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Day 2 Mission: Making City Park woods into Bedding area

Trapshooter1

Well-Known Member
So far it's looks likes a guys been pretty successful in this area of the farm. The regen is going to be pretty awesome I have a feeling.

Any suggestions on trees I could plant back? Thinking Swamp White Oak as an option. I need something that will survive low ground, and can have water on them once in awhile. It's mostly sand with mixed black ground in small pockets.

Or maybe I should just let mother nature do her thing.
 

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I'd have to plant an oak or two and protect them. Swamp Whites grew well for us. They branch low which isn't as inviting for bucks to rub in my experience. The red oaks started from acorns are growing tall and straight, had to put cages around them to keep the bucks off them. Oaks like sun so they'd get a jump on regrowth, maybe.
 
I can see your point JNRB, nice for the future generation who will aquire the property.

I've found out though over the years, planting trees in a previously wooded area is dang near futile unless you have time to keep them going.
So many hours and labor and $ have been spent only to be destroyed by floods,deer,mice,rabbits ect.
Tried planting many apple trees and fencing them in. Hated the sight of walking and seeing those fences. Just took away the ambiance.
And allot of native species will compete and outgrow those trees we plant.
Overall, I'd much rather see a wooded area just grow up naturally.
 
Looks very bottom landish? Great opportunity to plant some swamp white oaks.

Was this a TSI project? Looks to be a decent amount of canopy still over much of it. Could slow regen.
 
Going to be great. I did somthing that looked very similar a few years back. It was huge cottonwoods. 2 years later it was a jungle.

When they are done logging I would go back in with a chainsaw and cut down any damaged or inferior trees. Clear cut if needed.
 
I've kind of been supervising this project, and I kind of wanted to avoid clear cutting huge areas, I have some pretty big holes already. The loggers wanted to cut harder,(maybe I should let them cut harder)I just hate to have it barron) I'd like to be able to cut again in 10-15 years. The areas pictured, are the northern half of farm, we still have to go to the south it looks like a city park still.
 
Native regen or the opportunity for invasives to take hold? Not sure what letting nature take its course would amount to anymore.
 
Wow!!!! U trashed that park!!! What a disaster!!! I love it!! :). That’s gonna be so good after a year of sunlight.
 
I went to a DNR field day last year and they took us to a “clear cut”. Said the officer that did it just about got ran out of the state due to his idea. Cut every tree down and started “fresh”. Man- it’s beautiful today and they are going to select cut this summer. Just know it’s always going to look ugly at first- but chances of it being gorgeous after are pretty high.
 
Sounds like your project is going good perfect timing to be done before you loose the frost. Many Timbers would be improved with areas of clear cutting. Lots of junk gets left over the years and that becomes the forest. We don’t tend to have the market for pulp or chipping which helps with a clear cut.
 
Looking great! I have a similar area on a farm, approximately 10ac or large silver maples on a creek bottom. The creek near it will periodically flood but typically drops back down fairly quick. It is wide open in late fall/winter. Deer wonder through it but obviously never bed. There is a gently sloping timber hillside leading down to it that is good bedding. If I would have a logger go in a cut the heck out of it do you all think deer would bed in it? I am doubtful because it is such a low laying flat bottom with hillsides adjacent to it. Would love to turn it into bedding if possible.
 
Yes those deer will absolutely flock to that area, if you cut those silver maples hard. Instant regen starting in the spring. My land is low lying and I had a lot of deer bedding there before the logging. (I did some mild cutting myself before hand) and they loved it. Now it's going to regen way more.
 
Around here, we have 2 invasive species. Buckthorn and prickly ash.
After years of trying to battle them (no avail), finally said " screw it".
Have found out now that those 2 species have evolved into some of the best,thick travel areas. 15 years ago I never in a million years would have thought I would say it but..., now, I'm digging those pockets.
 
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