Lumberjack Blues

[Galveston340]

...headed up to Linden this past weekend to check on the two barrels I had put out and see if there had been any pig action around them as well as help my friend change out some carpet in the State offices. We finished Saturday night and headed back up to Atlanta for some grub at the house. Got up early Sunday morning and headed down to the property to see if the pigs had been eating. First thing I noticed was the gate was open and the road looked to have been heavily used since the last trip. Took the turn to head for the barrels and when I stopped at the barn to look for tracks I heard the unmistakable sound of a tree feller and a chainsaw!
Seems right where I had put the two barrels is smack dab in the middle of the section that is having the trees harvested! Went on back to get the barrels and sure enough the pigs had been on them in that clearing, but now thee is one BIG clearing as all the trees are gone. Picked up the barrels and relocated them to the north side of the lake where I had found some older places under an Oak tree that they had been rooting under.
Wonder how long it will take the pigs to get back to the area that has been cut and if I ought to put some more barrels in that area? The tree guys will be done with that section by this coming weekend then later on this month the forestry service will be doing some planting. Just wondering where I ought to look for the pigs!!

 

[Curly Shuffle]

My guess would be they have not gone to far. Other than hunting them they are at home where they are at. They will return and are still there. Probably liking the clear cut to look for some fresh food?? HUNT HUNT!!

 

[FrankT]

Well the hogs will be moving too due to the traffic but ours are on clearcuts and in the woods, so does not seem to make a difference after the disturbance is over.

 

[Ratdog68]

At least the guys didn't fell a tree onto (ruining) your barrels. They may be curious as to whether a new crop of grubs and such are available with all the disturbances during the day.

 

[FrankT]

RD we find after the guys and machinery leave the hogs come back in force as do the deer.

 

[Ratdog68]

Yeah, I'd bet ALL the critters wander back in to inspect things.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Agreed, I think they will be back soon. I can't tell you how many deer and elk I have seen cutting wood. It's almost like they want to see what's going on.

 

[Ratdog68]

I can't tell you how many deer and elk I have seen cutting wood.

But... they have no thumbs !

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

But... they have no thumbs !

I meant beavers cutting wood.

 

[Ratdog68]

I meant beavers cutting wood.

You can't fool me! They don't have thumbs either !

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

You can't fool me! They don't have thumbs either !

Not necessarily, I knew a beaver that was all thumbs.

 

[EGarza04]

Well depending on the canopy cover before they started cutting you may see an increase in weeds and such due to the increase in light and rain penetration to the forest floor and the soil disturbance created from felling, limbing, and moving the trees. All of this fresh plant growth will usually draw in more than just deer.

 

[Galveston340]

...thanks Ya'll. I'll take a couple of more barrels up there this weekend and will mix up another batch of mash to spread around the barrels and see if they come right back. Monday we threw the flatbottom in and trolled around the lake to see about the Beavers they were talking about. Saw two places where they had been building on either end so will try and get those critters this coming weekend.

 

[Galveston340]

...just got back to the house and here is my report from this past weekend up in Linden.
NO HOGS... Looked as best I could over the place and my guess is the hogs that were in the area I saw tracks on have moved due to the logging that took place last week. I did drive up past the area that they had just cut to the hill to the south that overlooks a nice ravine and no hog tracks, but saw the biggest set of cat tracks I have ever come across. Darn things were easily four inches across. Didn't have my phone with me or I'd have a pic to post. Went to the north side of the lake and nothing had been on the barrels at all.
Got frustrated and took off on foot from there and went down a ravine and low and behold, found a pretty darn good looking spring. Cold water just a boiling up out of the powdery sand that is up there with a darn good flow rate.. Looked around and there were no hog tracks but plenty of deer have been down there.
Well, will be headed back up there this Friday and maybe the hogs will have moved back onto the section that was cut.

 

[EGarza04]

It may take a few weeks or maybe even a couple months but they will be back in force so long as there is not too much pressure on them. That spring sounds like it may have promise though.

 

[FrankT]

yeah they will be back but that spring sounds great. Can you improve it to make a small pond?

 

[Galveston340]

yeah they will be back but that spring sounds great. Can you improve it to make a small pond?

Frank, I thought about that as well. We have access to a big Kubota with a front end loader on it and it wouldn't take much to improve that ravine so it will hold water. I'll be headed back up there again this Friday morning. I'm gonna walk down the course that the spring flow takes and see where the best spot to dam it up might be. Not sure what to use for the dam as where the spring is located it's all very fine powdery almost white sand that won't hold anything back.

 

[FrankT]

since it is flowing you don't need much, just a small pool, you don't want it to be used as a hog wallow.

 

[Galveston340]

since it is flowing you don't need much, just a small pool, you don't want it to be used as a hog wallow.

Thanks Frank, I can do that!