Whoa!!!!!! Thats gonna be some work

[Adam Waszak]

Well went up north despite the freezing temps to start or try to start our habitat improvement. I knew we would have to make several trips up to get the job done but I had no idea my friends would all back out at the last minute leaving us only one small chainsaw:sad: Well My Dad and I went out and began the work of cutting a clearcut in a small bowl area that is protected from the wind pretty well (one of 3 cuts planned) well we started and fell some very large poplars and a few mixed hardwoods before the little saw was in need of a new chain. With the temps the way they were and the lack of help we decided to come back in the next few weeks and get started again. Boy is that work!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: It felt good to see the 65 foot trees fall knowing there were many sprouts awaiting in the ground when the temps warm up and my Dad did not flip out when I went to the larger trees first like I thought he would. Not much progress but I guess until the rienforcements arrive to help there will be baby steps to get the habitat a boost. I did see about 15 deer come through in a single file line which was encouraging saturday morning. We hope to get the planned cuts done by mid March and then possibly look into what we have to do as far as any foodplots but that may be next years goal.

Adam Waszak

[Pinefarm]

Adam, what are you doing Thursday? I can give you a hand for a few hours. I've got 2 big Stihl's all gassed up and ready to go.

[farmlegend]

Well went up north despite the freezing temps to start or try to start our habitat improvement. I knew we would have to make several trips up to get the job done but I had no idea my friends would all back out at the last minute leaving us only one small chainsaw

It is a lot of work! Be careful, felling trees is dangerous work.

BTW, those guys that backed out at the last minute...were any of them somehow able to find time in their busy schedules to show up and hunt on your place back on November 15? :yikes:

[Adam Waszak]

It is a lot of work! Be careful, felling trees is dangerous work.

BTW, those guys that backed out at the last minute...were any of them somehow able to find time in their busy schedules to show up and hunt on your place back on November 15? :yikes:


They sure did:lol: The one friend has about 12 saws from work so I am waiting for him so we can drop a ton of trees before the weather turns. It is amazing the difference a few trees missing makes with the sunlight even though there are no leaves on the trees. I am excited to get this stuff rolling there were some nice deer this past fall and I hope to provide some browse and shelter for them in the years to come.

Thanks Bob but I am busy workin all week. I may pick your brain about fertilizer and lime etc later this spring though;)

AW

[wyle_e_coyote]

.

Thanks Bob but I am busy workin all week. AW

:lol: :lol: :lol:

that's a good one Adam...your so funny...you crack me up!



Let me know, Adam, maybe I can make a trip up there and help out. I'll at least buy you a beer at Edie's..:D .
I make a great supervisor!...:lol:

[Pinefarm]

Let me know. I'll probably have a little time here and there before steelhead gets cranked up.

[chevyjam2001]

Hi Adam,
One thing I noticed on the trees that I cut down last year, was the stumps that got fertilized were utilized 10x more than ones without the fert. The deer even ate the heck out of the box elder sprouts which surprised me, along with the red maple. Most of what I cut was to release the few oaks I have and the stumps got fertilized when I was fertilizing the oaks, so it was an accidental discovery. I will fertilize them again in the spring, along with the new ones I'm creating.

[NorthJeff]

Adam,

It's a ton of work! I generally only go through a tank of gas at a time.....I let that be my guage, and then go back to the house, but when you are making a weekend trip of it, well, that's a lot of work!

Think about attempting some of those food plots this year. In your situation 1 acre of food plots, especially if scattered into 2-3 sepperate plots, could likely make more differance on your property than 10 acres of wildlife openings.

Your food plots can be established with nothing more than a backpack sprayer and lime, if needed, "broadcasted" by opening a bag of lime and spreading by hand. By experience, to me, it's easier and quicker to spread 1000#'s of lime by myself on a plot, than it is to go through 1 tank of gas on the chainsaw making wildlife openings.

You can get your lime on the plots, spray 3 times throughout the late spring and summer, and you can have an exceptional plot by hunting season with a very, very high percentage of potential success.

*You can get a 4 gallon back-pack sprayer for around $100...about double that for a simple ATV sprayer holding 15 gallons. Enough chemicals to kill 5 acres should cost you around $55, and the powdered lime I buy from a feed store runs me about $60 a ton. Even a ton of lime spread on your field by hand, coupled with the repeated chemical sprayings, is enough to give you a great foundation for a annual rye planted field by hunting season...and you could use an ATV ramp as a drag to work the seed in when it comes time to plant.

Consider the food plots too, in some of the more open grassy areas you have...even just one so you can see how easy it is if you follow the right steps.

[Brad Gehman]

Adam, it is a lot of work, but the results WILL be worth it. I've helped a friend over the past 3 years create some openings. They are thick with briars now. This winter, he dropped the last remaining trees in one of the openings and had a bulldozer come in last Friday to clear it for a food plot. It will be a 1/2 acre plot and will greatly add to his hunting spot. Lots of fun creating this stuff. I don't even hunt there, just get a kick out of helping the critters out.

[tratt]

Adam,

Have been cutting trees down on our property for about seven years now. At first had a hard time just cutting down aspen but now everything goes except oak. Usually cut for about an hour or two and then take a break. Don't need to get fatigued with a chain saw in my hand. We use a little of the down logs for fire wood but the rest stays were it falls. The first pic is what we have cut this year.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/clear_cut_1.jpg

This is what has grown up in one of our areas after three years (cut in 2002).

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/clear_cut_4.jpg

This has produced very good bedding areas on our property with more deer sighted during hunting season. You should see the same benefit on your property also.

Good Luck,

Tratt