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!

Dry Fall and Meetings

We have just gotten out from under drought conditions in our part of the state.  Wildlife food plots have not been planted and bush hogging has to be completed.  It has been too dry for seed to germinate and the threat of wildfire from bush hogging was too great to chance it.  Now the rain is coming and there is much to do.

We have had several meetings but now that is behind us we hope to get some late seed in the ground and start bush hogging the roads and fire breaks.  We were not able to get our summer burn in because it was too dry.

The middle of October we were able to attend the 30th anniversary of the Southeastern Farmer Of The Year in Valdosta, GA then the next day attend the Ag EXPO in Moultrie, GA.  It was good to see old friends there.

We attended the Alabama Landowner Conference in Prattville, where we had meetings with the Alabama Treasure Forest Association Board and the Alabama State Tree Farm Committee.  We went on a tour of two forest operations highlighting their use of pine straw and wildlife resources.
My grandchildren, wife, and I were featured on the new State Tree Farm banner which was an honor for us.

Felicia Speaking at Workshop

Felicia recently spoke to a group of teachers at Auburn University.  She spoke about private forestland owners and how their forest management benefits all of us.  This was the Teachers Conservation Workshop sponsored by Alabama Forestry Association.

Hot Summer In Alabama

Some of the native wildflowers that are loving this hot, humid Alabama summer weather.

Chufa field being planted for the wild turkeys

It is nice having help from you daughter and two of your grandchildren but they got hot so they had to make a quick trip to the stream to cool off.

Very refreshing!

This is one of our larger fields where we planted sunn hemp for the deer.  In less than a month fawns will start to drop and this high protein plant will be a welcomed food to the diet of the lactating does.