Newbie from Nova Scotia

stanfan · February 03, 2010, 10:44:38 AM

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking for the last few weeks and enjoying the wealth of information on this forum....moderators, if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it.

Being a newbie, I have a tonne of questions, so let me get started....

We recently bought a 100+ year old house on a 55 acre parcel of land that borders two lakes and a smelt brook. The house is at the front of the land and both lakes are almost at the end of the land. There was a foot path there back to the lake but the elderly couple who we bought the house from did not keep it up. I plan on purchasing a portable mill (still researching them) to cut wood off of my land for my own purposes. The properly is almost 2 miles deep I think.

A hurricane blew through here 5 years ago and there is a lot of hurricane damage. Our house is about 250 from the ocean (across the road). I bought a 4 wheeler, small logging trailer and a Stihl MS260 and have been picking away at the wind damage, making a 4 wheeler sized path that'll eventually reach back to the lakes. The land is quite rugged and there is a 300 ft. ridge through the centre of the property.

Is there anyone from the atlantic provinces on here that either cleaned up after this damage or had tried to remanage their lot after such a storm. There is quite a bit of undergrowth scattered in amongst the windfall and the fir trees are quite thick in places...I assume I'll have to thin them out eventually.

Thanks so much,

Rob

Hilltop366 · February 03, 2010, 12:13:19 PM

Hi and welcome from another Nova Scotian sounds like a very nice property, must be around Halifax area or north west of it to have lots of damage from Juan. Didn't get much damage from it down here in Yarmouth Co. but have had lots of winds since.

Can't help much with the forestry question, What I do around my house is try and sort the wood out as I am cutting, We have mostly spruce and fir here, most of it ends up as fire wood (too far gone for saw logs) the worst gets slashed and left to rot (the closer to the ground the faster it breaks down), any good stuff gets set aside off the ground for cutting on the mill. It is not easy cutting being all tangled up and other stuff growing up around it luckly I have use of a small tractor and winch which helps alot.

I would think you have to deside what you want to get out of your property and what you want it to look like to know what needs to be done in order to get there in the end.

Cheers and happy cutting

Jamie_C · February 03, 2010, 06:05:35 PM

Yet another bluenoser finds there way here .... where exactly are you located ... if there's lots of fir then i would place my bets that you are just east of Halifax as the fir down there comes up really thick.

Give a bit more info and i might be able to point you in a decent direction.

redneck logger · February 03, 2010, 07:23:22 PM

Hey there another nova scotian and welcome to the forum. 8)

Magicman · February 03, 2010, 09:47:44 PM

I've visited Nova Scotia.....does that count ??? Welcome to The Forsetry Forum. We did indeed enjoy our visit to Nova Scotia. I also know that you will enjoy being a FF member.....

stanfan · February 04, 2010, 05:50:41 AM

Thanks for the replies everyone.....

I'm in Musquodoboit Harbour (not to far from Truro as the crow flies), born and raised in Canso though. I've just spent an hour or so reading on this forum and I don't think I've scratched the surface...

Rob

SwampDonkey · February 04, 2010, 06:50:47 AM

Quote from: stanfan on February 04, 2010, 05:50:41 AM
I've just spent an hour or so reading on this forum and I don't think I've scratched the surface...

Rob

Not even close. :D

Hilltop366 · February 04, 2010, 02:00:27 PM

Quote from: Magicman on February 03, 2010, 09:47:44 PM
I've visited Nova Scotia.....does that count ??? Welcome to The Forsetry Forum. We did indeed enjoy our visit to Nova Scotia. I also know that you will enjoy being a FF member.....

Maybe we can take a vote and see. I'm betting you might make, it especially if you can pronounce Musquodoboit correctly.

Magicman · February 04, 2010, 02:43:12 PM

Quote from: Hilltop366 on February 04, 2010, 02:00:27 PM
Maybe we can take a vote and see. I'm betting you might make, it especially if you can pronounce Musquodoboit correctly.

"Mosquodoboit"....That's the funniest looking "Spanish" that I've ever seen...... :D :D :D

We didn't drive through Upper Mosquodoboit, or Middle Mosquodoboit, but we did pass through Mosquodoboit Harbour. Actually, my wife was a McMillan, and has relatives in Nova Scotia.

How is the vote going ???

fishpharmer · February 04, 2010, 03:58:48 PM

Stanfan, welcome to a wonderful place, The Forestry Forum.
We love pictures. Would like to see some pics of your new property.

Also, what is a "smelt brook"? The little fishes I suppose? Any trout?

Jamie_C · February 04, 2010, 05:42:59 PM

Quote from: stanfan on February 04, 2010, 05:50:41 AM
Thanks for the replies everyone.....

I'm in Musquodoboit Harbour (not to far from Truro as the crow flies), born and raised in Canso though. I've just spent an hour or so reading on this forum and I don't think I've scratched the surface...

Rob

Actually Rob i grew up just east of there ... Tangier/East Ship Hbr area.

Did you buy the little place that Barb Hashimoto had listed on the eastern end of Musq. Hbr ??

A great resource for any forestry questions will be Glen Boutilier at the local DNR office ( about 1/4 before Sobeys in Jeddore), he used to look after private lands management plans back when the NS Gov. was still active in those sort of things.

stanfan · February 05, 2010, 06:04:32 AM

Jamie....small world eh! We are located between the DNR and the train museum on the #7. Our land borders Faulker and Admiral lakes, the smelt brook feeds from Faulkner lake and comes out in Smith Settlement. Google earth shows the plot of land well. Thanks for the DNR contact, I'll have to check him out. We know few people as we are relatively new to the area. I'll post some pics once I figure out how..

Take care,

Rob

ps...Pronouncing or spelling Musquodoboit really reaks havoc on telemarketers.. :D

SwampDonkey · February 05, 2010, 06:21:08 AM

How about:

Magaguadavic
Mamozekel
Manawagonish
Meduxnekeag
Kouchibouguac
Nauwigewauk

stanfan · February 05, 2010, 06:27:34 AM

Quick question....I followed the tutorial for posting pics but it doesn't seem to want to run on my PC, any helpful hints or programs to do so....

SwampDonkey · February 05, 2010, 06:37:11 AM

Do you have Java installed? If your in Firefox v3.6 you need V 6.10 or higher.

fishpharmer · February 05, 2010, 06:54:40 AM

Stanfan, the java uploader really simplified the picture loading process for me. I'm sure swamp donkey knows more about it than myself. He probably knows more about smelt brooks as well. We don't have them in MS. I am blessed/cursed with a fascination of fish and it would be neat to learn about smelt brooks. Are you a fishermen?

moonhill · February 05, 2010, 07:13:39 AM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on February 05, 2010, 06:21:08 AM
How about:

Magaguadavic
Mamozekel
Manawagonish
Meduxnekeag
Kouchibouguac
Nauwigewauk

Sounds like Mic Mac or Mi'kmaq.

Tim

stanfan · February 05, 2010, 07:22:13 AM

Here we go....hope this makes it easier...

stanfan · February 05, 2010, 07:25:21 AM

Fishpharmer....

I googled the definiton of Smelt. Smelt are a small fish of the salmonidae family. Originating in the lakes and rivers of Canada, it is popular with amateur fishermen and chefs alike. Smelt's body, averaging 20 centimetres, is narrow with an elongated head. They are silver-coloured though they also have differing green hues depending on their origin. Their translucent skin is covered with tiny scales.

Maybe you call it something else?

Rob

Magicman · February 05, 2010, 07:31:38 AM

Sounds like something that we use for bait ;D :D

SwampDonkey · February 05, 2010, 07:32:18 AM

They sell fresh ones in the local stores and we also have a dip net season in the spring. Mostly on the Miramichi and Restigouche where the rivers aren't dammed and lower Saint John tributaries. Kinda like eating sardines, you need to eat a washtub full to feel satisfied. :D

Papa1stuff · February 05, 2010, 09:01:02 AM

When I was a lot younger and lived in NH, we used to go smelting ,It was kind of like a big party ,everyone lined up along the brook ,sometimes was only a foot or two wide, and waited for the smelt to run,all of at once someone would yell DIP and nets were flying ,sometimes you got a net full ,sometimes not ;D

Magicman · February 05, 2010, 09:07:53 AM

How did/do you cook them?

SwampDonkey · February 05, 2010, 10:53:59 AM

Fry'm in butter, role'm in corn flour, salt and peppa. Fry'm up crispie like a brook trout. ;D mmm

Hilltop366 · February 05, 2010, 10:56:04 AM

Around here smelts are usually fished through the ice on the upper parts of places that are fresh water going out but salt water flooded when the tide comes up I'm not sure at what part of the tide the are fished.

They are usually cooked in a frying pan with corn meal and butter.

The only fish that I know of that is done by dip-net is gaspereau (locally called kiack) they are much larger than smelts most of those are sold to lobster fishermen for bait some are smoked others cook them in a frying pan.
I didn't realize untill a few years ago they are dipped from behind as they are running up stream.

Oh ya I'll try to sound it out: Mus-ka-dawbit.