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I have used various apps but they are not incredibly accurate unless the trees are leafed out. Identifying tree species is most difficult when dormant and once you get experience it will be second nature. Try to focus on the buds, stems, and form of tree as opposed to the bark.

I have found that hickory hinges quite well, so I definitely implement that technique on many if the location is right. Most of my hickory is shagbark and I tend to leave one every now and then for diversity sake, especially if they are already well established and there is no nearby oak. I have...

Seems like deer preference can vary a bit by region as any native shrub I plant with the exception of button bush is browsed heavily. I also like to plant some that have a canopy form to promote ideal nesting cover. Ninebark and arrow wood are good choices, serviceberry also good but a little...

Thanks for all the feedback.

Mulberry - A lot of these trees (in Illinois) are nonnative white mulberries as opposed to our native red mulberries. They also readily hybridize so its difficult to discern between the two. I'm as anti-invasive/non-native as they come, but mulberry gets a free pass from me. I promote it...

Been running a Stihl MS 261 and really like the saw for just about everything. However, running a single saw can be frustrating with changing chains and dealing with pinching, etc. What would be a good companion saw? I'm just using it for general habitat work: girdling, felling, and some...

If the plant is big enough and canopied to the ground, especially on steep slopes, yes, one occasionally has to get down on the ground to get to the base of it. A lot of the terrain here does not allow for the use of machinery to pull honeysuckle (which will have a massive seedbank of BH under...

There are a lot of studies and literature indicating that you can apply basal bark spray anytime and have an effective kill. I can link if necessary. However, I used basal bark spray and it did not terminate most of the BH in the first growing season. I am questioning whether I failed to cover...

Honeysuckle plants are easy to remove or kill, but when you have to remove thousands (some requiring you to lay on the ground and cut), I can assure you they are not easy to remove. That species is causing what will eventually require specific and direct government intervention (beyond EQIP)...

I have owned my farm for almost three years and have not taken a doe off it. I'm in west central Illinois, so I should be able to stack my place with deer but I'm still trying to get a feel for my carrying capacity. I've converted 50 acres (farm is 190 acres) of over-grazed pasture to pure...

The effectiveness of girdling is quite species and timing specific. So much so, that I will prioritize winter TSI by species. For instance, silver maples will start "sapping" incredibly early and seem to tolerate girdling better than about any other tree, so I hit them first and they still...

White Oak Variation - I am fortunate to have multiple large white oaks on the property my house sits on and I have noticed that there is a stark contrast between not only acorn production but size/shape. I have one tree that produced well last year but not so much in years past, it produces...

Any of you DCO gurus ever try to start them by direct seeding? I planted 5-6 acorns into about ten cages during a warm spell in February and have not seen any sprout yet. They were well-covered with soil and the ground is undisturbed inside the cage so I do not believe any rodents dug them up.

I would be concerned that the RCG will re invade with the next flood.

Besides obvious preventative measures such as screening along roads, I like to put out old broken trail cameras in conspicuous locations so would be trespassers know the area is monitored. Great use of the early model spypoints.

I recently did another round of research on this issue and landed on basal bark spraying as the most effective/efficient method for eliminating both MFR and honeysuckle. I have personally used pulling, cut and spray, and foliar spraying methods in the past but will likely exclusively use this...

As others have said, start cutting. The benefit of south facing slopes, if I am not mistaken, is that they receive direct sunlight and are therefore warmer in winter (when warmth is beneficial). I would only leave scattered cedars that are positioned to block wind with low hanging branches.

As you are probably aware, your options for generating income are fairly limited on land that was exclusively pasture. You won't have the cropping history for the foreseeable future, but I like the idea of alfalfa, I would make sure that it will create the proper cropping history before...

I use the Harper cocktail for killing any and all woody species without translocation to nearby desirable woody species. Don't overspray or use with rain in forecast. Avoid getting it on ground if possible. The cocktail:

I have similar ground and a similar situation. I will be planting a few acorns I gathered but I probably don't need to. If you have willows and pin oak around they will find a way in if you can keep the maple in check. SWO and Bur oak are other good choices. Shrubs: Button bush, Red Oshier...