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our wood

Ratcatcher

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yesterday we had planned to do some light work at our woods, but it was so lovely when we arrived, we binned that idea and just spend a few hours walking within, lots of bluebells and other new growth, saw areas that we hadn't seen yet, a few dead standing trees that will need felling, and wildlife, walking past some bramble, heard some rustling, thinking it was rabbit, moved in for a closer look, to find three wee little fox cubs, they posed long enough for pictures, then scarpered had a look around but couldn't find a den, as we could off set up a trail camera

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the video is a little shaky to start (missus using camera,lol) but watch and you'll see

 

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Cool :)

Quick question, you say you saw some dead standing trees which need felling. Why do they need felling? Just because they're dead standing? Big part of a woodlands habitat are dead trees, especially standing ones. Lots of animals use them for housing/food etc, remove dead standing and any woodpeckers in the wood will be stuffed :) You will lose some bio-diversity by removing them

If theres a "real" reason to fell them, such as they may be leaning in such a way that when the fell they would cause damage to property then no worries, but i find that unlikely. :)
 
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no woodland management has been done there for a very long time, we purchased in jan/feb, good dead trees will certainly be left, but we have a few that are badly leaning over PRW or are rotten at bottom, and leaving them to fall themselves could/would damage healthy trees close by
 
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Woodlands dont really need managing :) Unless you want to make money from it. Best thing for a wood is for it to be left to develop naturally. Us keeping out of them is far better for them than us "managing" them :)

But thats unlikely to happen :) We enjoy them too much. So they must suffer from the human infection :D
 
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I beg to differ a little there, ditch water run off's get filled with dead leaves, water overflows forming bog areas, trees then rot, if left, we'd end up with a boggy moss filled field, also keeping areas cleared actually encourages more wildlife
 
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Oh i'm not saying don't do anything. Depends how you want it. :)

Its all swings both ways though. A boggy area brings in new flora and fauna that like those condition, but you may lose a bit of what you have a lot of for it. Clearing an area will bring in other wildlife, at the expense of others. Its not and never will be a win win situation. :) Nature tends to take its own course anyway, and will continue to do so despite your best efforts. One day you wont be there to manage it, and it will end up as it was before you started :) What nature wants, it gets eventually. :)

I tend to diversify the woodlands i use, i introduce new plants and increase the natural food supply for both people and animals, nothing random though, all researched. I'll thin out a stand of trees if over crowded but only minimally to encourage the development of the stand into strong healthy maturity etc. I'll plant oaks amid Birch and Ash as that is the natural progression of a woodland. The Birch and Ash "fix" the soil to allow the development of slower growing trees which have more complex nutritional needs. i'm just giving it a helping hand. I work to see them grow and develop, so i'm in no way against managing it. Most folk tend to try bring nature to order though - and as i'm sure you will know, it'll never happen :)

There is an interconnectivity of life systems within a woodland, some species require the aid of other species to survive. Personally i find it fascinating. :)
 
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There is a middle path between management and wilding, anyone who thinks that most of the British countryside is "natural" is sadly mistaken. Our landscape has been managed for a succession of purposes for so long that we no longer understand what wild truly is.
If you want to see truly wild forest would have been like then you need to get off the beaten track in Central Europe or "the Trossachs"
 
... If you want to see truly wild forest would have been like then you need to get off the beaten track in Central Europe or "the Trossachs"
a bit further afield but Northern Canada -- especially British Columbia if i do say so myself -- is a great place to see a good lot of unmanaged woodlands. admittedly much of it was logged off in and around the beginning of the 20th century but since then a fair bit has been left to regrow unmolested. most of it is what people would call "a mess" but the wildlife seems to manage just fine. ;) i also seen a bit of ancient old growth forest and it too is "a mess" but on a much grander scale. not saying any of this as a comment on woodland management here in the UK. different horse, different course.

speaking of "seeing" wild forest there are a number of excellent U-tubers from Central and Eastern Europe -- Romania in particular for some reason -- that wander about in some breathtaking forests that are relatively undisturbed. WildGreen Johanna is one of my favs:
 
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WildGreen Johanna is one of my favs:

Johanna's a good find Teef, there's another You Tube girl who is very impressive with her woodland skills, Anni 4x4.
I have a feeling she is Azerbaijani or from that area, but some of her videos feature Spanish language, so possibly she's not filming in her own land. Not sure, but she makes some good videos, in my opinion.
 
quite so Sax, ani4x4 is also excellent. i believe she is Armenian, lives in northern Spain with her husband and 2 (?) kids. she is a superb bushcrafter but hasn't posted much over the past several months or so. the recent war in Armenia was heartbreaking for her, not to mention the threat to the family she still has there (if i've understood correctly from her postings on the subject).
 
Just spotted your reply Teef. Armenian ..Yep makes sense, I've only seen her Bush Craft vids, but I know she posted something about war in her homeland.
Now, Johnna intrigues me... In the close up shots in her videos She has the facial bone structure and skin of a fashion model. I know she wears gloves often but her hands look like an Artist's or Librarian's hands ! Not someone who builds shelters, and impressive ones at that..in the woods.

Years ago I attended a very interesting lecture by an FBI Agent, a lady, on Body Language, mannerisms, stance, posture etc: Basically tips on recognising Terry the terrorist male or female, in a crowd, and so I can't help but observe what appears 'Out of place' when I watch her videos. Even wearing what looks like a surplus jacket and carrying a big back pack she could not be mistaken for a bloke, even at a distance. Watch the way her arms swing from her waist when she walks...especially over rough ground.
A Butch Bush Crafter she is most definitely not..Just a very knowledgeable and able Female one. 👍

She's Vegetarian I notice and obviously knows her wild foods, although I wouldn't fancy any of the Gloop that she cooks up or her dodgy scented Tea concoctions..😆
I like the very Bush Crafty unfashionable little Fiskars hatchet she sometimes carries, and the fact that she obviously loves and cares for the woods and wildlife.
I confess I'm guilty of binge watching her You Tube videos. I'm impressed, she makes such a welcome change from Jack the Lad stealth camping with his Smart phone and £850 sleeping bag....😄
 
agreed, she's certainly not your run of the mill bushcrafter. i had assumed she was a bookish type given her fairly thorough readings of Thoreau and Muir, the Bagavad Gita and suchlike. no doubt about her body language being a bit unusual though. not saying i know bugger all about reading body language but it doesn't take 30 seconds watching her to see that she carries herself very deliberately, like someone who's been trained to do so (a model perhaps) or someone who's spent a lot of time in physiotherapy or the like.

funny thing about her gear: she says most of the fancy stuff was donated to her by viewers. when she started she had some pretty basic stuff. now she's pretty well kitted out. i guess the Youtube game can have its perks. i ran across a 'tuber that does coffee stuff the other day. the bugger makes £15000 a month off Patreon alone!
 
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Yep, You Tube is a good earner for some people. It may be my cynical view, but as the individuals get more hooked by the big kit suppliers, I feel their video content gets poorer, and often turns into a 20 minute product advertisement.

The manufacturers are quick to spot a cheap method of advertising, no overheads just off load the latest super dooper torch onto someone with 20,000 viewers and they are bound to get multiple sales...for the cost of a Torch give away.

The Patreon game is clever. Some folk just have a desire " to belong" to something, anything, Fan Club, Face Book group, Forum even, and perhaps being a Patreon really feels like they are involved in Bush Craft.
Having said that, good luck to them Patreons or You Tubers, if one gets satisfaction and the other extra money then I wish them success. 😊
 
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i have to admit that i'm one of those Patreon people, a giver that is. my thoughts are that i've learned a shed-load of stuff from knifemakers, woodworkers, welders, general DIYers, professional builders and yes, even a few bushcrafters and i'm happy to donate a few quid a month to encourage them to keep doing their thing.

for years i'd always imagined that Youtube was a bog-hole for those with too much time and no imagination but lock-down has taught me otherwise. i've always been a bit of a dabbler in woodworking and such but what i've seen and learned on Youtube this past year has me now making my own bushcraft gear and i'm even gearing up to make a few blades for spoon-carving, bushcraft and suchlike. i guess the Patreon thing is just a way to say "thanks" to the folks i'll never see in person but that have helped and inspired me along the way. of course one has to be picky and choosy about such things but that's not bad advice for life in general imho. ;)
 
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Yep, You Tube is a good earner for some people. It may be my cynical view, but as the individuals get more hooked by the big kit suppliers, I feel their video content gets poorer, and often turns into a 20 minute product advertisement.

The manufacturers are quick to spot a cheap method of advertising, no overheads just off load the latest super dooper torch onto someone with 20,000 viewers and they are bound to get multiple sales...for the cost of a Torch give away.

The Patreon game is clever. Some folk just have a desire " to belong" to something, anything, Fan Club, Face Book group, Forum even, and perhaps being a Patreon really feels like they are involved in Bush Craft.
Having said that, good luck to them Patreons or You Tubers, if one gets satisfaction and the other extra money then I wish them success. 😊
There are a couple of guys I unsubscribed to as I thought they were getting too 'slick'. When they start 'acting' almost it just seems false to me. Each to their own and good luck to those who want to or can make enough cash from it.

i have to admit that i'm one of those Patreon people, a giver that is. my thoughts are that i've learned a shed-load of stuff from knifemakers, woodworkers, welders, general DIYers, professional builders and yes, even a few bushcrafters and i'm happy to donate a few quid a month to encourage them to keep doing their thing.

for years i'd always imagined that Youtube was a bog-hole for those with too much time and no imagination but lock-down has taught me otherwise. i've always been a bit of a dabbler in woodworking and such but what i've seen and learned on Youtube this past year has me now making my own bushcraft gear and i'm even gearing up to make a few blades for spoon-carving, bushcraft and suchlike. i guess the Patreon thing is just a way to say "thanks" to the folks i'll never see in person but that have helped and inspired me along the way. of course one has to be picky and choosy about such things but that's not bad advice for life in general imho. ;)
A good post Teef, makes sense, while I've not done any youtube patreon stuff, I do like to contribute to forums that I frequent, I know they're not cheap to run and I use the same principle as yourself about learning etc, even this place when we're just spraffing pish is still entertaining so I don't grudge chipping in.
 
I entirely agree with you both, nothing wrong with contributing to those who genuinely entertain, inform or provide Forums.
I went to a Boatyard and enquired about costs for a job on my 4 hp outboard engine, I lost interest when he got to £200 then there's this and that extra....
You Tube to the rescue ! A couple of rubber seals and some new gear oil + 2 hours with the spanners and it saved me a fortune.
Not owning a TV and occasionally needing a break from books, I've given the You Tube channels a real hammering over the past year. I've learned a lot too 👍
 
I entirely agree with you both, nothing wrong with contributing to those who genuinely entertain, inform or provide Forums.
I went to a Boatyard and enquired about costs for a job on my 4 hp outboard engine, I lost interest when he got to £200 then there's this and that extra....
You Tube to the rescue ! A couple of rubber seals and some new gear oil + 2 hours with the spanners and it saved me a fortune.
Not owning a TV and occasionally needing a break from books, I've given the You Tube channels a real hammering over the past year. I've learned a lot too 👍
I've used youtube for all sorts of stuff, even if I think I know how to do something I'll have a wee nose to make sure and/or learn a better or easier way. Its a brilliant resource.
 
I’m under the same view.... YouTube has a wealth of knowledge and I use it frequently, am a learner I can’t be taught.... I actually have to put two hands on something and do ,until I’ve gained the skill and YouTube provides a view then do approach rather than someone over my shoulder explaining to much detail for my wee head to absorb lol
 
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I’m under the same view.... YouTube has a wealth of knowledge and I use it frequently, am a learner I can’t be taught.... I actually have to put my two hands on something and do ,until I’ve gained the skill and YouTube provides a view then do approach rather than someone over my shoulder explaining to much detail for my wee head to absorb lol


:rolleyes:🤭🤭🥵
 
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