Multiple Use Forest (Camping)

Last weekend we camped with Nathan and his family next to the stream at our "Grand Mother's Park Area".  We had a blast! We didn't see any bears but sometime during the night we had one visitor just behind the tents in the Mountain Laurel that didn't like us in his territory.  It was hard to tell if it was a bobcat or a raccoon but it let us know he did not like us being there.  We built a rock crossing on one stream, gathered yellow root and talked about how Native 

Americans and our ancestors used the forest for medicine, caught large spring lizards and crawfish, hiked and made several pictures of wildflowers that we added to the wildflower tab.

Our forest is a " Multiple Use Forest".  Our primary goal is timber production but we enjoy using our forest for so much more.

Early Wildlife Corn Planted

This was my view last week as I planted our early wildlife corn.  Last year our wildlife fields were next to nothing and this year I am going to do everything I can do to make them better.  I have started with early corn plantings, this being first of our warm season crops to be planted.  Next, we will be planting soybeans, brown-top millet, sunflowers, and some more corn.  We are adding these crops to supplement native plants where we have burned and we will be adding fertilizer to Japanese Honeysuckle and Kudzu. We are trying to up the available protein for deer.  Salt was added to salt licks for the deer.  This helps the deer in hot weather. 

My newest helper showed up to check on me and bring me a drink that day with his Mom and big sister.  I think he is going to like being out on Dewberry Lands in the forest, what do you think?

Big smile for a 3 1/2 month old.

Removal of Loblolly Pines

Last week I completed my task of removing the loblolly pines from our stand of longleaf pines that are three years old and we had just put a fire through them.  This was a task that is not a normal practice but I wanted to make this stand as pure as I could.  The next time we burn, the loblolly pines that might now come up in the stand will be killed by the fire because they will be small. Twenty years from now this will be a beautiful site to see as these pines start to reach to the sky.

It took some time to complete this project which I started with a machete as we burned and then I completed this project with a weed cutter that I rigged up with a 10" saw blade a few days later.

We don't just work, we have to play sometimes!  James, now seven, spent part of the time he was with us on Spring break last week panning for gold in one of our streams.  He is all into rocks and mineral now and was excited about what we were doing that day.  We found some gold (dust) in the stream but no big nuggets.  He has the gold in a glass jar.  Maybe next time we will find a nugget!

Alabama Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt

About two weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt 

weigh-in and Awards Luncheon.  The largest turkey taken weighed 23 pounds and came from Dan Moultrie's place.  The winning hunter, from Texas, was the son of the owner of Academy Sports and Outdoors.  This was not his first turkey but of the ten harvested those two days two were first time turkey hunters.

This event is held each year by the Department of Conservation and  Governor's Office to bring business owners to our state to see the richness of our outdoors in hopes of recruiting more business to locate here in our state.  

Video- Prescribe Burn of Longleaf Pines

Nathan made this video of the prescribed burn on our McCollum Tract of the eight year old longleaf pines.  We got a perfect burn that day with all the weather conditions falling right in to place.  I walked the property this morning and the tract looks great.  The deer and turkey think so too!

I hope you enjoy the video.

Mattie Doing Road Work

This weekend Mattie, one of our granddaughters, helped us with road work.  Her mom and baby brother was with us part of that time for his first trip out into the forest.  Mattie helped remove limbs from the road as we cut them making it easier to access the property.  

Mattie loves being outside as you can well tell by the smile on her face.  She is a good helper!

Longleaf Pines

This picture was taken in 2008 of the two year old longleaf pines on our McCollum Tract at the first burn.  

Some people say they don't want to plant longleaf pines because they grow too slow, I differ with their thinking.  Yes, the longleaf pines we now see in the National Forest are very old but at one time the Native Americans here in our part of the state burned the forest quite often to open it up for hunting.  These trees co-existed with fire and fire was what made them thrive.  

This year we burned this tract for the third time since planting and the picture below is of this same tree above six years older and now they have been growing for eight.  Some of these trees are now 20 feet tall.  Loblolly pines at eight years of age would be no taller than these.  Now, I am not saying every stand needs longleaf pines planted on it but where their native habitat is and if it is a place you can use fire, I would say plant longleafs. These trees as a stand will be more valuable in the life of the trees because a majority of this stand will be poles because of their straight growth, bringing more money.  

The real value comes in the aesthetics, the beauty of these mountain longleaf pines growing, and the benefits to wildlife.  It becomes a deer, turkey, quail, and rabbit home.  

It takes more management but for us the benefits far out weigh cost.

This picture was made on a different tract this year but it shows what three year old longleaf pines look like after a fire has gone through them.