I bought 51 acres a year ago. It had been completely clearcut 11 years ago, and not replanted. Iron/clay soil and 85% hardwoods (sweet gum and oak), 15% pines. We just did a 35 acre controlled burn on it to get rid of leaf litter. My plan is to now start the hack and squirt process on the ridiculous amount of 3-4” sweetgums/oaks. There are so many stems you can barely walk through them in places. Apparently, that entire area used to be all cotton and watermelon fields way back in the day. Will there be enough native grass seed left in the seed bed to make it worthwhile?
Sounds like a neat project! There will likely be enough seed in the seedbank but only time will tell. The issue will be if harsh herbicides were used that were soil active and harmed the seedbank.
No hinge cuts? Hack and squirt works well in spring and summer but in the fall and winter when the deer need food the most all those Forbes are going to die which in turn means no bedding or cover so if you just hack and squirt everything your not gonna hold deer especially in a lot of timber where they have many choses to bed in. By hinge cutting it gives you access around that bedding during the season, and gives them the cover and security they need to stay as stress free as possible. Grant i would like to know what you think about hinge cuts. Also, Jeff Sturgis is great to listen to and has thousands of videos!!
Thanks I don't use hinge cuts. I've toured way to many areas a few years after they were hinge cut and the limbs have grown out of reach of deer, shaded out the ground and there's no food or cover. The landowner is left with a mess that requires heavy equipment to improve. Consider all the areas on the great prairie where's there's no trees and some of the best bucks are produced. Historically there was no hinge cutting and deer survived. Given all of this and more it's really tough to justify hinge cutting.
Troy - I've never, heard of someone being injured like that - have you? Folks are killed each year by hinge-cutting - trees coming off the stump wrong. That is very dangerous.
Brilliant, I love this channel
Hi Grant. Do you ever see timber stands that don’t have quality browse in the seed bed after TSI? If yes, what next?
I have always wonder this as well.
Clear cut & plant - That will rarely be an issue as most forest stands are not productive crop ground so they never saw a plow.
Keith - Very, very rarely. There is usually gads of good seed and repeated use of prescribed fire helps promote the better forage species.
I bought 51 acres a year ago. It had been completely clearcut 11 years ago, and not replanted. Iron/clay soil and 85% hardwoods (sweet gum and oak), 15% pines. We just did a 35 acre controlled burn on it to get rid of leaf litter. My plan is to now start the hack and squirt process on the ridiculous amount of 3-4” sweetgums/oaks. There are so many stems you can barely walk through them in places. Apparently, that entire area used to be all cotton and watermelon fields way back in the day. Will there be enough native grass seed left in the seed bed to make it worthwhile?
Sounds like a neat project! There will likely be enough seed in the seedbank but only time will tell. The issue will be if harsh herbicides were used that were soil active and harmed the seedbank.
No hinge cuts? Hack and squirt works well in spring and summer but in the fall and winter when the deer need food the most all those Forbes are going to die which in turn means no bedding or cover so if you just hack and squirt everything your not gonna hold deer especially in a lot of timber where they have many choses to bed in. By hinge cutting it gives you access around that bedding during the season, and gives them the cover and security they need to stay as stress free as possible. Grant i would like to know what you think about hinge cuts. Also, Jeff Sturgis is great to listen to and has thousands of videos!!
1/3 hinge, 1/3 flush cut, 1/3 flush cut and treat with herbicide
Thanks I don't use hinge cuts. I've toured way to many areas a few years after they were hinge cut and the limbs have grown out of reach of deer, shaded out the ground and there's no food or cover. The landowner is left with a mess that requires heavy equipment to improve. Consider all the areas on the great prairie where's there's no trees and some of the best bucks are produced. Historically there was no hinge cutting and deer survived. Given all of this and more it's really tough to justify hinge cutting.
Hack and squirt makes for a dangerous situation when the trees are dead and the tops fall on your head.
Troy - I've never, heard of someone being injured like that - have you? Folks are killed each year by hinge-cutting - trees coming off the stump wrong. That is very dangerous.
Haha Troy, big tree expert now?!