Woods after logging

[herofan]

There is a section of several acres of woods on this farm that was logged around 2004. It had oak, hickory, etc. Before that, the tall trees provides shade and there wasn't much undergrowth. One could drive around in the woods, and in the fall it had a blanket of leaves that looked really nice.

The loggers did a respectable job. They didn't just go in and scalp the land, but only took select trees. Today from a distance, it doesn't look much different than it ever did. However, more light has come in since the logging, and the undergrowth is basically a thicket of small trees. No driving around anymore. I really don't even like walking through it.

Everyone says it will regrow and in time be like it once was, but that probably won't happen for 200 years. Right?

Is anyone here a fan of logging? Is it something you've ever had done on your land?

 

[Caustic Burno]

This place was the big thicket when I bought it had pine 36 inches in diameter and oaks 50 to 60 foot to the first limb.
It will never in your lifetime look
like it did here at about the thirty year mark starts the return.

 

[Bright Raven]

I have hollers and two small wooded sections. I selectively cut out the deadwood and undesirable species. I was down there this morning. I was thinking about what you are asking. I have some wonderful oak and walnut trees but they need another 30 years. I was wondering how they will be handled after I am deceased.

It takes a minimum of 30 to 40 years for the big hardwood species

 

[Bigfoot]

Tornado went through here, and ruined my woods. Prior to that, they were about perfect. Very clean. Easy to check cows in. They're a hot mess now. Wish I had them clear cut. Over grown with saw briars and black berries now. I doubt my kids will ever get to enjoy them. Most of it, you can't even walk through to look for a cow calving.

 

[Bright Raven]

Tornado went through here, and ruined my woods. Prior to that, they were about perfect. Very clean. Easy to check cows in. They're a hot mess now. Wish I had them clear cut. Over grown with saw briars and black berries now. I doubt my kids will ever get to enjoy them. Most of it, you can't even walk through to look for a cow calving.

Is that the system of tornados that wrecked half the western part of the state?

 

[herofan]

It takes a minimum of 30 to 40 years for the big hardwood species

is it part of the process that part of the trees will die out over that thirty years, which will leave some ground space as before.

What I miss is the space that once existed where we could actually drive around in the woods. Now, aside from the mature trees that remain, there's a tree about every foot that's about 2 inches in diameter, which is what I call a thicket.

 

[Bigfoot]

Tornado went through here, and ruined my woods. Prior to that, they were about perfect. Very clean. Easy to check cows in. They're a hot mess now. Wish I had them clear cut. Over grown with saw briars and black berries now. I doubt my kids will ever get to enjoy them. Most of it, you can't even walk through to look for a cow calving.

Is that the system of tornados that wrecked half the western part of the state?

This was in 2006.

 

[dun]

It takes a minimum of 30 to 40 years for the big hardwood species

is it part of the process that part of the trees will die out over that thirty years, which will leave some ground space as before.

What I miss is the space that once existed where we could actually drive around in the woods. Now, aside from the mature trees that remain, there's a tree about every foot that's about 2 inches in diameter, which is what I call a thicket.

As the older taller trees extend their canopy they will start to stunt and kill out a lot of the ground cover and scrub stuff. The biggest difference is a TSI (Timber Stand Improvement) is done so that the canopy can close up after a few years. Hurricaines/tornados just tear the crap out of large areas so the junk can grow and not be shaded out.

 

[jltrent]

I have one section of Woods that is about half Ashe trees. They are all dead now and the woods looks bare.

 

[bball]

I have one section of Woods that is about half Ashe trees. They are all dead now and the woods looks bare.

Emerald ash borer? Wiped out every ash we had.

Had another 30 acres logged this winter..less than pleased with the loggers and how they left things. (They had the best rep in our area too, came highly recommended from my excavation/tile guy) he was pretty unhappy when he saw how they left things too.

 

[cowgirl8]

We've had many areas of our hard woods logged. And for many years it was brush and thicket. I cant recall when they were logged, maybe 95, but they are woods again.

 

[herofan]

We've had many areas of our hard woods logged. And for many years it was brush and thicket. I cant recall when they were logged, maybe 95, but they are woods again.

Does it still have some thick undergrowth or has that died down?

 

[GAonmymind]

Cowgirl did you have yours clearcut or selective cut?

 

[Bright Raven]

I have one section of Woods that is about half Ashe trees. They are all dead now and the woods looks bare.

Emerald ash borer? Wiped out every ash we had.

Had another 30 acres logged this winter..less than pleased with the loggers and how they left things. (They had the best rep in our area too, came highly recommended from my excavation/tile guy) he was pretty unhappy when he saw how they left things too.

They have devastated the ash trees here. Very very sad. The White Ash was one of our more stately hardwoods!!! White oak blight before that. The woods here are nothing like they were. Most trees are full of fungal rot. The forest in Kentucky is not very healthy!

 

[hurleyjd]

And we had the chestnut blight that wiped out the American Chestnut that were prominent throughout the Appalachian area. Blight brought in by importing Chinese Chest nut trees for the ornamental crowd to plant in their yards and gardens. We never learn

 

[MtnCows93]

If you put enough cows in it they will kill out the brush so you can walk through it again, i would feed hay in there

 

[cowgirl8]

Cowgirl did you have yours clearcut or selective cut?

The left crooked hickory. Was a mess forever it seemed...It was more clearcut than selective, but there were trees left...

 

[JW IN VA]

Looked over some of our timber yesterday.We are planning a cut on some old trees that have matured and will only go backward after much more time.Only cut 20" plus unless it's damaged or diseased.Some folks cut too soon.A 20" log will have almost twice the bd.ft. that a 16inch log will. The same family has cut all the timber we have sold in the last 55 plus years.You can't find better,more honest people to work with.

 

[cowgirl8]

Looked over some of our timber yesterday.We are planning a cut on some old trees that have matured and will only go backward after much more time.Only cut 20" plus unless it's damaged or diseased.Some folks cut too soon.A 20" log will have almost twice the bd.ft. that a 16inch log will. The same family has cut all the timber we have sold in the last 55 plus years.You can't find better,more honest people to work with.

You're very fortunate.... Last crew we had in started out doing what they were suppose to but got comfortable once back in the timber and took trees they weren't suppose to. Its always so stressful when we have loggers here. Its the reason my husband bought logging equipment and started doing it himself.. slower of course than what a crew can do it...

 

[greybeard]

On some of mine, I allowed them to leave the junk/scrub stuff that had no real market value, but the contract stipulated that everything West of my pond was to be clearcut except a few marked oaks and Magnolias before they moved the equipment to the East side. They told me they were done one day, and started moving over to the east side. I looked the West side over and told them stop, take their hydroshear back to the West side and cut about 20 scrawny gum and pine trees they had left. They balked, said they would go back over and do it at the end of the job but i know loggers. They'd be done on the East side one day, load their stuff and be gone, and I'd be left with all that scraggley stuff. Got out the contract, showed it to the woods foreman and called up their boss. Dunno what he told them, but they moved right back over and cut all that stuff down.
I or my wife sat on the gate every day and kept a ledger of what went to the mill and we got weight tickets from the mill every day. Otherwise, whole truckloads would leave a landowner's place and the crew would pocket the $$.