Converting an Unmanaged Pine Stand to Quality Habitat (686)

An Alabama property has new owners that want to improve a clear cut with a dense volunteer stand of pines for better deer habitat and hunting. Grant tours the land and gives the steps to improve the habitat and hunting quality on this property.
Check out this video if you want to see more details on managing timber stands, • How to Manage Timber S...
Whether you own 20 acres or 200 acres, improving habitat can be a great way to see and harvest more quality critters. Great habitat also allows landowners to enjoy their property throughout the entire year.
Super dense stands of saplings are common when a mature stand of pines are harvested and the area is not somehow prepped and replanted.
This is a great example of why it’s best to always have a post-harvest plan, especially if the area is a clear-cut. For the first year or two after a clear-cut there’s often quality wildlife habitat. However, once the pine or hardwood seedlings and saplings shade out the soil, it quickly becomes a biological desert.
‪@GrowingDeerTV‬
#TeamOutdoors #Forestry #DeerHunting

[@Mcss-lu5hv]

I have 170 acres in Southern Ms just like this. My Son and I are trying to make our plan now to start improving the timber and the habitat.

[@jasonwoods4707]

Great episode! I’m actually in Alabama as well and really enjoyed learning about your thoughts about managing a balanced habitat in this area.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Jason!

[@southernpine79]

Found you guys about a month ago. I was fresh off deer season here in Alabama and wasn’t ready for it to be over yet haha. Learning ft your videos has renewed my interest in habit and forest management. Looking forward to using many of your techniques and strategies on our hunting grounds in the seasons to come. We have a really good area with a few good deer. I’ve watched several dozen of your videos and can see that if we follow in your footsteps we could have a healthier habit and a much healthier and heartier herd of deer.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

I look forward to updates from your project and our paths crossing!

[@lifeonthehilltn]

You hit the nail on the head with this one! This is so much like the average land owner and I'm sure many folks can relate to purchasing property and not knowing how to get to the finish line that they have in their mind!

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks! Jay and Jenny are off to a great start!

[@tbrown913]

@GrowingDeer.tv is there any update to this property? Im in Georgia and my hunting club is 1200 acres of pines with just a few acres of hardwoods along the creek. We see so few deer after Thanksgiving because there is no food. We are trying to implement some changes.

[@joshsinglefooter]

These past two episodes have been a sooo entertaining and knowledgeable. Thsnks for passing it doen Mr. Grant.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@justinmadair]

Love the information in the vid. One little piece of feedback: the song you chose (which is a great song) starting at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="112">1:52</a> and running until ca <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="253">4:13</a> is what is known as a "wall of sound". This song competed with Grant being able to dole out the info. Love the show. Been an avid watcher for years now. Hope you take my feedback in the spirit it's intended.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Justin and I'll share with the editors!

[@talon769]

God bless, brother Grant!!

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks for the blessing!

[@jerryhill4893]

Great stuff , Doc. Thanks. God bless

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Jerry!

[@wyattjones7979]

Such a cool video. The area I hunt on it managed for timber so it sucks for wildlife, it is very similar to that property and I wish I had the money to buy the whole thing and get Grant out there to fix it up.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Wyatt - Start small and stay focused on your goal! Thanks for watching!!

[@dana44169]

Just the video I need,Thanks!

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Welcome!

[@h-minus2212]

What an informative video. I am pulling for that young couple - if they follow your prescription, the land should turn out idyllic.

[@mattreynolds792]

Love the videos

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Matt!

[@collegeguy14]

Alabama have to have a certified burn boss to light it up. Georgia teaches you run a flanking fire through that stand to keep it moving and have less flare ups. Like you said if you kill some trees it doesn’t matter. Get a chainsaw crew in there. Normally there is cost sharing to help with the chainsaw thin and the soil work they need for the erosion control.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Jay is checking with the Alabama Forestry Commission.

[@edwardclark2695]

Thanks

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks for watching!

[@jarrodlambert3914]

Nice

[@JayN4GO]

Yep they cut and left a mess. Hope they got this cheap.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

They did and they did.

[@Kurtdog63]

I would think maybe dozing strips thru those young pines in multiple directions might be an alternative to simply burning and killing them all then starting back at zero?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Dozing always means soil compaction and big expense. It will also leave too many of the trees - even in the narrow rows that are left standing. Burning cost much less, doesn't cause compaction, and will leave a Mosaic pattern of trees, grasses, and forbs.

[@Kurtdog63]

@@GrowingDeerTV Yes. Ok. I guess I assumed that a burn killed everything, so there are some survivors. Good to know.

[@rawzy5282]

What imaging software is that? I haven’t been able to find something like that in my searching

[@GrowingDeerTV]

HuntStand!

[@laredfishaddict3442]

What is the best herbicide to terminate southern pine trees?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Some folks use glyphosate. The application method will determine which herbicide to use. Simply search on controlling pines with herbicide.

[@CentralMississippiWhitetail]

I see a guy advocating to stop planting summer food. Lol he’s never been in the South where there’s no AG.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

David - I schooled at the University of Georgia and Clemson and will be assisting a landowner near Macon, GA Tuesday. I really like food plots, but don't wish to ignore the biggest majority of most properties - the native habitat.

[@CentralMississippiWhitetail]

@@GrowingDeerTV I grew up hunting cutovers. We knew after year 6 it was downhill. You’ve opened our eyes that we can keep it like the “6th year” for much longer. I’m more into wildlife conservation now than deer hunting because of you and Sturgis. The future is very bright..thank you.

[@southerncutoutdoors]

How would you go about asking the timber company that owns our club to burn it haha? They thinned it last year.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

I doubt the timber company will deviate from their plans.

[@Northof25A]

Mine looks like this i have 500 acres in Tennessee 100 acres of it is planted pine about 15 years ago planted should i thin the pine acres and do a burn after

[@GrowingDeerTV]

If there's not much sun reaching the soil the pines need to be thinned. However, the pine market in Tennessee is weak. I hope there's a market for your pines!

[@Northof25A]

@@GrowingDeerTV I appreciate you responding would it be okay to do a burn like you did on that property instead of even thinning them? My pines are way way bigger but has the same exact look literally to a tee