Forestry for wildlife continues

[Random 8]

Well, the saga continues of trying to thrash 40 acres of Northern MN forest into proper habitat. My focus this year has been trying to establish a new generation of white pine in the understory. A low deer population is helping, but I still capped over 500 seedlings from 1-4 feet tall this fall. I've got most of the suitable white pine stands sufficiently stocked if I can get them above the browse line. Creating some quality browse adjacent to my heavy thermal cover is working well. You can see the jack straw aspen in one picture from cutting 4 years ago. There's a veritable carpet of quality browse underneath. Seems the more I run the chainsaw, the better things get, but there's only so much time. Last winter set me back a year with deep snow from November through March, then a rapid thaw. Barely got my firewood put up!

 

[buck460XVR]

Seems the more I run the chainsaw, the better things get, but there's only so much time.

Yep, but the dividends can be well worth it. Was a reason there was a big boon in deer populations in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota during the logging era. Pencil poplars/aspen are not only great browse for deer, but attract Ruffed Grouse too. Even going in and hinge cutting aspen and birch providing late season browse works well too.