Big Dogris

We can donate to he Institute for Justice. IJ.org. They represent these landowners free of charge. They are supported across the country by donations from patriots.

We can also spread the word, tell our representatives about it, etc

Jasper Mac is correct on price and trees per acre. About $125 for 605-622. Yes that’s for labor and seedlings. If you have enough ground to get it done at economy of scale

Juvenile blue grosbeak

I’m a forester. 2023 was a brutal year for pine mortality from drought and beetles, which were made worse by the drought due to highly stressed trees. There are two primary types of bark beetles in sw MS: southern pine beetles and Ips engraver beetles. Both types were active in 2023, but most of what I have seen the past few months have been engraver beetles. Unfortunately, there is no good control for them. Usually, and fortunately, they go away on their own. Southern pine beetles are the ones you need to cut a buffer around.

Burning the trees won’t help. In fact there are beneficial, predatory beetles that will reproduce in the beetle-killed trees, so it is actually beneficial to leave the dead ones standing as habitat for the good beetles.

Call the MS forestry commission or a local consulting forester to see what type of beetle you have and whether or not you should do anything.

I feel for you. It has been a really tough past year.

Cootkilla those are great! Keep the old names alive.

A few more:

Grebe= helldiver = sac a plomb
Night heron = Grosbec
Canvasback = canard cheval

I grew up with and still use the old Cajun names for the birds as well. One I don’t hear anymore is that mallards were often called French Ducks and French hens by the old timers in the late 70s and 80s.