I've got about 15 or so acres of 8-10 foot tall pines that are thick as hair. Should I talk to a forestry consultant? Or what is the best way to thin them to encourage tree growth and wildlife?

Sneaky chainsaw thread - I like it. I'm in.

Buy a Stihl......

You will Stihl be trying to get it started 😉 meanwhile husky is working.

Row planted or natural growth?

Three running Stihls currently in my shop, and a 288 that's needs, something, or other. I'll fix it one of these days, maybe.

Is it under a forestry plan? Selective cutting leaps to mind.

IME - a logger will have someone with forestry creds on staff to help make such a decision. BUT 15 acres might not be enough to entice a logger to come aboard.

Do you have a PBA, Prescribed Burn Association in your area?

They can help you get a plan in place and figure out how to make that plan work!

Dog hair thicket at that age, that small acreage, you probably don’t have much value in the timber at that age you might be lucky to get pulp wood.
Without seeing your stand, or k owing where you are and what your timber industry is like, I am still quite sure that whatever you end up doing it will cost you money.

Thick line stands are of little value to wildlife. If you thin for the sake of habitat, getting that BA down to 50-70 sq feet is a good practice. At this stage in your stand’s life, that might be row thinning. Or, if you have time and you’re motivated, you could start water it with a chain saw.

If you do desire timber value, you might keep that basal area a little higher while the stand is young, to promote the proper stem to canopy ratio.

Wildlife value, particularly deer, when it comes to pine forest, is all tied up in the understory plant community. You want as much diversity and growth in that ground to chin level as possible to feed deer and provide cover.

Hire a contractor with a masticator

And I have 4 working huskies in my truck. One being a late 80s 288. And 2 stihls torn apart in the shop.

Try a land clearing company, pricing depends on the size the trees and density of the growth. They may give you a deal for that amount of property.

To "encourage tree growth and wildlife" is a bit ambiguous. Try to get a bit more specific with your goals to include things like if you want to generate $$ and or the type of wildlife. This would help those here or a local professional tailor their advice or plan.

Forestry mulcher probably.

And yes... talk to your local State Forester... typically free.

I've done a bunch p-pine thinning on our property over the past 10 years. In some cases, I did it on my dollar and in others, I did a contract with the local NRCS and they help with costs. Either way, you can get a State or Dept of Lands forester to come out and give you free advice, no matter what route you choose. Check around, some agencies pay more than others.

Going the NRCS route requires a contract where you agree to thin, pile, and burn/chip a set amount of acreage each year until done. You aren't a guaranteed to get funding either, but the first step is applying and finding out the rules.

The forester, can help you know which trees to cut. In my case, trees were too thick and I left a 10-12 space between the save trees and the ones I cut. I was guilty of trying to leave too many, cut more, think less, is where I'm at now.

Start small to see how many acres you can do. Due to pine beetles, most of my thinning is in September so the window isn't that big for time.

It's a lot of work and the piling by hand is a killer. After a couple years a skid steer and brush rake was bought. You could hire that part done too.

Doesn't the noise bother you? Maybe you should go shut them off for awhile...

I'm sure not much of a fan of mulchers.

They are multi-problematic. Expensive, wear out your equipment twice as fast as not running a mulcher, leave stumps so that you can't use ground engaging implements, and with most woody type growth...it'll grow back thicker and harder to control. (Pines won't though... once you cut a pine, it's done.)

I'd rather use a puller. Pull the ones you want, and stack them to burn.

Rent the equipment and have fun custom clearing your lot a small excavator with a thumb or a bobcat with a heavy duty brush hog should make short work

This^.

The Forestry Service here in North Carolina will help you manage your trees for free. I bet Georgia is the same.

8s and 10s are too big for a hog.

You are correct about $$$ on a mulcher... but 15 acres ain't a small task.

Depending on end result desired... a mulcher could make some rows or working zones...

Mulching all 15 acres would be huge money.

If mine... I would work up access and do a combo of spray, cut and burn.

Regardless... It is gonna be a lot of work.

Selectively clearing 15 acres isn't THAT much work.

I clear much harder woody type trees and brush down here, and 15 acres would be a small project for me. I did one 15ac tract that was way overgrown, and pulled and stacked all the big trees (about 15 ft in height and 8-10" at the base), then came in with my HD batwing cutter and cut all the smaller stuff.

2 days total.

Also... Look into Habitat Creation Zone programs with your Forester.

The USDA pays me to cut trees for endangered migratory birds.

These zones are ALSO excellent habitat for grouse, turkey poults etc.

He should hire you...

That is the perfect application for a forestry mulcher. They'll eat it right up.

This is probably the best advice. Consult with the local forester. See what he suggests. I do a lot of thinning work locally and there is a cost share program for property owners. See if something similar is available in your region

If I was close, I'd do it!

I hate trailering equipment, even locally. My loader isn't much of an issue though. It loads and unloads quickly.

My 288 was a pretty good saw to run on my Alaska mill, likely because i didn't give a chit about it. Not worth a damn buckin' firewood though. My Stihl 362 would out cut it every time. Probably the coil went out. One of these days I'll break it down and figure it out.

I have never found pine stands to be of much interest to deer. Wind block and protection from snow aside.

I have a stand of tall mature pines on the back of my place. The deer just pass through them going to and from places they like better.

I'm in the process of removing pines & junipers[eastern cedar] on a piece of bottom land that's swampy.
Currently it's too wet[swampy] to use my tractor to push the cuts around.

The worst thing about evergreens is the quantity of limbs each tree contains!

Brush piles get real big real fast!

This.

A mulch head on a skid steer will eat that place up in no time.

I am currently thinning a pinion pine forest. The best way for my operation is a 4-wheel drive truck and a 3/8" chain and pulling them up by the roots. I burnt 68 slash piles this year. Several so large I fully expected the International Space Station to call in a 911 report.

8-10 foot pines is not high at all assuming the OP’s estimate is correct. Bet there is plenty of understory beneficial for all sorts of wildlife

I’ve had about 35 acres of property mulched. From too thick to walk thru to open enough to see from one end to the other. We run a fire thru it as often as we can which I’ve found is the best way to keep it from coming back with a vengeance.

My purpose for the mulching was more open understory for turkey at the expense of deer cover

Mulching is a great way to thin vegetation density and structure, making subsequent fire a realistic tool to manage the stand going forward.

Consulting forester should be able to steer you right, or you can speak with a county ranger or wildlife biologist employed by the state. Around here 15 acres is a marginal-sized tract, even with mature timber on it, but if there is a logging job going on adjacent to or near your place you might get it thinned eventually. But 8-10 foot stems aren't going to attract any interest on a commercial (positive cash flow) basis. So for a pre-commercial thinning you are left with your chainsaw, a fairly hot prescribed burn, or a mechanical job such as a KG shear, drum chopper, or a mulcher.

This is what I did with my place 2 years ago. I probably thinned less than 10% so deer habits and travels weren't changed but I see far more turkey sign and see birds using my mulched trails traveling.

Not the best pictures but most of my place was thick enough you couldn't walk easily. Mulched trails and some whole areas to open it up a little for turkeys. Keep those areas clear now with burning in spring then hit them with the rotary on the skid steer once or twice a year.

My cousin and I rented the Cat with the forestry head. Did my place, his place and let a buddy borrow it to clear locust saplings from his pasture.

Short video of 2 small cedars I mulched.

https://youtube.com/shorts/JRiDWTO0ydU?feature=shared

Small Osage Orange. These things make a mess and do not decay for many years. Good thing is once all of the mulch is seasoned the mulch and splinters burn easily during a yearly burn.

https://youtube.com/shorts/0RQsdWY8Bt4?feature=shared

That makes no sense at all

My bad... I misread "8-10 tall"... as 8"-10" @ BH.

A GOOD hog will handle that.

Weed eater with a saw blade?

That is a chore that I am thankful I no longer need to do! I helped a logger thin the growth at the Grand Lake Lodge many years ago! Brutal(I was the laborer). On another note; I took a hike many years ago from the fire tower on Shadow mountain (Grand Lake) and hiked south to the south end of Shadow Mountain reservoir. Thickest stand of lodgepole I have ever seen. Regrowth after a burn many years ago! Could barely walk through it!

Sounds like call to the local forestry unit or a timber consultant is the next step.

I was gonna say whatever you do don't leave short little stumps, you'll regret it every time you walk through there. If you have to leave them, paint the fresh cuts with concentrated glyphosate.

For pine trees? Don't think I've ever seen a pine stump sprout.

While much of what's been put on this thread is useful, until the OP comes back with more specific goals/objectives its all moot. Same for when he contacts the forester...

Smaller short leaf pines are the only ones that can resprout, owing this ability to fire adaptation. Loblolly, VA, white pine will never stump sprout.

One thing to keep in mind when talking to a private consultant working for a timber company or outfit that provides the service you might need is they will likely tell you lots of works needs done or lots of trees need harvested. That's how they make their money and even if they don't provide what you need they will gladly funnel your job to someone who can do it.

If trying to arrange a cost share deal with whatever gov entity you are dealing with they will likely require a forest plan completed. A private forester can do this for you, but again, is likely to recommend lots of works done because that's how they or their company makes their money. The gov entity will pay for having a forest plan done and it doesn't mean you need to do any of the work "recommended"

The forester working for the State, Dept of Lands, etc, doesn't have anything riding on your choice of what needs done. Remember, it's you property.