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First Thinning.... What to Expect???

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    #1

    First Thinning.... What to Expect???

    I hunt 300 acres of pine farm with some hardwood patches in Hardin County. Spoke with the forester and he says when the lease dries up some (mid summer) they plan on doing the first thinning of the property.

    What can i expect ?

    Anything i should do before they cut? Forester said he will give me plenty of notice so we can move anything they deem in the way of operations.

    What kind of roads will they cut ?

    How long until they come harvest the ones left behind?


    Thanks
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    #2
    They are going to likely have multiple sets (log loading spots) and cut main corridors into the woods which will be fairly wide and will tie in all the down rows. Likely going to cut either every 3 or 4th row of trees and select cut the remaining rows. The waste wood they will distribute through the woods. With final harvest ages dropping and assuming they are 12-16 now I’d say you have 5-12 years before they clear cut it.

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      #3
      Should improve it dramatically

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        #4
        Originally posted by elgato View Post
        Should improve it dramatically
        Everything I've read says the same thing. allows more sunlight to hit the ground and natural forage starts to grow. The larger road would be a plus for sure. I know my Ranger would appreciate it lol

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          #5
          Any other ETX hunters care to chime in?

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            #6
            Ask the forrester/logger to review prospective roads/decks with you

            Plan them around where you want game travel corridors and plots

            Leave limbs /branches/debris

            Expect to "have your feelings " hurt when you first see the result

            All number of game animals will increase exponentially starting years 2-3 after the cut

            bill

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              #7
              Thinning won't be too bad. Watch out for clear cuts

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                #8
                The waste will look bad. Hopefully it is done without blocking all the trails. The deer will figure it out soon enough. Pigs won't like it one bit. Set lots of cameras to figure out how the deer change their travel corridors. Seed the roads cut if you have good dirt. Instant food plots.

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                  #9
                  Will help the hunting

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                    #10
                    It can be good and it can be bad, just depends on the crew. When they thinned our lease, they drug all their logs down the roads which ultimately caused ditches to be washed in the roads. They screwed up the creek crossings as well. I’m now going to have to rent a dozer as soon as I get through planting food plots and fix this crap.

                    On the other hand, in the woods we now have much more browse for the deer to eat. We also have more fawning and bedding. To be fair, ours were not plantation pines so no down rows, just thinning the woods. Good luck with yours.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Originally posted by AndyMane View Post
                      I hunt 300 acres of pine farm with some hardwood patches in Hardin County. Spoke with the forester and he says when the lease dries up some (mid summer) they plan on doing the first thinning of the property.

                      What can i expect ?

                      Anything i should do before they cut? Forester said he will give me plenty of notice so we can move anything they deem in the way of operations.

                      What kind of roads will they cut ?

                      How long until they come harvest the ones left behind?


                      Thanks
                      You can expect lots of browse and every deer within a mile to visit it. Set your stands up appropriately.

                      Do not expect "plenty of notice" from anybody. Get your stands out of the lease or at least put yellow flagging at least 8' high so the logger can see it.

                      Roads will be tore up, but should be fixed.

                      3-7 years before next cutting, usually 5 years.

                      Click image for larger version Name: RCNX0025.jpg Views: 2 Size: 57.9 KB ID: 24616085

                      Expect a lot of this.

                      All that being said, it makes the property better to hunt.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Make sure to have it in writing that they are to fix the roads before they leave.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          [ATTACH]1000699[/ATTACH]

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                            #14
                            Do you own the place or leasing? If you own it, you need to have a talk with the forester beforehand and make it clear what you expect after the cut. They may be able to do a lot of work for you before they leave with the equipment. Terrace any possible erosion points, clear the roads and trails and creek crossings, etc.
                            In either case, you could sure use a tractor with a grapple. Get in there right after the cut and make it like you want it before the grass, yaupon, and sweetgum cover it all up. That way it will be easier to maintain.
                            My forester selects the crews based on what we want to do. Example, if it is a selective cut, he will get a crew with a real good cutter operator that understands what to cut and what to leave.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              In my experience, no skidder operator ever has the skill or the equipment to “fix a road”. They probably will try, but a skidder ain’t what’s needed to build proper water bars.

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