Forestry - Managing the family property

This is a little bit of a brain dump. Please add any advice or experiences, any info is helpful.

We have 55 acres in central Indiana now owned by me and my sister. My mom still lives on a house on the property. When my dad was still around his strategy was to do nothing in terms of timber stand improvment, habitat improvement, etc. The woods is gorgeous, but once the big trees get take out by a storm, disease, etc, it is going to be less than ideal. He was a bit of a tree hugger and figured nature would do what nature does best. The problem is there is no undisturbed nature in central Indiana anymore so nature can't really take it's course. We need to help out, to some extent.

Dad has been gone for a year now and I'm in charge. I want to make sure the ground serves our wants and needs for the next generation. I have sons who love to hunt all sorts of critters and we need a place to do it.

It's already probably past the point on needing some timber taken off it it...hasn't been logged in probably 50 years other than a few (20-30) trees 25 years ago. I don't want it to turn into an old forest with a dense canopy. They can be nice to look at but aren't great for hunting. Right now it is good hunting but as it matures it will honestly become a deer desert for lack of food and bedding.

As for timber value there are 100+ black walnut trees ranging 18"-36" DBH, so of which I'm more than a little nervous might be getting past their prime. There is a ton of other ready to harvest (24"+) lower value trees (red and black oak, cherry, poplar) too. I'm not trying to squeeze $ of the timber, but freeing up some capital to reinvest in tools, fence, equipment, etc does have its appeal.

My thinking is I'm young enough now to do a select cut, clean up after the loggers (within reason) and glean some "interest pieces" (walnut crotches, etc) to mill myself, and have the woods on a good management trajectory for when it's time for my sons to take this on. Trying to figure all this out all at once isn't going to be as easy as it coud be had it been done over the years and I grew up doing it. I want my sons to see what this process looks like and be able to teach them how to management the land.

I'm going to bring in as many people as I can to look at the property and get their take. I'm not in a hurry, but I don't want to waste time either. I know I need to establish a value basis for tax purposes and create a written management plan. What else an I missing? What questions should I ask? What should I avoid?

Any input is appreciated.

 

If deer habitat is desirable have you thought about making a clearing and planting food plots? Chestnuts, persimmons, clover etc. It'll need periodic attention to keep the taller forest trees from encroaching, but the payoff should be worth it.

 

I assume your state department of forestry or natural resources, whatever they're called there, could get you a management plan. Or at least give advice. A contract forestry consultant would cost some money, but there may be one around who would be good at taking multiple objectives into account, not just timber.

You may know this, but when you say select cut, be extremely wary of loggers doing what they say is a "select cut", but it's really called "high-grading". They cut all the money trees out, and leave the less desirable, junk and other species trees...

 

The DNR has district foresters but they don't do much beyond education from what I can tell. Maybe I'm wrong.

I understand the difference between select cut and high grading.

 

We did a few small scale plots this year, but that will be part of the overall plan.

 

clemsonfor

 

Hire someone to manage the timber sale. You will pay them, but you will get more $ in the long run. They handle all the headache and since they get a %, they will keep the mill honest. Just way less things for you to worry about. Do not use a mill's forester.
Tell them your goals about habitat for critters. You will want to cut way more than you think you should. It will come back thicker and quicker than you expect.

 

West coast logger Wilson Forestlands has some very good and entertaining vids about nurturing a wood lot.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB_ZWwxtSoX2Y7smVA4r-DQ

 

Love that guy!

 

Check out your local USDA office, they work with NRCS, a division (I think) of the USDA. They have programs that will pay you for establishing wildlife habitat and hundreds of other improvements.
Being the govt, I imagine that it's the same everywhere but I have a grant with them and it's a pretty sweet deal that doesn't encumber your property or you're use beyond whatever forestry practices that you *
apply for. They have an approved list of foresters to pick from that will be basically the go between with you and the nrcs and is familiar with the paperwork and application.
My forester is the guy that suggested some of these programs and not that I have a lot of experience with multiple foresters, but this guy is not pressuring me for a harvest and I appreciate that.
It's worth looking into.
*you do or hire out the contracted work then it's inspected by either your approved forester or their engineer. Then they pay you by direct deposit. The roads and water crossings that I'm doing require me to maintain them for a 10 year period.

 

My brother and I are third generation tree farmers. Grandad and dad were Purdue educated foresters so we hav3 a good foundation at theplace.

Div of Forestry can do a visit and give you a plan to work on. Ther3 is some fu ding availability at times.

take the Woodland owners class to begin. Then there are different classes to help you on managing TSI and invasive control. You manage it as you want. We had a large harvest and have worked on oak and other hardwood priorities.

consider leasing the property to deer and turkey hunters. It helps offset taxes and insurance. Sets you up for agri tourism l then you can do some good tax write offs.

 

Hire a forester , the 10% is worth it
Hire a logger with a good reputation, someone who will leave the woods in good shape
Select cut every 12 years
Be demanding as to when they can come in your woods , ruts don't go away. I've been told you can still see wagon ruts on the Oregon trail
You need someone with alot of experience to cut a 36" veneer grade walnut and not get fiber pull.

 

programs from the University of Minnesota extension program.

Manage woodlands for wildlife

Managing your woodlands

 

Home - Find Indiana Forester

Most loggers will tell you that you are 'giving money away' to a forester. Don't listen. Personal experience using one netted a 30% price premium over the local logger's bid. Minus the 10% for his services, that's still net positive 20% gain (not peanuts when speaking of 5 figure sums). I believe my trees were 'advertised' to around 20 mills and logging outfits via the forester. Sealed bids.

If you have substantial walnut, you might seek out buyers for it specifically. They are out there. Might get a bit of a premium vs logger depending on whether the logger has access to exports, or just sells to the mill (who will export).

Don't sweat a tight canopy. It's almost a chore to stand in the sun in my woods in the summer. Plenty of wildlife enjoy the huge mast drops from the mature oaks and hickories. I have many times found beds just randomly in the leaves among the open understory, not in a thicket (don't have many because they usually are full of invasives). Most everything around me has been cut in the past 10-15 years and I still have plenty of deer traffic. My place is the restaurant, the neighbor's places are the hotels.

Speaking of invasives... It will be much easier to deal with them before you open the canopy. I have close to 140 acres that has not seen a skidder since 1983. Around a decade ago I began killing off vines, ailanthus and undesirable shrubbery. This was done for two reasons, the first being part of a tax relief scheme from the County for eliminating grape vines, the second being the same reason essentially...so that the junk cannot 'explode' with growth once the canopy is opened. The junk all grows faster than the good stuff.

If your woods are stocked heavily enough...and it sounds like they might be, possibly consider a cut within a year and then another in about 8-10 years. This type of strategy will leave some mature trees for seeding and shelter. After 8 or so years, the saplings from the first cut should be well established and able to take advatage of the extra sunlight. You can speak with the forester about this. He/she will better be able to help you strategize. Don't be afraid to lay a little money out for as you stated a basis and possibly boundary verification. (you don't want to deal with a TT, trust me) If you get a walnut specialist in there, it may be able to fund your activities in the early workings and allow you some breathing room before closing a contract on the rest of the timber. Also make sure to check into gains taxes. Usually the land needs to be held for a certain period before sales of timber can be considered capital gain. 20 something percent vs thrity something. Also...and it seems to be almost impossible to do...try to time your sale with good market prices. Fall/early winter is usually a good bet because the mills are trying to stock up for mud season when hardly anyone can bring them logs.

It sounds to me like you have your mind in the right place. Too many landowners look at a forest like a piggy bank. Find a good forester. Assault them with questions as you walk your land with them. It is possible to financially benefit and improve the forest at the same time.

 

Great advice, everyone. Thank you.

I've contacted my DNR district forester and a few consulting foresters and have some visits scheduled.

Going to keep interviewing foresters until I start hearing the same message then pick one.

 

Here’s another discussion on woodlot management that sent me down the rabbit hole…

 

DNR Forester is booked until January. Got a couple consulting foresters lined up for next week and first week of Dec. Talked to another and all he wanted to do was sell me a management plan without talking any details.

Any ideas what a fair price on a written management plan should be?

 

You could contact anyone at the dnr or an ag extension office and get such a plan for free.

shoot the links I provided from UMN extension have them.

lots of foresters willing to talk to you about what you have going on.

 

It's been a long time since. I have two figures that come to mind in regards...$300 & $1200. $300 sounds pretty cheap considering they have to actually walk and look at the place before making a plan so I am guessing it was $1200. I could be completely wrong.

Try to get the Basis and FP in one shot?