Woods & Wildlife Forestry has worked with Pennsylvania landowners for years—people who love their land, who hunt it, hike it, and want to leave it better than they found it. And if there’s one habit that sets successful woodland owners apart, it’s this: they keep a timber management notebook.
A simple notebook or folder dedicated to your property can make a big difference. Whether your goal is managing for wildlife, planning a future harvest, or simply keeping track of what’s happening in your woods, good records will help you make informed decisions and increase the long-term value of your land.
Why Keep a Timber Management Notebook?
Woodlands are living systems. Trees grow and compete. Wildlife activity changes with the seasons. Storms hit, markets shift, and management actions add up. Without some way to track all this, it’s easy to lose the big picture.
Too often, landowners forget when their last harvest took place, who they hired, what they paid, or how long a project took. Notes from a few years back can make the difference between repeating a mistake or building on past success.
Documenting your management shows care and foresight. It can be valuable when evaluating timber potential or passing the land to the next generation.
What Information Should You Track
- Forest Management Activities: Timber harvest dates, thinning or tree planting, species control, trail building
- Natural Events: Note storm damage, pest outbreaks, flooding or erosion
- Financial and Legal Documentation: Contract and timber sale agreements, tax documents such as a Clean & Green enrollment, surveys, and property maps
- Wildlife and Habitat Observations: Deer patterns, scrapes, bedding areas, trail camera notes, food plots and mixes, new habitat features
- Time and Labor: Time spent managing land, personal work hours, seasonal visit observations
- Important Contacts: Foresters ( like Woods & Wildlife Forestry), loggers, attorneys, neighbors, local hunters with permissions
Why It Matters
Keeping a timber management notebook offers several long-term benefits for landowners. It supports better decision-making by providing a clear record of past actions, helping to guide future work and avoid repeated mistakes. A documented management history can also increase the value of your property by improving timber sale prospects and demonstrating responsible stewardship. For those focused on wildlife, tracking activity over time helps fine-tune habitat projects for better results.
And perhaps most importantly, maintaining these records creates a legacy. Future generations will benefit from knowing the land’s history and understanding how it was managed and cared for.
Get Started with Help from Woods & Wildlife Forestry
For landowners who want to do it right, Woods & Wildlife Forestry offers more than just advice—we help property owners set goals, walk the land, and build practical forest management plans rooted in experience.
Getting a timber management notebook started is often the first step in turning good intentions into a long-term woodland legacy. Whether the focus is timber value, wildlife habitat, or both, Woods & Wildlife Forestry helps Pennsylvania landowners take the guesswork out of managing their woods.
Ready to increase your property value?
Schedule your FREE forestry consultation: 717-921-0170