Dead ash timber improvements??

[Big8s1992]

Hi Guys. Recently closed on a new farm and am looking for some input on an area - anyone done anything for habitat improvement/TSI in timber that was recently wiped out from emerald ash borer?

It's a small central timber hub (about 15 acres timber total with 2021 summer aerial below) that's mainly dead or dying ash. There's some silver maple on the west edge and some large swamp white & white oak on the east side but I saw little for young oaks or walnuts to release and there's almost no middle canopy. This is a river bottom so the floor is mainly reeds canary grass with some gooseberry & greenbrier. I'm curious waht you guys would do with it if anything to improve it right now for the deer - seems to hold deer as we found a number of sheds and has a lot of open canopy already. CRP is in the north & west fields & alfalfa in the east fields. Thanks guys.

 

[Hardwood11]

How dead are they? Still standing and or tipping over?

 

[Big8s1992]

How dead are they? Still standing and or tipping over?

More than half already on the ground I'd say. Of those still standing most are dead all the way up

 

[Hardwood11]

I wonder if someone would take them as logs, for the mill or for firewood? I just don't know enough about re-growth? Cut em down and plant a variety of trees/with oaks? That is what I would do I guess, but hard to say unless I were to walk the property.

 

[Daver]

I wonder if someone would take them as logs, for the mill or for firewood? I just don't know enough about re-growth? Cut em down and plant a variety of trees/with oaks? That is what I would do I guess, but hard to say unless I were to walk the property.

Funny...I just walked through a small section of my timber Saturday morning with a neighbor...the purpose...identifying dead ash trees and living shagbarks for him to cut for firewood. Win, win. They go for a good use and he can get real close to them from his property.

Meanwhile, back to the original question...If you already have an open canopy and no oaks present...I would plant some acorns and/or saplings to spur the better quality growth.

 

[sep0667]

Following as I have some spots with some dead ash stands as well. Most still standing, but starting to fall. Mine are not real big. I was thinking about getting a splitter and trying to sell as firewood, but that may be more work than its worth.

 

[Oct-Lull]

Lots of collateral damage in and around these ash groves as they die out. The other mature trees have been susceptible to blow down as they loose the protection of the mature ash around them. Ash has short fibers and decay is pretty quick so I am not sure I would invest a ton of time removing it. Not sure I would be rushed to cut them all down either and it may be better to let them do it on thier own time if its safe to.

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[Big8s1992]

Lots of collateral damage in and around these ash groves as they die out. The other mature trees have been susceptible to blow down as they loose the protection of the mature ash around them. Ash has short fibers and decay is pretty quick so I am not sure I would invest a ton of time removing it. Not sure I would be rushed to cut them all down either and it may be better to let them do it on thier own time if its safe to.

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Thanks for info. I can't really see anything significant for hardwoods that are coming up in these dead areas yet it just looks like reeds canary grass hung up on all the ash deadfalls and treetops which have created a bunch of pocketed deer beds. I was just glad to not see bush honeysuckle.

 

[Sligh1]

Baby the oaks & all desirable trees so they spread. Squirrels will help. With no bush honey suckle - pry help too. Fire could help with oaks or…. Start direct seeding or planting trees. & shrubs. Diversity is key!!! Lots of variety…. Wet areas…. Lots of shrub options. Then: pin oak, swamp oak, maybe red oak & burr oak. Mulberry, box elder, walnut, etc. A few sycamore & maple are nice to add. If u were to plant 2-3 shrubs & 5-7 tree types - speed things up a lot & create the needed diversity. Good luck!!

 

[BearCreek]

Not to be the voice of pessimism, but the Reed Canary grass will be looking to invade and establish a monoculture. I will be sharing a post soon describing what I am doing to combat it.

 

[2.5YR8]

I don't have many, but I'll be cutting mine for firewood. It's amazing how quick the borer took them. 2020 they looked completely fine. I even had a stand in one. Spring of 2021 they didn't leaf out and the wood peckers have been tearing them up.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I don't have many, but I'll be cutting mine for firewood. It's amazing how quick the borer took them. 2020 they looked completely fine. I even had a stand in one. Spring of 2021 they didn't leaf out and the wood peckers have been tearing them up.

Amazing you had them that long

 

[Bucksnbears]

Be real carefully cutting dead ash.
May be alot of widow makers hanging up there.

 

[1boonr]

Very dangerous tree to cut. They tend to barberchair if not done right. Be careful out there

 

[203ntyp]

Very dangerous tree to cut. They tend to barberchair if not done right. Be careful out there

I can attest to that. I was doing the neighbor a favor since I have permission to hunt there. They had a huge Ash that had 3 huge trunks and probably close to 60' high that was dead and within 20 yards of their house. Wasn't sure how I was going to tackle it since the one side leaned towards their house and in a fenced yard.

After looking it over I thought the only way is to climb it and cut it off high enough so it didn't fall on the house. I got all my climbing sticks and harness and up I went with the chainsaw tied a rope on to pull it up. I was up about 24' and proceeded to try to reach around the tree to do an undercut then do a second cut thinking it would snap off at that point.

Boy was I wrong, like 1booner mentioned it split like a chair back down the opposite side of me and before I knew it I was tight against the tree as it pulled my harness strap! I thought this was it, I'll be crushed in half, the harness was just a waist harness strap. I was there by myself which was stupid on my part but fortunately it popped out of the strap and fell safely. I was shaking like a leaf trying to get my breath and composure to get the heck down. I'll never do that again!!

 

[Daver]

I can attest to that. I was doing the neighbor a favor since I have permission to hunt there. They had a huge Ash that had 3 huge trunks and probably close to 60' high that was dead and within 20 yards of their house. Wasn't sure how I was going to tackle it since the one side leaned towards their house and in a fenced yard.

After looking it over I thought the only way is to climb it and cut it off high enough so it didn't fall on the house. I got all my climbing sticks and harness and up I went with the chainsaw tied a rope on to pull it up. I was up about 24' and proceeded to try to reach around the tree to do an undercut then do a second cut thinking it would snap off at that point.

Boy was I wrong, like 1booner mentioned it split like a chair back down the opposite side of me and before I knew it I was tight against the tree as it pulled my harness strap! I thought this was it, I'll be crushed in half, the harness was just a waist harness strap. I was there by myself which was stupid on my part but fortunately it popped out of the strap and fell safely. I was shaking like a leaf trying to get my breath and composure to get the heck down. I'll never do that again!!

Yikes!! I am past my tree climbing and cutting days, but I could see myself having done just such a thing once upon a time. Dead trees are FAR MORE unpredictable and dangerous to cut, regardless of species. Glad to hear that you escaped serious injury there!!