WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I just finished this excellent book, written in the 1950s by Anthropologist Omer Stewart. I have to admit that it was both enlightening and depressing. It was enlightening in that Stewart shines a light on how significant Native American fires were on the growthContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Came across this monster red oak near a trail in Sundown Wild Forest. Check out those trunk flares near the base. Notice the double-leader on this behemoth. This was probably a stump-sprout from a cut tree back in the mid to late 1800s, perhapsContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Been working on a leather laptop case for my wife’s computer. The leather was from a doe taken in 2022 and tanned using hemlock bark. Just glad to see it used for something. My wife sure is getting good at that sewing too; LotsContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Thursday, January 25th marked my first boil of the 2024 Maple Sugaring Season. Although last week was quite “wintry” with cold temperatures freezing everything up, this week and the foreseeable forecast is quite “maply.” Highs are climbing into the 40s and freezing at night,Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Finally got some winter weather. This photo was taken on the Shawangunk Ridge in Cragsmoor, Ulster County. Here, we are reducing the height of an overgrown pear tree. In the other photo we’re pruning an old apple tree riddled with bear damage. As I’veContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Somehow came across this blog online where people across the country had submitted old hunting photos. Many of them were intriguing for a variety of reasons, mainly the size of bucks taken back in the day. It wasn’t just their antlers, but their massContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The 2024 Apple Tree Pruning season has begun at CFA. We are scheduled to prune every day from early January into early April. Since doing this pruning program 5 or so years ago, we sure do get to know winter in the Catskills. LastContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Lots of rain the last few days. Something I’ve been fascinated by is the build-up of foam in a stream after heavy rain. I wondered what caused it. According to the Ausable River Association, “Foam build-up is more prevalent in streams and rivers after rainfallContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Every deer has something unique or peculiar about them. This buck had broad paddle-like antlers at the base of his main-beam tines, kind of like a moose; Photos don’t really do it justice though. I have seen this trait on a few Catskill deerContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Another deer hunting season is in the books–or more accurately–the freezer. The deer I got had a good amount of fat on them indicating decent health, which is good to see; most likely from abundant acorns where I was. My second daughter Maple seemsContinue Reading