Small scale thinning

[thecfarm]

This is what I have been working on behind the house.
I have been thinning out a few trees. This was taking on the edge of the woods road.


 

Alot of maple,some pine,few beech.



 

There was some ugly trees in there.



  

The woods road is on the left hand side. I should of taken a picture before I cut a couple cord of maple out of here.
This is the area that is the deer was eating the maple tops.I will have to go in and cut the stumps down. Many rocks in here,so I did not bother to shovel the trees out.

This is in about 100 feet,not yet cut.


 

All done cutting in here for now. The woods road is gravel,so I don't want to drag the trees through the gravel. I was dumping a few bucket loads of snow in the road. But the snow in the road is just about gone now.

[g_man]

Looking good. Must be putting the tractor and winch to work. Is all the ugly wood you took out going into firewood ??
Where is all your snow gone??  I had to push out a woods road with the dozer today so I could get the tractor in.

[thecfarm]

Hardwood firewood for someone else. This is right out in the open on one side. That's why not much snow and I have been working in there dragging the trees through the snow too. Go down the woods road another 200 feet and I would need a dozer too.I might have a foot,maybe a little more in the woods,but it's hard and ice under it all.Across the woods road is only scattered trees. The other side was a grown up pasture too. But the trees was alot smaller. I am slowly working that back into a pasture. I leave the red oak for the wildlife.
It's slow getting the wood out. Most times I have to leave the top and just take the trunk. Sometimes I cut it in two.Than come back and get the top.Don't want to bark up any trees that I don't have too.

[thecfarm]

This is the area that I cleared off.



 

I'm standing just past where the woods road goes off to the right taking pictures. That would be the 3rd tree on the right.This was just taken yesterday and alot of snow has melted off the road.

[WDH]

It is very nice to work in your woods. 

[Pete and Jesse]

I have been doing some thinning also.  Yours looks different than mine.  I tend to leave everything less than 4 inches.  Should I be cutting more?
How do you decide on your final spacing?

[Big timber little dozer]

I can come up and give you a hand if need be  ;)

[thecfarm]

Pete and Jesse,you really should take some pictures or get a forester involved. Every place is diffeant and every plan is too.Depends on your species too.I am not the one to answer that question. Probably start another thread with some pictures in Ask the Forester board.
Most that I am cutting now has been there for years. This is family land and I have looked at this area for 40 years.Looks just about the same than as now.  Some of the trees were old,had bumps and some was split,not a good way to grow trees.

[thecfarm]

Big timber,all set. If I haul out 10 trees a day,that is alot for me. I am hauling out the tops and I bring them to a brush pile. Takes alot of time to do it that way. I want it all nice and clean about 100 feet in.

[WmFritz]

I'd be afraid to open up the crowns and release those rocks. 
  You sure grow em big out there.  :D :D

[Corley5]

Looks nice Ray  8) 8) 8)  I'd be concerned about those rocks growing too  ;) ;D

[thecfarm]

I think the rocks grew more in the last 40 years than the trees did.

[JohnM]

I had hoped to see the Cfarm this Saturday, Ray, but as I told you I've got that memorial to go to. :(  I'll get down there one of these days.   Woods look good!

[Stephen Alford]

   Great to see some pics of your endeavors and "cfarm rocks".  Surprised at your snow sitch.  Still shovin here.   :-\


 

[Offthebeatenpath]

Looks real nice Ray.

[terry f]

   I don't know anything about hardwoods, but that spacing sure looks good to me. Beautiful woods by the way.

[Ken]

Nice neat looking job around the property Cfarm.  Keep up the good work and I suspect that your rock inventory will not diminish over time. 

[SwampDonkey]

That thinning will pay dividends in tree growth. There will be large areas you'll never get to because of the scale of things and the pace, but that will give you something to compare and converse about when others come by for a visit. ;D

8)

[WDH]

Maybe I can get to see those rocks one day. 

[Peter Drouin]

It's coming along nicely, good job.

[Billbob]

Very nice, Ray!  Thinning will make a big difference and select cutting will ensure a continuous supply of saw logs.  Good work!