Spray painted trees

[CrazyBaldArcher]

I was out squirrel hunting and saw several trees painted blue or orange or a combo of both. I was in a national forest (I double check the map and gps).

What do these mean?

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

Likely trees they are going to log off. Maybe they are Ash trees as they are taking them down all over the midwest right now.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Dewey]

Sorry just saw you are from Arkansas. May be the case down there too.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[CrazyBaldArcher]

Most of the trees were either oaks or elms. I doubt they would be logging that far into the national forest as it was an hour long drive on dirt roads to get to where we were at. There were also some hairpin turns and lots of mud. The roads were also very narrow, almost atv trail size.

[ Post made via Android ]

[whitetail_addict]

The situation you describe is not uncommon when it comes to logging. Narrow roads and mud are the norm.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

Interesting. Maybe some kind of survey marker??? Hard to say for sure.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[stash59]

Sounds like the boundary of a timber sale. Sometime they don't improve the roads until after the sales are finalized. They mark them well so potential buyers can come and investagate/inspect the area before they place a bid. Most Forest Service roads are built to get to timber sales. So those roads already there probably led to old timber sales.

[Bigburner]

timber sale. a couple different foresters cruised it from a mill or something. they use different color paint so they don't screw up their tally. they base their bid off of their volumes in board feet by species.

[CrazyBaldArcher]

Thank you for all the replies.
It's nice to come to a place for information that isn't judgmental or filled with trash talkers.

Considering what some of you have stated, I would agree.
The area is very densely wooded and a timber sale makes the most sense.

The reason for the post was to make sure that I didn't tread on someone else's hunting turf.

The last thing anyone wants is an awkward conversation, especially in the middle of nowhere.

[basspro05]

I have seen horse trails on public ground in KS marked with orange and blue.

[ Post made via Android ]

[ihookem]

In northern Wis., they are all over. Blue is the boundary marker trees. Orange are trees they cut just cause they are bad trees.

[GranLightning16]

In WI, these are the recommended colors:

The Wisconsin Society of American Foresters has recommended a standard code for marking paint colors.
All personnel using tree marking paint should use the following paint code:
Property boundaries - Blue
Timber sale area boundaries - Red
Trees to be cut - Orange or yellow
Trees to be left - Light Green
Interior sale boundaries - Purple
Research and inventory - White
Trails - Aluminum

[Southern Man]

Likely trees they are going to log off. Maybe they are Ash trees as they are taking them down all over the midwest right now.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Why are they taking Ash trees out? Is there a special reason?

[Dewey]

Likely trees they are going to log off. Maybe they are Ash trees as they are taking them down all over the midwest right now.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Why are they taking Ash trees out? Is there a special reason?

Emerald Ash Borer

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Southern Man]

Shame, Ash trees are great trees...