A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
10-26-2008, 07:05 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 96
A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Hey guys, this is not a advertisment at all. But I have a consulting forestry company out of WV and I love to hunt, but wish I could do more of it. I want to get into more management services for landowners that are avid hunters and services towards property managent for hunting. Do you guys have any ideas or suggestions that consultants may do in your area? We cover things like this when we do timber harvests for landowners, or management plans, but nothing more then that. I would like to get more involved with it, but I understand we are foresters not wildlife biologists. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
10-26-2008, 09:33 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Most of the landowners I deal with wouldn't want to pay for wildlife management advice. I know a few people that are offering a food plot planting service, but I don't see a lot of profit in it. One tore up rear tractor tire or another major breakdown and you havelost a lot of your profit for the year.
Out of curiosity, are you doing any carbon sequestration tracts? We are also starting to market a Bio-Oil unit using sawdust/chips as feedstock that looks real promising.
Out of curiosity, are you doing any carbon sequestration tracts? We are also starting to market a Bio-Oil unit using sawdust/chips as feedstock that looks real promising.
10-27-2008, 05:13 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 96
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Yhea we just started to do a bit of that in a large management plan for a commercial recreation client. That is definitely interesting stuff in theory of it and actually is a pro for the timber management sector. I would like to know more about that in regards to the field inventory work, but all I did for the management plan was awrite up about it and then a little bit calculating off of a USFS data sheet.
I have come to same conclusion regarding making it a profitable service move. We do a lot of GIS work and thought that maybe an option for property owners looking to set up maps (aerials, topo, slope, soil for food plots,etc.)for hunting areas and trails, stands, etc. But again you are looking at a cost that most folks are ok without.
I just thought I would ask around and see if there were some ideas that I was not aware of that maybe hunters and landowner/hunters would like to have.
That sounds interesting on the Bio-Oil stuff. I would be very interested to just learn more about it, whether it would relate to a servicefor us or not. That sounds like a pretty cool deal. Thanks for the info.
From yourusername I amassuming you are a forester. Where do youwork?
I have come to same conclusion regarding making it a profitable service move. We do a lot of GIS work and thought that maybe an option for property owners looking to set up maps (aerials, topo, slope, soil for food plots,etc.)for hunting areas and trails, stands, etc. But again you are looking at a cost that most folks are ok without.
I just thought I would ask around and see if there were some ideas that I was not aware of that maybe hunters and landowner/hunters would like to have.
That sounds interesting on the Bio-Oil stuff. I would be very interested to just learn more about it, whether it would relate to a servicefor us or not. That sounds like a pretty cool deal. Thanks for the info.
From yourusername I amassuming you are a forester. Where do youwork?
10-27-2008, 05:56 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Do you have much experience in directing people to improve wildlife habitat enhancement? Search out the ruffed grouse society and the "coverts project" in your area. Also the NWTF and QDMA may give you some insight to education about habitat enhancement.
10-27-2008, 06:54 PM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 96
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Thanks Remnard for that idea as well. We did a landscape restoration project on a national park and purchased a Fecon mulching head to help clean up the brush. After we got finished with that project we tried and tried to find folks in our area for using it for food plots, for clearing out trails, for controling underbrush, sublot clean up. That was one element and had not one hit other then "yhea that sounds like that would be a good idea." Were forced to really sell it because it sat for 6 months.
We do work with landowners that are interested in managing their timber with a goal of hunting, when we do timbersales. Meaning seed in a wildlife mix for reclamation. Meaning laying out the timber harvest in a manner to maintain healthy mast/nut trees in partnership with future timber investment. For laying out the sale that causes small openning areas for increased edge effect and improving browse in the site.
But other then that we can't get landowners to put value on their hunting experience or improving their hunting experience into a sole service for us. I am considering everyone's ideas in hopes that we can makea better advertising scheme for landowners to think about a consulting forester to help with their wildlife improvement projects. To understand that they can manage their timber investment and do it in a manner that can improve their wildlife habitat andrecreational goals.
Ispend all week in the woods, butwhen Saturday comes around in the fall I am back in the woods completely enjoying life.I want to see if I can bring that love of hunting into my forestry business, but can't seem to figurehow I can.
I definitely want to get involved with QDMA, and grouse federation andNTF.I again appreciate the ideas, and everyone's opinionsthoughts on how itworks in their area is helping me see things differently andhopefully can come up with something that will work for me and my company. Thanks guys and keep the ideas coming they are really helpful..
We do work with landowners that are interested in managing their timber with a goal of hunting, when we do timbersales. Meaning seed in a wildlife mix for reclamation. Meaning laying out the timber harvest in a manner to maintain healthy mast/nut trees in partnership with future timber investment. For laying out the sale that causes small openning areas for increased edge effect and improving browse in the site.
But other then that we can't get landowners to put value on their hunting experience or improving their hunting experience into a sole service for us. I am considering everyone's ideas in hopes that we can makea better advertising scheme for landowners to think about a consulting forester to help with their wildlife improvement projects. To understand that they can manage their timber investment and do it in a manner that can improve their wildlife habitat andrecreational goals.
Ispend all week in the woods, butwhen Saturday comes around in the fall I am back in the woods completely enjoying life.I want to see if I can bring that love of hunting into my forestry business, but can't seem to figurehow I can.
I definitely want to get involved with QDMA, and grouse federation andNTF.I again appreciate the ideas, and everyone's opinionsthoughts on how itworks in their area is helping me see things differently andhopefully can come up with something that will work for me and my company. Thanks guys and keep the ideas coming they are really helpful..
10-28-2008, 07:13 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
ORIGINAL: eerdog
Thanks Remnard for that idea as well. We did a landscape restoration project on a national park and purchased a Fecon mulching head to help clean up the brush. After we got finished with that project we tried and tried to find folks in our area for using it for food plots, for clearing out trails, for controling underbrush, sublot clean up. That was one element and had not one hit other then "yhea that sounds like that would be a good idea." Were forced to really sell it because it sat for 6 months.
We do work with landowners that are interested in managing their timber with a goal of hunting, when we do timbersales. Meaning seed in a wildlife mix for reclamation. Meaning laying out the timber harvest in a manner to maintain healthy mast/nut trees in partnership with future timber investment. For laying out the sale that causes small openning areas for increased edge effect and improving browse in the site.
But other then that we can't get landowners to put value on their hunting experience or improving their hunting experience into a sole service for us. I am considering everyone's ideas in hopes that we can makea better advertising scheme for landowners to think about a consulting forester to help with their wildlife improvement projects. To understand that they can manage their timber investment and do it in a manner that can improve their wildlife habitat andrecreational goals.
Ispend all week in the woods, butwhen Saturday comes around in the fall I am back in the woods completely enjoying life.I want to see if I can bring that love of hunting into my forestry business, but can't seem to figurehow I can.
I definitely want to get involved with QDMA, and grouse federation andNTF.I again appreciate the ideas, and everyone's opinionsthoughts on how itworks in their area is helping me see things differently andhopefully can come up with something that will work for me and my company. Thanks guys and keep the ideas coming they are really helpful..
Thanks Remnard for that idea as well. We did a landscape restoration project on a national park and purchased a Fecon mulching head to help clean up the brush. After we got finished with that project we tried and tried to find folks in our area for using it for food plots, for clearing out trails, for controling underbrush, sublot clean up. That was one element and had not one hit other then "yhea that sounds like that would be a good idea." Were forced to really sell it because it sat for 6 months.
We do work with landowners that are interested in managing their timber with a goal of hunting, when we do timbersales. Meaning seed in a wildlife mix for reclamation. Meaning laying out the timber harvest in a manner to maintain healthy mast/nut trees in partnership with future timber investment. For laying out the sale that causes small openning areas for increased edge effect and improving browse in the site.
But other then that we can't get landowners to put value on their hunting experience or improving their hunting experience into a sole service for us. I am considering everyone's ideas in hopes that we can makea better advertising scheme for landowners to think about a consulting forester to help with their wildlife improvement projects. To understand that they can manage their timber investment and do it in a manner that can improve their wildlife habitat andrecreational goals.
Ispend all week in the woods, butwhen Saturday comes around in the fall I am back in the woods completely enjoying life.I want to see if I can bring that love of hunting into my forestry business, but can't seem to figurehow I can.
I definitely want to get involved with QDMA, and grouse federation andNTF.I again appreciate the ideas, and everyone's opinionsthoughts on how itworks in their area is helping me see things differently andhopefully can come up with something that will work for me and my company. Thanks guys and keep the ideas coming they are really helpful..
Many of our habitat enhancement projects for birds have the same effect on larger game, and turkeys, rabbits etc. Don't just cater to the hunters as you will purposely eliminate a lot of customers. The other side is you will still be creating habitat for hunters as the deer and game will spill off that property anyway.
10-28-2008, 03:09 PM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 96
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Iunderstand your point of non game wildlife management and a good point you made. In fact I just read your message and talked to a real - estate guy that we do some work for. He is apart of a large lake development they are putting in near my place. I got your message and then sent him a email regarding whether they have thought about putting in nature trails, and such like that for their development. In fact they have and designed development in floria and fona, so that is a really good point you made and idea you came up with.
For me it is something that I just want to start broadening out in to not only timber management elements for landowners but helping landowners enjoy their property regardless of timber management. I enjoy that as well and want to be able to make a living doing everything that I love to do. So, I appreciate this communication and feel that it is definitely worth while to talk to many people and be able to get their ideas. Thanks
For me it is something that I just want to start broadening out in to not only timber management elements for landowners but helping landowners enjoy their property regardless of timber management. I enjoy that as well and want to be able to make a living doing everything that I love to do. So, I appreciate this communication and feel that it is definitely worth while to talk to many people and be able to get their ideas. Thanks
10-28-2008, 03:12 PM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 96
RE: A consulting forester wants to do more wildlife services..
Timbercruiser I did get your PM and I replied to it. I hope you recieved that. It is very interesting stuff for sure. Keep me posted on how the progress is going, it sounds like a very positive "project" or process.