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Help with MFL logging needed

I have 20 acres of forest in the MFL in Buffalo County that I need to have logged. I am looking for recommendations from anyone for a good logging company that can do this. I am also interested in any recommended private foresters to assist in the process. Species in the stand are primarily oak as well as hickory, elm and to a lesser extent aspen, black cherry, and basswood. I need to do a shelterwood cut where about 50% of the crown cover is left for regeneration. Any recommendations of logging companies and private foresters is appreciated. I got a list of private foresters from the county forester but he couldn't give out any recommendations so I want to make sure I get someone who knows what they are doing and will do a good job.

Contact Kretz lumber in Antigo.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Buffalo Bucks, I had Carothers (Vern Carother) here in Buffalo Cty. do two cuttings on my property. Gilbert Arnoldy is the cutter and did a great job!! Not leaving a mess, leveling out all log roads, etc..... Best of luck, Silvrtip

After talking with the Buffalo County forester some more along with a visit he made to my land, he gave me the option to do a clear cut. A shelter wood cut is basically a clear-cut in the end, just a little different in stages it is done. All the timber around me is old growth timber so a clear-cut in a few years would potentially provide me with a great bedding area for the deer. The 20 acres is a kind of a bowl with more woods on 2/3 of the sides and ag fields on the rest and half of it borders my neighbors land. I would prefer not to loose my acorn crop but there are no young oaks growing so eventually something would need to be done. I can leave up to 2 acres uncut in 1/2 acre spots or similar and leave some large mast producing oaks we identified at the tops of the hills. It would be hard to have an ugly looking piece of land for a while. I know clear-cuts are done in many areas but I have never seen one done in the bluffs around here. Has anyone seen one done around here? I primarily use my land for deer hunting so I want to ensure what I have done if beneficial to that end. What are your thoughts on what I should do?

Your MFL plan will dictate the cut. Not a fan of clearcut in a high dpsm area as You will not get any regrowth without an exclusion fence. I would do a select cut keeping many oaks.

We've conducted three harvests on our property near Mondovi through the years. In general,the lower portions of the smaller bowls were clear cut and extended into a select cut as you moved up the hill towards steeper ground. The deer bed in the bowls and you hunt the ridges surrounding them. Due to the rich soils, regrowth within the clear cuts is amazing. with a cut as large as yours, you will not have to worry about excessive browse damage. Ours were of a similar total size and had no problem with aspen regeneration. You can enhance the survival of the young oaks by placing "bud caps" on the terminal leaders in early winter. Basically just staple a thick piece of glossy paper over the terminal bud of the tree to prevent browsing. This takes some work as it has to be repeated annually until they are tall enough to elude browsing. Trimming some of the competing aspen from around the small oaks a few years after the cut is beneficial as well. You may also want to consider treating any invasives such as buckthorn in the area to be cut prior to the harvest.

Check your p.m. I can give you additional info on loggers, managing your harvest, etc.

Thanks for the info. B2k - how do I get to my PMs? I can't seem to find the link to get to them. I like how you did your harvests and would like to learn more.

Once you're logged in, it should say "Welcome Back Buffalo Bucks" on the right side of the page beneath the Wisconsin Bowhunter Association's logo. Beneath that it should say you that you have Private Messages. Click there and you're in.

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