Road Access

We have been spending much of our time on cutting roads throughout the property.  It really improves the aesthetics of the property.

 

Good Forest Management

Below you can see two pictures of what is left from a thinning operation of a loblolly pine stand that was thinned in April 2020.  This is what it looks like when you have a logger that takes pride in his work.  There are no slash piles, it was all reintroduced to the tract to add mulch to control erosion and build up the soil on the property with the organic matter left from the harvest.

This site will be burned with a prescribed fire in the future and this will keep the park like appearance and help provide better habitat for wildlife.

 

Why Do People Litter

Back in late Spring we were informed by a friend that lives on this road where one tract of land we own is located.  He told us about the fresh dumping and where it was located.  My wife and I went to check on the property and saw several bags of garbage dumped on our property.  With this much garbage you know they will not have all there private information deleted so we proceeded to check it out.  In the garbage was their WIC receipt and their address was included on an envelope.  It was a young mom that lived outside the county and I am sure someone dumped it for her.  

My wife and I picked all the garbage up and disposed of it.  We could have turned it over to authorities to handle the dumping but we chose to let it go.

Maybe they will do better in the future.

Tree Farm National Leadership Conference

The National Tree Farm Leadership Conference was held this year in Baltimore, Maryland, not the place this country boy would want to live, but it was nice to be able to visit.

The Alabama State Tree Farm Committee was well represented  at the conference with six of our state committee members in attendance.

The view of the harbor.

Felicia was one of the speakers in a breakout session we had.  She spoke about programs she had put together on our property for women to be more involved in the forest and forest management programs.  These program were "Women's Walk in the Forest" and the "ForestHer" program developed by Dr. Becky Barlow, Auburn University.  Felicia did a great job sharing with others attending.

Hunting and Prescribe Fire

My daughter got a nice deer this past weekend.  We manage our property for large rack deer.  We plant food plots, use prescribe fire every year to improve the habitat.

Side view, good rack

This year we have burned 75 acres.  This stand has been thinned once and had never had fire in it.  With all the rain we have had we were lucky to get this in but because the lower levels of the duff was still damp  and this helped keep the roots cool when we burned.

The day we burned the weather was perfect.  There was little smoke and the fire was not seen because we were burning far from anyone.  This picture was made from one of the higher spots on our property looking out over the burn area.  

The debris pile in the foreground of the picture is to be burned soon, weather permitting. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Grandson cutting the perfect Christmas Tree from our Tree Farm!

Family Time

Thanksgiving is about family.  This weekend my youngest granddaughter wanted to go deer hunting with granddaddy.  Well, when they want to go outdoors for what ever reason, you go. The night before we had to find her camo and an orange hat to wear for the next day We got up early and left with her older brother going also.

This was her first hunt and she was so excited to be going with me.  We went to a shooting house because we knew we would not be still for very long.  We did lots of whispering about how beautiful the sun was coming up over the hill to the east and about what kind of birds we were watching. 

After about an hour she laid over on me and went to sleep. She slept for about 30 minutes and then was ready to walk, and we did.

Her older brother went to a stand by himself for the first time.  I was so proud of him walking in, in the dark and most of all watching a small buck for about 30 minutes hoping a larger one would come out.  He had take a spike two years ago and is now looking to take mature deer. He is well ahead of his years in maturity.

We are so blessed and this Thanksgiving Season was a testament to this while being out in God's great creation.
Oh and by the way, she did get to see a doe!