Great News For American Tree Farms

This link contains information about this great announcement.  American Family Tree Farms win with this.
https://www.forestfoundation.org/stuff/contentmgr/files/1/cbe96fbfc85e469f43a48381db1818cc/misc/usgbc_one_pager_040516.compressed.pdf

Why We Spend So Much On Wildlife Habitat

This is one of the reasons why we spend what we spend on wildlife management on our property.  Last week after we did the prescribed burn on Tuesday, on Friday my dad harvested a nice gobbler.  It was where we burned but we had also planted chufa seed in the field where the turkey was.  My dad is about to be 79 years old and nothing does him better than getting a nice gobbler.  

We continue to manage the property investing a considerable amount each year in wildlife habitat.  I enjoy seeing the wildlife on our property and my desire is that some day my grandchildren will be able to go onto the property and see deer, turkey,and other wildlife that they may or may not hunt but just enjoy the natural resources that we are managing for.  

Some ask why do you do so much work and invest so much into this?  The answer is: to provide my grandchildren a place of their own to enjoy some day.

Happenings This Past Week

Started out this week, on Monday, with a prescribed burn of four year old longleaf pines.  This stand was burned two years ago.  We got a real good burn, knocking back the hardwood seedlings and burned up lots of briers.

Then on Tuesday morning, Eli and his mom went by the logging operation and watched the logging equipment in action.  He got to watch the skidder, loader and log truck in action.

After some time I went to a tract of 22 year old pines, about 130 acres of loblolly pines, that we did a prescribed burn on.  We got  a very good burn with only one jump that we got extinguished very quickly.  Next week I will be back to painting boundary lines before the woods get too thick. 

Timber Harvest

We have started a timber harvest where we are going to be converting this site back to longleaf pines.  There are some nice trees being harvested that will make great lumber and plywood for some new homes.  It is good to see these nice trees being made into a product that will help house someone, somewhere.

This site will be planted back as soon as possible after the harvest to start the next generation of trees for future homes.

Enjoying The Outdoors

Have you ever sat on a foot-log and watched the water running under you?  Eli has! At age two he already loves the outdoors.  If you don't get little ones out early, before age five, then you probably have waited too late to develop that love for the outdoors.

These two, nine and seven love getting out. The oldest is always blazing a trail and his sister is right behind him even though sometimes she might fall in the water.  That is what happened this weekend but after the embarrassment she was right back up trying it again.  This has happened to all of us before and if it has never happened to you it will happen if you walk enough foot logs.  

Marking Property

Spent one day last week re-painting boundary lines on one of our parcels of land.  This is important for several reasons.  1) So family can know where your property boundary lines are in case you are not able to show them.

2) So family hunters will know where the property is located that they are hunting on.  3) So adjoining landowners will know where the boundary line are located. 4) There are many other reasons that I will not go into at this time.  Look at www.privateforestlandowner.com for more information.

Damp Morning

Neat find this morning while hunting.  GOD really does things right!

Turkey Tail Mushrooms