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feeding the deer

I had 4 dump truck loads of corn spread across the roads of my property to feed the lil animals. It was expensive but I wanted to feed the deer and turkeys. Plus they don't have to wait till my neighbors feeders go off to eat. Fear the big storm will make it hard for them to find food. I know some will say I shouldn't do it but I have seen deer scrounging around the cut corn fields here trying to find food so I know they are eating it. Trying to help the deer herd on my property. Start logging in the spring

What type logging are you doing, clear cut, or targeting certain areas or types and size of trees, some times called select cut. Just curious

select cut.

May as well cut down all the Ash trees , looks like they are all going to die anyway.

If you can get it cut during the winter it's a lot less messy and muddy, plus you can get log roads seeded in time for spring green up. I did mine during the winter. Another benefit is the treetops will provide a lot of food for them.

I know when they timbered our land they started in late spring and cut during the drier months.However we did a select cut.No trees taken under 18 in diameter. and only select areas where logged.I would think you have talked to a professional, and have a plan in mind on how you want your land timbered, where roads will be cut and how you want it reclaimed when they are finished.

Yes, BY ALL MEANS, you should talk to a biologist and come up with a plan for your wants and desires. As in every group there are good loggers and not so good loggers. Depending on how the logging is done you could end up with a wildlife paradise or a disaster that won't recover in your lifetime.

You should also get a minimum of 3 bids.. You should have a forestry plan done by a professional forester before you just pick a logging crew and let them have at it.

I planned for 2 years before I had mine done. I wanted to do what I wanted instead of a logging crew tell me what I wanted.

So I can do it now? This is all new to me.

Have you not had a meeting with a forester ? Like Gobbler said,we also planned it for along time. We did a lot of leg work, looking at maps and marking different areas and got out on foot with the forester. That is what these guys does for a living.Most have a degree Find yourself a professional forester, he can answer most of your questions.

If you haven't met with a forester and a biologist yet to come up with a plan based on what YOU want and to find out how much marketable timber and which type. What you want to cut, what you want to cut and what type of cut you want I would do that, even if it means postponing your cut for a year., an unscrupulous logger can come in and take all your valuable timber and leave you with trash trees. Plus if you just leave it up to a logger you may not get market price. There are a lot of variables, the more roads you need the more dozed time it takes which can cut into your profit. It may cut into your profit a little but I had my logging roads limed, fertilized and seeded with what I wanted planted. To save money some loggers will just seed with ryegrass which will germinate quick and get green but adds minimal wildlife food.

There are lots of things to consider and a lot of options that can be tailored to what you want either for maximum profit or to create good wildlife habitat and food.

Select cut is good and like gobbler said - winter is a good time if you can get it done then - I would suggest a few clear cuts with the acreage that you have and let it grow up as nasty and thick as it can possibly get. Sanctuaries are a magnet for growing and holding big bucks! Just make sure to leave a few mature trees for stands along the edges or just inside the clear cut say 15 yards or so.

Also google The Wildlife Group and look at some of their tree packages. The deer here love the sawtooth and gobbler sawtooth oaks - just waiting for my persimmons to get a few more years on them to be big producers. Planting some chestnuts this Spring too. There may be cheaper places for trees but these guys have some qualty trees.

Gobbler makes a good point also - call the local state forester and they can walk it and make suggestions for what you would like to accomplish .

We hinge cut,it makes some great bedding areas,however it depends on you and what you want.and types trees you have on your land. We also made areas for out of the way food plots.You have a lot of land and could have a hunters paradise in few years if done right.

Looks like I'll be callinf a forester. Thanks for the advice.

Clearcuts are a great idea. Looking back I wish I had planned a couple of bigger clear cuts. Because I had a lot of big popular in a few areas I ended up with what was essentially 3-4 small clearcuts but only an acre or so. I'm in the process of planning 1 or possibly 2 -10 acre clearcuts. If u are logging 1200 acres, talk to the forester of course but I would think of 3-4 10+ acre clearcuts especially if it's dominated by trees you want to cut anyway. I wouldn't clear cut 10 acres of good big white oak, but if you have some patches of popular or maple you might consider it. It will look bad for a year or two but after that when the guns start going off the deer will head to the middle of them. Plus you might help a grouse or two.

Just think, Babysaph you could hunting bucks like these.in couple years. lol

Trophy spikes

Any referrals for a reputable forester/logger for Logan County? I have 80 acres in Logan I want select cut and left with better atv access roads for bowhunting. Thanks.

I would look at the WV state forestry web site and their should be a contact number for the forestry office in your area and ask to speak to the forester. That should at least give you a starting point. I think they have a list of private foresters also.

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