The "what the hell have I done?" moment is here.

[j-bird]

Lots of great info thus far.... Like was said....you want to measure how much your habitat has improved.....just look at the time of year and consider just how far you can see. Next summer - your place will be a jungle of vegetation and over time the plant types will change from annual and perennial weeds to actual tree and shrub seedlings to saplings. Breathe easy as it looks like you are already on the path to recovery.... Only other thing you may want to consider is a small water hole....deer seem to like them in wooded areas and a dozer can make one in a natural low spot in a heartbeat. it's also great habitat for lots of other critters as well. I will say that soil compaction can be a bad thing...but I see it being more of an issue when related to live stock (cows) as the lighter, but repeated compaction seems to make things struggle. The compaction from logging equipment should be limited to the main trails and some folks are even using tracked equipment now to reduce that impact as well. Most folks I know who use horses or mules do so because of steep terrain or limited interest in other larger logging outfits. Wet sites are always a challenge. Bigger outfits will drop the trees and then use ling choker cables to pull the logs out vs drive thru the muck if it makes sense to do so as well. This is where the land owner needs to be involved and understand how this is all going to happen. I have a steep bank that I specifically told the logger they where NOT to drive up and down because of erosion concerns. They cut and then pulled those chokes up or down the slope as needed.

 

[THE LLC]

Are controlled burns legal in New York?

 

[weekender21]

Looking good! Those ruts aren't that bad at all, easy work for a dozer to clean up.

 

[Flo1919]

Not sure about controlled burns. I will look into it.

 

[TreeDaddy]

just make sure they are "controlled"

not a lotta fun when they get away from you

bill

 

[Keith Nehrke]

Prescribed burns are legal, but aren't often employed up here. You'd want to contact NRCS first. I wish we could do a harvest on our existing property, but there's not enough saw timber to make it worthwhile. I suspect that all of the 6-10 inch Ash will be standing dead wood within a year or two. The tops have already thinned to nothing. But we did pick up a new property fifteen minutes away that's mostly oak and hard maple, with a bunch of small fields for plots and one large one for crops, and best of all - no Ash. I'll start a property thread once we close.

Your new road looks great! A good forester makes all the difference in getting it done your way.

 

[Drycreek]

Flo, those were some serious ruts, but looks like they’re getting them taken care of. The guys are right about the effects that sunlight will have in your woods. On my lease the owners thinned two years in a row and our deer count looks to have doubled in the last year. I attribute that to the food plotting that I introduced, as the other guys didn’t plant anything, but some of it, (maybe most) has to be from all the new vegetation that has sprang up where almost nothing except tall pine trees were before. Plan carefully, this is your chance to steer things to your advantage for the next several years. Good luck !

 

[THE LLC]

I know when we first bought the farm it had been clearcut one year prior. There was hardly a tree on the original 120 acres but it was not re-planted. We decided to let it regen naturally. I had the Georgia Forestry Commission forester come out and walk it with me and he said, "first thing you need to do is put your roads and plots where you want them because in five years it'll cost you ten times as much." We did. Best advice I ever got in land management.

 

[Double L]

View attachment 16551 View attachment 16549

That is what my road looked liked when I got my place. LOL a little loving with a dozer and you will be amazed. Big equipment and a wet summer I actually would have thought the roads would be worse.

 

[THE LLC]

Don't feel too sorry for this dude. He has an AWESOME hunting spot. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[Flo1919]

Haha! Thanks Tommy.
A brief update. I was able to run my tiller through portions of each trail and have planted Rye and clover on most. The tops are a bit overwhelming and I’m anticipating needing two hard winters to get it where I want it to be. Pics soon.

 

[j-bird]

So as the "recovery" process is taking shape....you feeling any better?

 

[Flo1919]

During dry stretches, I feel better. We got a bunch of rain yesterday and I went back to do some work and the standing water in low spots left a lump in my throat. I planted my trails with rye which I get at a great price (5$/bushel). Top dressed with Ladino. I'm hoping to control some erosion and run off of the soil.
I've become interested in integrating the Nuttall Oak into my plantings as I've read it can take wet feet.

 

[j-bird]

During dry stretches, I feel better. We got a bunch of rain yesterday and I went back to do some work and the standing water in low spots left a lump in my throat. I planted my trails with rye which I get at a great price (5$/bushel). Top dressed with Ladino. I'm hoping to control some erosion and run off of the soil.
I've become interested in integrating the Nuttall Oak into my plantings as I've read it can take wet feet.

You may want to look in that oak. From what I recall it's native range is south along the Mississippi river and the southeast. I tried to grow a couple here and they didn't survive the winters (3 gallon container trees).