Thank you
I really like this forum
When I started this project it was all off YouTube videos
White tail habitat solutions and see more bucks
That's what got me started lol
I'm getting much more insight from all of you
Reminder guys..... Get your TSI plans underway!!!
I start January 11. GO TIME!!!!!!
Over the years, you will, on average, increase your timber value by 3-5 fold - fact & continue as long as you keep up with the management and cutting the crap out, etc, etc.
Create bedding areas, create 5-10 times the tonnage of browse and food for deer. Nut production like Acorns will increase by massive amounts (several studies have staggering figures on this).
Insane the value for wildlife, timber value, browse, bedding, carrying capacity for deer, etc. 1 year, done right, can be massive change. 2-3 years - blow your mind.
Get some experts in there who actually do it right!!!!! Lots of folks, "experts" & contractors do NOT do it right. Get the right folks and transform the forest for the better! The cost of the TSI if you hire out to the RIGHT people, will pay for itself 10 fold. Increase land value and all other above benefits. Get it in your plans!!!!!
I start January 11. GO TIME!!!!!!
Over the years, you will, on average, increase your timber value by 3-5 fold - fact & continue as long as you keep up with the management and cutting the crap out, etc, etc.
Create bedding areas, create 5-10 times the tonnage of browse and food for deer. Nut production like Acorns will increase by massive amounts (several studies have staggering figures on this).
Insane the value for wildlife, timber value, browse, bedding, carrying capacity for deer, etc. 1 year, done right, can be massive change. 2-3 years - blow your mind.
Get some experts in there who actually do it right!!!!! Lots of folks, "experts" & contractors do NOT do it right. Get the right folks and transform the forest for the better! The cost of the TSI if you hire out to the RIGHT people, will pay for itself 10 fold. Increase land value and all other above benefits. Get it in your plans!!!!!
If u get a flurry of stuff that’s undesirable - ya- time for some management of that stuff. I’ve treated stuff like black locust, prickly ash, MFR, etc. yep- usually some maintaining to do. I also like taking my little tractor and saw in and making trails too if I’m able.
deadeye
Active Member
So on that topic bush honey suckle... If an area isn't overgrown with it deer seem to really eat it up. When it is thick they bed in it. I know it is invasive and to get rid of it but it seems the deer really like it... Just trying to understand.
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Beware!!!! It's an addiction. Hard not to sit in a treestand and not analysis the timber....cut, cut, leave, cut, leave, leave, cut, leave, cut, cut. 
I've gotten worse at shed hunting for this same reason!
Jbohn
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's good for your timber long term also chokes out all the deer food in my opinion, I create bedding in NWSG and Hinge Areas..
.If u look careful to upper left.... there’s a bunch of hinge cut stuff. It goes about 200 yards like That. Up a ridge. South facing. Well- i had to spend a couple hours cutting trails through it a couple years ago. Was so thick. Trails worked perfect. This is where “Twizzlers” came down from. Down that ridge through trails i cut. Came to my stand & smoked him. So secluded and thick- deer move back there all day long. My stand is on edge of a massive amount of timber that’s thick & nasty and never gets walked except maybe shed season. Doing deer recovery.... the trails look like cattle trails through it and more 12-18” trees rubbed than I’ve ever seen. Even rubbed some big gorgeous walnuts - Grrrrrr! I think I got the culprit that did that
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I do crop tree release and weed tree removal on N facing. I do same with south but the only difference with south is im more aggressive with hinge cutting or making pockets of bedding areas. So - I’d say I pick patches (say an acre every 100-200 yards) & get super aggressive on south facing to encourage more ideal bedding areas. Not one drop of my timber goes untouched though. At a minimum- I wanna free crop trees and thin the junk.
Below has a Walnut freed up in background (center, far & some walnuts behind it). The double girdled trees are elm, ash & bitternut hickory
Small white oaks with parent wolf white oak in back ground. Some other crop trees can't see but I wiped out the bitternut hickories crowding things out. Left smaller oaks, allowed new growth & freed some crop trees.
Blocked some trails & at the same time freed some - "hard to see in picture" crop trees like red oak, walnut, etc. 2 birds, one stone.
Ravaged a south facing area that i wanted bedding. I did thin some red oaks as there was walnuts to left and behind me some premium white oaks. That red is hinged but cut so deep it likely will crack. Which, I'm fine with. It's going to be a thick mess.
If look close.... Can see X's.... I double girdled every big junk tree and topped off all smaller junk trees. Killed every bitternut hickory, locust, elm that was near walnuts.
My arsenal, vehicle I don't mind trashing. Pack back pack up with bottles of gas & bar & chain oil + extra bar/chain & bar/chain tool. Put in power aid & snacks for break. Can go for a while. I actually run 4 saws because I've had days where 2 go down. I run either modified 261's that auto adjust or modified 241's which are a bit lighter. all self adjust with no carb adjustments needed and make the muffler mods easier as well. stupid power that I pry wouldn't do unless you've run for years. Saw preference is just that- PREFERENCE. Different brands have great saws & each saw has +/-'s. No matter who, I'd highly suggest the electronically adjusted & if you do a lot- get professional grade as the vibration and all the perks & heavy-duty nature make it a no brainer. only if you run a lot of acres.
Small white oaks with parent wolf white oak in back ground. Some other crop trees can't see but I wiped out the bitternut hickories crowding things out. Left smaller oaks, allowed new growth & freed some crop trees.
Blocked some trails & at the same time freed some - "hard to see in picture" crop trees like red oak, walnut, etc. 2 birds, one stone.
Ravaged a south facing area that i wanted bedding. I did thin some red oaks as there was walnuts to left and behind me some premium white oaks. That red is hinged but cut so deep it likely will crack. Which, I'm fine with. It's going to be a thick mess.
If look close.... Can see X's.... I double girdled every big junk tree and topped off all smaller junk trees. Killed every bitternut hickory, locust, elm that was near walnuts.
My arsenal, vehicle I don't mind trashing. Pack back pack up with bottles of gas & bar & chain oil + extra bar/chain & bar/chain tool. Put in power aid & snacks for break. Can go for a while. I actually run 4 saws because I've had days where 2 go down. I run either modified 261's that auto adjust or modified 241's which are a bit lighter. all self adjust with no carb adjustments needed and make the muffler mods easier as well. stupid power that I pry wouldn't do unless you've run for years. Saw preference is just that- PREFERENCE. Different brands have great saws & each saw has +/-'s. No matter who, I'd highly suggest the electronically adjusted & if you do a lot- get professional grade as the vibration and all the perks & heavy-duty nature make it a no brainer. only if you run a lot of acres.
JayEC
Member
Has anyone had any problems with doing this in forest preserve areas (tax break). I know they occasionally do surveys around here and they want at least 200-300 trees per acre or something along those lines? Just curious, because that is what is holding me back from being more aggressive with my TSI. I'm positive removing invasive species won't be frowned upon but I'm not sure about the lesser quality species?
NON-ISSUE.
U would essentially need to clear cut or doze it to get to 200 stems per acre.
TSI to ur hearts desire and log away (with care and conservation in mind). Non-issue!!!!! Law is there to encourage farmers to not doze in the small remaining timber in Iowa (5-6%) and to encourage them to keep cattle out of timber (which also is very very smart!!!! The little graze value in timber destroys future forest quality & health, compacts soil, damages tree roots and devastates new oak growth).
Long story short - non-issue with tsi in forest reserve.
U would essentially need to clear cut or doze it to get to 200 stems per acre.
TSI to ur hearts desire and log away (with care and conservation in mind). Non-issue!!!!! Law is there to encourage farmers to not doze in the small remaining timber in Iowa (5-6%) and to encourage them to keep cattle out of timber (which also is very very smart!!!! The little graze value in timber destroys future forest quality & health, compacts soil, damages tree roots and devastates new oak growth).
Long story short - non-issue with tsi in forest reserve.
JayEC
Member
Thanks! I actually spent a ton of time on only 1 1/2 acres this past winter and it turned out to be just about a clear cut after removing box elder, honey locust, honey suckle, and elm. There was only a couple cherry and about 8 walnuts left! I came back and planted oaks in their place, with a ton of native shrubs in the Spring. I figured I would just keep moving down the field edge another 1-2 acres every year. The honey locust, hickory, and honey suckle are thick! About half way done in this pic:
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EatSleepHunt
Active Member
Skip, I do not see any chemicals in Your Arsenal. Do you ever do any hack and squirt when you're doing your TSI work?
I have a lot of Hackberry trees that I'd like to thin out. Most of them are small diameter younger trees that are blocking sunlight from hitting the forest floor.
Thanks
I have a lot of Hackberry trees that I'd like to thin out. Most of them are small diameter younger trees that are blocking sunlight from hitting the forest floor.
Thanks