?

 

[George]

This is a fascinating thread. I very much appreciate how well you've stayed with it, not only the work, but documenting it all. The program you just finished up, and the one you're pivoting to next, what are the end goals of the work?

Simple, fix some woods, kill a good buck, spend some more money. I'm thinking on an infrared drone.

I brought the sun in, it takes a while to respond on some of these rocky slopes









but it will.



G

 

[George]

Poults in the jap stilt.





I think he done moved in.



G

 

[weekender21]

Good sized poults!

Nice frame on that buck.


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