By Bill Gray

Many landowners seek the assistance of a professional wildlife biologist because they want to “do something to help wildlife on their property.”

In many cases, their desire is to increase numbers of their favorite species and, subsequently, to improve hunting conditions for those species. Too often, a meeting between a landowner and a biologist amounts to only a brief discussion about what to plant, when to plant it, and how many animals should be harvested. When the conversation turns to managing the entire landscape, many landowners place wildlife habitat management and forest management in separate boxes never to be co-mingled.

Habitat management should involve a broad spectrum of things that may include food plot management.

The truth is that wildlife habitat management and forest management are inextricably bound – for better or worse. While much is made of the role of managing wildlife openings, this practice provides a very limited impact on the overall suitability of wildlife habitat. Nothing plays a larger role in providing essential wildlife habitat requirements than active forest management.

The fact that 90 percent of a 500-acre tract is comprised of 8-year-old loblolly pine plantations clearly impacts whether the land provides key habitat elements such as diversity, food production and cover types in sufficient quantities to meet the seasonal needs of a variety of wildlife species. A unit of habitat fitting the previous description is certainly a legitimate option for landowners who are interested in maximizing the economic capacity of their lands. However, landowners should note that when one set of interests is selected for, other interests are selected against. This is an undeniable law of resource management.

For landowners interested in balancing economic interests with wildlife and recreational interests, there are resource management options that provide both aspects of management with consideration sufficient to produce the proverbial “win-win” arrangement. The most desirable approach to achieving balance in resource management begins with careful planning before significant management activities (such as timber harvest or reforestation) are implemented.

All too often, a landowner will conduct large-scale timber harvests, reforest the harvest units for maximum production, then contact a wildlife biologist to answer the question, “What can I do for wildlife now that I’m done with my timber management?” Frequently, the answer is, “Not much, now.”

A better solution involves consulting with a competent resource management team comprised of a professional wildlife biologist and a professional forester before large-scale habitat modifications are made. During this planning phase, landowner goals can be clearly stated and understood. Once a clear understanding is established among all involved, the biologist and forester can work together to devise and implement a sustainable plan for providing both timber income and suitable wildlife habitat.

The mix of components involved in producing such a model is fairly straightforward. It all begins at ground level, with identifying soil properties and planting site-suited timber species. It involves minimizing “black out” time in pine plantations by using a wider spacing when planting and by thinning stands as early as practical and as heavily as is required for a multiple-use approach. It requires understanding that all hardwoods aren’t the same in terms of the benefits they provide to wildlife, that they aren’t sacred relics and that they require management just like pine species. It requires the judicious use of prescribed fire and, often, selective herbicides to develop or improve both timber production and wildlife habitat health. It requires an understanding of the habitat requirements of target wildlife species, an understanding of basic forestry principles, and a willingness to integrate both in an effort to achieve that near perfect balance commonly known as stewardship.

Quite simply, the act of compartmentalizing forest management and wildlife management is a case of not seeing or refusing to see the larger picture. It is a sort of tunnel vision that management professionals on either side of the fence can no longer afford. To best assist landowners who are open to the possibilities of an integrated approach to resource management, forest management and wildlife management should be considered as two interconnected aspects of the complex amalgam we refer to as habitat management.

After all, that’s exactly what’s being accomplished … for better or for worse.

Bill Gray is a Supervising Wildlife Biologist for the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

If you have any questions or would like a tour of this project or to discuss a project on your property, give me a call or an send an email.

Steve Chilcote
814-360-4510
schilcote1223@gmail.com

Cleared Strip Mine Field with Lots of Stone

This stony field cannot be worked with tillage equipment comfortably. If we want to plant, mow and till, we have to get it smoothed out so we can work it. The hunt club tried picking rock by hand but it was futile – like trying to empty a lake with a thimble. So, we had to bring out the big Rock Rake.

Rock Rake Attachment

This machine is usually used to windrow stones in agricultural fields to be picked up with a rock picker. Since the plots are narrow and small .6 acres, I tried using it to sweep the stones off to the side.

After many passes the plots started to look pretty good

6 hours of running this thing and eating dust, I was able to get a pretty good – looking food plot ready for planting.

Beech Saplings Befor TSI Cutting

When timber in the Northern Hardwoods forest type (Cherry, maple, beech, birch) are harvested or otherwise stressed, the beech trees send up thousands of root suckers to gather more sunlight. This brush can take over the entire understory, leaving no light for desirable growth. Beech are shade tolerant while more valuable species such as cherry and oak are not. They need full sunlight for a good part of the day in the spring to grow.

On State land in New York, we always take care of TSI and regeneration work any time there is a timber sale. This should be done on any private harvest as well, but is rarely done, causing the degradation of timber growth in the US.

The side effect of beech cutting is that we can create some escape and bedding cover for deer and get some sunlight on the ground for growth of browse, forbes and grass.

Understory after cutting beech brush

This job is up high on a mountain east of Cayuga Lake. Lake effect snow here has driven the deer out and down to lower elevation – I didn”t see any tracks the first day of cutting. Interestingly, the next morning, I noticed many deer beds at the edge of the cutting. The chain saw in winter is a dinner bell to deer. The poor things came to the sound of the saw looking for some nice red maple buds to eat but there was only beech brush. I have seen browsing on beech but rarely as it is not palatable. They didn’t receive a meal but the deer felt comfortable bedding with the thick brush from the cutting to their backs.
The lesson learned here is two fold – one is that logging work attracts deer when there is snow on the ground and deer like to bed with thick brush behind and a good view in front.
I once was talking with an old-timer while working in the Adirondacks who had a garage full of big antlers thrown here and there. As I examined one of the biggest racks I asked him to tell me how to go about getting one of these big Adirondack deer. “Drop a soft maple” he said. “When they hear the saw they come to feed on the top.” He had one big buck with a 24 inch spread ten point rack mounted. I asked him to tell me the story of how he got that one, expecting to hear an exciting story of woodsmanship and hunting skill, but I was disappointed: “I was sleeping in the cabin and when I woke up from my nap and looked out the window, he was walking past, so I shot him.” I’d rather be lucky than good I guesse.
I never got a big buck when I lived up there, but I can tell you that on tracts we owned that had multiple hunting leases, the club who leased on the part we were harvesting had extremely high success rates while the other clubs did poorly. So, get out your chainsaw this winter and do some TSI.
This is hard, dangerous work (I have had most of my ribs and several vertebrae broken). If you want to hire it done, give me a call and I will give you a per/acre price and do it right.

Steve Chilcote
814-360-4510
schilcote1223@gmail.com

Check out this website for more info on TSI: http://fw.ky.gov/timber.asp

In Norther Hardwood forest types in Northeast PA and New York, we often have problems with heavy beech understory. This is caused by the beech trees being stressed by disease and previous harvest activities. When a beech tree is stressed, it sends up root suckers and these can take over the entire understory, shading out everything else that would otherwise grow there. So, we cut them. On State land in New York, all harvesting must be accompanied by TSI and regeneration work (as it should on all harvesting activities). This opens up the canopy to allow regeneration of desirable species such as sugar maple, black cherry and oak. Harvesting without the TSI work results in a stand of beech brush that will never grow into a valuable timber stand.
The secondary benefit is that we create a thicket of beech tops that will attract deer to use the area as cover.

For the second time this spring, the subject of planting corn in a food plot came up. One plot was for a WHIP funded project that would be planted under a power line. The other was on top of a mountain on old strip-mined land. Both areas are relatively small at about an acre to an acre and a half.

As attractive as corn is to game, in non-agriculture areas, poor soils and small plots, it is a waste of time, money and effort. By the time hunting season rolls around, the corn will be all gone and fail to attract anything. Corn takes a tremendous amount of energy to make. All competition must be removed from the field; copious amounts of fertilizer are needed, especially expensive nitrogen and most of the plant is not palatable. Better to buy corn and put it in a feeder – but only if you mix in some alfalfa pellets and roasted soybeans to make it a healthy ration.

My motto is – corn is for cows.

I will talk about food plot systems in another article. For now, I will say that the most important food plot plants I put in are hybrid brassicas and forage oats. Notice I wrote hybrid brassicas and forage oats. Hybrid brassica is a cross between rape and turnip. It doesn’t make a bulb but puts more of its energy into making green tops. It also can survive browse pressure better than turnips and they are more palatable. I don’t even bother with turnips any more. They are sold in seed mixes of the major brands – t-raptor is one trade name and I use one I can buy without the high price. They are the same.

I tried forage oats many years ago and was really impressed with the attraction on a fall plot. There were no acorns in the woods that year where I planted them and deer crowded the food plot. There are multiple varieties of these as well.

But Steve…what about clover? Clover is over-rated but still an important part of your food plot strategy. The problems with clover are: it can be tough to establish, it comes up a little late in the spring and goes dormant in the hot dry weather, then freezes out after a few hard frosts. Brassica and oats will be attractive all through hunting season. I put clover in all my plantings in case what I planted doesn’t work out due to weather or overbrowsing. Clover can sit in the soil a long time until the environment is right for it to grow. I use Alice clover since it seems to be more palatable and attractive to deer, lasts a long time and grows in marginal soil.

If you have a limited amount of space, these are your best bets. But, keep in mind that brassicas and oats are annuals. If you have more space, work grains into the system. More on that later.

If you would like to use my firm to replant your Right of Way into wildlife food and cover, you can work that into the Right of Way Agreement.
Call me if you need any advice on how to negotiate this. Also, if there is valuable timber in the right of way I will give you its total value. If timber is being managed for future growth and it is going to be into merchantable size over the next 20 years, I will “grow” your timber and estimate the volume when you had planned to harvest it. You are entitled to be compensated for this volume if you are actively managing your timber for profits.
Steve Chilcote 814-360-4510
schilcote1223@gmail.com

In 2008 the gas leasing boom was at its peak. Landowners throughout the Marcellus region of Pennsylvania were approached with Oil and Gas Leases, and thanks to the efforts of the Penn State Cooperative Extension educators, many landowners had a good idea of the potential pitfalls in signing a lease and the importance of legal counsel.
Now, many of the same landowners who signed a lease are being requested to sign a Pipeline Right-of–Way Agreement. The need for pipelines is readily apparent – gas companies are drilling hundreds of wells, but in many cases are unable to transport gas production due to the lack of pipeline infrastructure, or because existing lines are already at maximum capacity.
Landowners should understand that the provisions of a pipeline agreement are negotiable, just as terms of the oil and gas lease they signed were open to modification. In fact, while it has become increasingly difficult to negotiate favorable gas lease terms as the competition for leases has decreased, the gas companies are often willing to work with property owners on pipeline agreement terms. It is absolutely critical for the drillers to develop the pipeline infrastructure, so landowners are in a good position to negotiate.
As always, a landowner’s ability to negotiate a favorable contract will depend on a variety of factors, including the location and size of the parcel and the drilling activity in the area. The issues of concern in signing a pipeline agreement will vary among landowners, but there are a number of common issues that will be important for almost all property owners to consider before allowing pipeline construction on their land.
Payment – As the Marcellus play has matured, payments for pipelines have increased in a manner similar to the dramatic increases in cash bonus payments for leases. In most cases landowners will be paid based on the length of the right-of-way calculated in linear feet. Compensation of $15 per foot is not uncommon, and in some cases pipeline companies have paid substantially more. The landowner may also request an additional payment as compensation for surface damages. The Internal Revenue Service construes payment for the actual right-of-way as capital gains, while the payment for surface damages is taxed as ordinary income. It is advisable for landowners to consult an accountant in regard to questions about taxation of payments under a pipeline agreement.
Location – Landowners should always retain the right to control where on their property the pipeline will be placed. A detailed map showing the location of the proposed pipeline should be included as part of the agreement and there should be no deviation from the location as shown on the map without the landowner’s consent.
Number of Pipelines – Most right-of-way agreements will give the gas company the right to place multiple pipelines on the property and will also allow the company to place additional pipelines on the right-of-way in the future with no additional compensation to the landowner. If the landowner is amenable to multiple pipelines, the company should be requested to provide payment for each pipeline; the cumulative payment may exceed $50 per foot. The agreement should state that the company may not place additional pipelines in the future without a separate written agreement, thus giving the landowner the opportunity to negotiate further compensation at that time.
Natural Gas Only – The agreement should allow transportation through the pipeline of natural gas and associated non-liquid hydrocarbons only.
Water Line – One of the major, very legitimate complaints about Marcellus development is increased truck traffic on local roads. A substantial portion of the traffic arises from transportation of water to well sites for hydrofracking. In an effort to reduce truck traffic, many companies are now placing surface lines in the area of existing pipeline right-of-ways to move water from impoundments to well sites. Many pipeline agreements will specifically allow the pipeline company to place a surface water line on the property, or to include a buried water line along with the natural gas pipeline. If the landowner agrees to allow a surface water line, the agreement should specify the duration of time the line will be allowed and require removal of the line when the period of time is complete. The agreement should state that any water line can be used to transport clean water only, and prohibit transportation of waste water from hydrofracturing operations. As with additional gas pipelines, landowners may negotiate additional payment for placement of a surface or buried water line on the property.
Right-of-Way Construction – Pipeline agreements are typically generous to the company in the amount of land granted for the right-of-way. Landowners may negotiate a narrower right-of-way, reducing the total acreage granted for the easement. The agreement may also specify the pipeline depth and require conservation of topsoil for restoration of the site after construction is complete. If a driveway or road crosses the right-of-way, the property owner may request placement of a temporary crossing that will maintain access to the property during pipeline construction. Access to the area of construction should be restricted to where the right-of-way enters and exits the property, and the landowner may request placement of gates at the property boundaries to prevent use of the right-of-way as a recreational area by (intoxicated) neighbors riding ATVs.
Surface Facilities – Most right-of-way agreements will give the pipeline company the right to place various surface facilities on the property, including pipeline testing equipment such as pig launchers and catchers, and potentially even a compressor station. It may be hoped that the companies operating in the Marcellus would not attempt to place a compressor on the landowner’s property under the terms of a pipeline agreement. However, the landowner should request written clarification stating that no surface facility or above-ground equipment of any type will be placed on the premises without the landowner’s separate, written consent. If the landowner does not object to permanent surface construction, additional payment for the loss of use of the surface should be requested.
Landowner Indemnity – It is not difficult to imagine various scenarios where a person could be injured, or property damaged, as a result of pipeline construction operations. As the owner of the property where the injury occurred, the landowner could potentially be named as a party to a lawsuit if the injured party attempts to recover damages. Recognizing the potential for liability, landowners should always demand a strong indemnity clause in any pipeline agreement, requiring the pipeline company to defend any lawsuits and pay any claim for damages that arise as a result of its operations on the premises.
Timber and Crops – In many instances the proposed pipeline will cross areas with valuable timber or crop fields. However, the agreement presented to the landowner will typically be drafted so that the payment per foot is the total compensation, and will thus not require any additional payment for the diminution in value to the landowner when the trees and crops are cleared. Landowners who own property with timber or crops may request additional payment for trees harvested during pipeline construction and the loss of crops. The value of the timber in the area of the easement may be determined by appraisal prior to construction, and payment for crops should be based on the current fair-market value.
Restoration – Any pipeline agreement should require that the company restore the area of the right-of-way to pre-construction condition. The landowner may require that all large stumps and rocks be removed and that smaller brush is mulched. Many individuals request a specific seed mix for site restoration that will provide cover and grazing for wildlife. Farmers may request soil testing and subsequent fertilization to ensure that the area of the pipeline is restored to the same level of soil fertility as the neighboring fields. The pipeline company should be required to maintain the right-of-way in a clean condition after site restoration.
Termination of Easement – The pipeline agreement as drafted by the company will create a permanent easement for the right-of-way on the property. It would be preferable for the landowner to include verbiage terminating the easement when the pipeline is no longer being used to transport natural gas. With the potential for Marcellus wells to produce for over twenty years, and even greater potential if the Utica shale is developed, the easement granted in the pipeline agreement could continue for a very long time. Nevertheless, it is to the landowner’s advantage for the easement to terminate at some point, even if the date of termination is in the indefinite future. The landowner may also request that the pipeline company remove the pipeline and restore the property to pre-construction conditions at such time as the easement terminates.
Perhaps the most critical point for the landowner to keep in mind is the importance of consulting qualified legal counsel when negotiating a pipeline right-of-way agreement. The information provided above is of a very general nature and is intended only to highlight common concerns. Each landowner will have unique issues that should be discussed with an attorney and addressed in the pipeline negotiations.

We give medium capital investors a vehicle to make excellent short and long-range returns on their investment through buying land and mineral rights in hot areas where land prices and lease prices are skyrocketing then keeping mineral rights where drilling will take place in the future. Investors make money both on the land deals and on the future royalties.

Problem:
People would like to get into the gas boom in the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays but do not have an investment vehicle to do so.

Land investors have been cut off from bank credit and need capital available in order to make a move when the time is right. There are more good deals to buy than we have money to buy with.

Solution:
Our group is tapped into sources of property in the Utica, Marcellus, Wet Gas and Oil properties that are not on the conventional real estate market. We have already done the ground work to establish sources for land that will never hit the public market therefore, enabling us to make excellent deals on land. We have been actively involved in the market and have our own land investments, all leased and with drilled shale wells. From this experience, we can make even better investment decisions going forward and make both short-term and long-term investments that will pay excellent returns. We have a system set up to find the deals, complete due diligence and work the deals to maximize returns.
Land is the closest thing to a sure bet that there is – land will never be worth nothing. Any stock equity can be valued at zero at some point. The need for clean energy is a sure thing and the location of the energy source is a sure thing. The only unknown is when energy products will be produced from any particular location. Unless someone invents and is able to build a nuclear fusion electrical plant, we will be producing hydrocarbons from the Appalacian Basin for generations.

Who We Are:
We have 4 decades of combined real estate investment experience in the timber and land development area. Land investment is our soul source of income and we have been very successful over the years, earning millions of dollars for our investors.
As timber values declined and the Marcellus Shale Play unfolded we have had to learn, adapt and switch our focus. The Marcellus and Utica Shale Gas and other hydrocarbons have become the natural resource to replace timber that once made land investing lucrative. Lease and royalty income have far outpaced timber as a provider of ROI. These investments far outpace the Stock Market. We currently have experienced investment bankers invest heavily with us when they realize the kind of returns that are available.

Contact Us:
If you would like to find out more about what we are doing in the Oil and Gas Property field, please contact us. We will show you our track record, what we have going on at present and what the possibilities are for making money utilizing our experience.
Do Not Hesitate – We have attractive deals that need to be acted on very soon!

Call Steve Chilcote at 814-360-4510 or Bill Dittmar at 570-523-6324 right away!

We give medium capital investors a vehicle to make excellent short and long-range returns on their investment through buying land and mineral rights in hot areas where land prices and lease prices are skyrocketing then keeping mineral rights where drilling will take place in the future. Investors make money both on the land deals and on the future royalties.

Problem:
People would like to get into the gas boom in the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays but do not have an investment vehicle to do so.

Land investors have been cut off from bank credit and need capital available in order to make a move when the time is right. There are more good deals to buy than we have money to buy with.

Solution:
Our group is tapped into sources of property in the Utica, Marcellus, Wet Gas and Oil properties that are not on the conventional real estate market. We have already done the ground work to establish sources for land that will never hit the public market therefore, enabling us to make excellent deals on land. We have been actively involved in the market and have our own land investments, all leased and with drilled shale wells. From this experience, we can make even better investment decisions going forward and make both short-term and long-term investments that will pay excellent returns. We have a system set up to find the deals, complete due diligence and work the deals to maximize returns.
Land is the closest thing to a sure bet that there is – land will never be worth nothing. Any stock equity can be valued at zero at some point. The need for clean energy is a sure thing and the location of the energy source is a sure thing. The only unknown is when energy products will be produced from any particular location. Unless someone invents and is able to build a nuclear fusion electrical plant, we will be producing hydrocarbons from the Appalachian Basin for generations.

Who We Are:
We have 4 decades of combined real estate investment experience in the timber and land development area. Land investment is our soul source of income and we have been very successful over the years, earning millions of dollars for our investors.
As timber values declined and the Marcellus Shale Play unfolded we have had to learn, adapt and switch our focus. The Marcellus and Utica Shale Gas and other hydrocarbons have become the natural resource to replace timber that once made land investing lucrative. Lease and royalty income have far outpaced timber as a provider of ROI. These investments far outpace the Stock Market. We currently have experienced investment bankers invest heavily with us when they realize the kind of returns that are available.

Contact Us:
If you would like to find out more about what we are doing in the Oil and Gas Property field, please contact us. We will show you our track record, what we have going on at present and what the possibilities are for making money utilizing our experience.
Do Not Hesitate – We have attractive deals that need to be acted on very soon!

Call Steve Chilcote at 814-360-4510 or Bill Dittmar at 570-523-6324 right away!