Blog

What age pines is the best to buy?

By Tom Brickman on December 28, 2014

Landowner question:

I am 46 years old—at what stage in the life cycle should I be looking at pines?  5 years old?  cutover?  20 year old pines?  Trying to get an understanding of where I should purchase in the 30 year cycle of loblolly pines.  Also—I am a hunter and hope to be able to deer/turkey hunt on the land as well as have some small food plots, etc.  Also, is there a good mix of pine/hardwood I should look for since I do want to have deer and turkey present on my land?

Forester reply:

Since you’re 46 I’d aim for 10 to 15 year old pines.  Buy them right before they are big enough to thin.  This puts you near the first-thin income and the first “jump” in product class (to chip n saw from pulpwood).  A mix of hardwood with your pine is always good for hunting.  But there is a trade-off between best hunting (mostly hardwood) and best financial return (mostly planted pine).  You’ll have to decide on the blend that fits you best.  Good luck.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured Blog Posts

Conservation Easements – the good and the bad

By Tom Brickman on October 8, 2021

Conservation easements are a tool landowners can use to raise…
Read More

How Not To Sell Timber

By Tom Brickman on July 12, 2018

Decisions of how and when to sell timber are difficult…
Read More