Winter is the Perfect Time for a Forest Checkup

By Jennifer Hunt (Content Writer) and Shane Fuller (Certified Wildlife Biologist)

Just as you might schedule an annual visit with a physician, landowners should schedule a forest checkup with their AFM forester. Although it may seem counterintuitive, winter is an excellent time to perform a forest assessment as it gives land managers a special look at forest conditions. The bare tree canopy in deciduous forests makes it easier for foresters to perform key management tasks, including boundary marking, trail maintenance, and more. Landowners can partner with their AFM forester and use this opportunity to stay ahead of maintenance, improve wildlife habitat, and ensure long-term forest vitality.

What winter reveals: invasive species and storm damage

When the trees have shed all their leaves and understory growth is dormant, foresters and land managers have increased visibility across the landscape. As such, it’s easier for land managers to notice if something is amiss, including the presence of invasive species and signs of storm damage. When native vegetation is dormant, invasive species like evergreen English ivy, English holly, and laurel stand out among the brown decay on the forest floor. Invasive insects also make themselves known through overwintering egg masses or larvae under the bark. For instance, the emerald ash borer presents through bark splitting and S-shaped galleries created by the larvae. There may also be woodpecker damage to the tree, which manifests in large patches of missing bark.

As foresters evaluate storm damage, they look for the following things:

• Broken or hanging limbs (widowmakers): These are safety hazards and indicators that the tree is under stress. They can also signal places for future insect infestation and rot.
• Uprooted or leaning trees: In areas that may retain water or be prone to high winds, leaning trees can indicate root plate failure, which makes them vulnerable for the following season.
• Split or cracked stems: Cycles of freezing and thawing and windstorms can cause vertical splits. Foresters evaluate whether the tree can recover or if it poses a risk of being left in the stand.

The increased visibility of winter allows for these assessments to take place more easily, and foresters can take action and create a management plan to address any issues. Winter doesn’t just reveal the condition of the trees, but it also tells the story of the wildlife that depends on them. With leaves gone and snow or soft soil underfoot, signs of animal activity become much easier to interpret.

Tracking wildlife in the winter landscape

Wildlife makes itself known in various ways in the winter landscape, and this allows foresters and land managers to write a plan that enhances their habitat. Foresters look for tracks and trails, browsing signs, feeding sites, burrows and cavities, and beds and resting sites.

• Tracks and trails: Several species leave clear prints in the snow or on the soft ground, including foxes, deer, turkey, and rabbits. Persistent trails often highlight habitat corridors.
• Browsing signs: Deer produce ragged, torn twigs and stems, rabbits create clean, angled cuts from sharp incisors, and squirrels debark seedling stems.
• Feeding sites: Several signs show wildlife is feeding in a particular area, including turkey scratching in leaf litter, scattered pine cone scales beneath conifer trees, and woodpecker activity on snags.
• Burrows and cavities: Snow creates a contrast that highlights entry holes at the base of logs, stumps, and brush piles, communicating that small animals may use the area.
• Beds or resting sites: Deer beds in snow or grass show where animals are sheltered, which often indicates valuable thermal cover.

The evidence these animals leave behind is often more clearly seen in the winter, and their presence allows foresters and land managers to improve their habitat. Beyond ecological assessments, winter also creates ideal conditions for practical maintenance tasks that are essential to protecting a property long-term. Two of the most important are boundary marking and trail upkeep.

Keeping your property defined and accessible

Winter is an excellent time to check boundary markings and performance trail maintenance. During the winter, property lines are dramatically easier to see and navigate, especially as sightlines open up. Foresters can follow old blazes, find survey corners, and identify where line markings have faded or disappeared. They may also look for corner monuments (rebar, posts, stones) that need to be confirmed or reflagged, encroachments or issues like neighboring tree cuts, debris piles, or fences creeping over the line, and gaps in posted signs, which is especially important for tracts used for hunting leases.

Once foresters have identified any of these issues, they will repaint boundary lines, refresh or create blaze cuts when permitted by the landowner, and replace existing signage or add new signage, such as no trespassing signs or hunting lease signs. Additionally, they may flag unclear segments for a surveyor if discrepancies are found, and they will document GPS points to update property maps or management plans.

Regarding trail maintenance, trails, logging roads, and firebreaks often become more visible after leaf fall. The cooler temperatures and firm ground in the winter make it easier and safer for foresters to access remote corners of a property. Foresters look for downed limbs or storm debris that block road access, ruts or erosion caused by fall rains, saturated or muddy sections that may need culverts or water diversion, and overgrown areas where vegetation creeps onto the trail.

Solutions to these issues include clearing limbs and accumulated debris, trimming perimeter branches that narrow access routes, and installing or repairing water bars or small drainage features. It may be necessary to spot-gravel muddy sections to improve all-weather access, and mark trails clearly for future management work or recreational activities.

This kind of management is proactive rather than reactive, which is a smart way to keep a property functional, legally secure, and ready for spring operations like planting, thinning, prescribed burning, or harvest planning.

Why your winter checkup works best with an AFM forester

Partnering with a professional forester ensures that your winter checkup becomes more than a seasonal chore; it becomes a strategic investment in the long-term health and value of your land. Foresters bring trained eyes, advanced tools, and deep knowledge to every visit, spotting subtle issues and opportunities that are easy for landowners to miss. They connect what’s happening on the ground to broader management goals, whether a landowner is focused on wildlife habitat, timber production, recreation, or legacy planning. With a forester by the landowner’s side, winter becomes a season where you can move into the new year knowing your forest is on the right track.