American Made Lumber, LLC

01/01/2026

New year = new skills. Why not learn how to identify oak trees in winter?

In eastern North America, oaks can be divided into a few groups, including the red oak and white oak groups. In this image, white oaks are featured in the top row, while red oaks are featured in the bottom row.

Bark patterns among oaks within a particular group tend to be similar, though subtle (and sometimes major) differences do exist. For example, white oak and swamp white oak share similar bark features (platy, somewhat shaggy), while chestnut oak is more distinctive (ridged and deeply furrowed).

Looking at the bottom row, scarlet oak, pin oak, and northern red oak all have similar bark features, but the bark of northern red oak more consistently displays “ski track” patterns than the other two trees. The bark of black oak is characteristically dark.

If you find it challenging to identify oaks by bark alone, look for leaves still attached to the trees or those that have fallen near the base of the trunk. You can also look for acorns on the ground and try to determine which trees produced them.

With practice, your tree identification skills will improve and you’ll be glad you put in the work. After all, and to slightly modify something Ben Franklin once said, an investment in knowledge [of trees] pays the best interest.

(Note: If you’re thinking to yourself, “This guy left out a lot of oaks,” you’re right. The oak genus is large. Hundreds of oak species exist. Pictured here are 7 oaks that grow in my neck of the woods. It’s entirely possible I omitted your favorite. Feel free to mentally add it to the lineup.)

12/27/2025

We enjoyed getting a chance to have some great food with all of our crews today… a lot of steaks were eaten… yum! This was just the very beginning of the food…

12/27/2025

an educational infographic designed to explain the different methods of milling timber and how those methods affect the visual grain pattern and structural properties of the resulting wood planks.
It uses a "myth vs. reality" format, contrasting a stylized conceptual model with technical diagrams used in the lumber industry.

1. THE CONCEPTUAL MODELS (TOP)
The top half of the image features two 3D renderings of a log being "unpacked."
• The Visualization: It shows a log where boards are cut from all four sides, leaving a solid square beam in the center.
• The Purpose: This is likely meant to show how a single log contains many different potential boards, but it is an idealized representation rather than a standard commercial milling pattern.

2. MILLING METHODS (BOTTOM)
The bottom half explains the four primary ways logs are actually sawn in a mill. Each method results in a different grain appearance and level of stability.

PLAIN SAWN (FLAT SAWN)
• The Cut: The log is sliced horizontally. It is the most common and efficient method with the least amount of waste.
• The Result: Produces a "cathedral" grain pattern (the arched shapes seen in the bottom left plank).
• Characteristics: It is the most affordable but more prone to "cupping" or warping over time.

QUARTER SAWN
• The Cut: The log is first cut into quarters, and then each quarter is sawn at a specific angle, usually perpendicular to the growth rings.
• The Result: This often reveals "flecking" or medullary rays (the shimmering spots seen in the second plank).
• Characteristics: It is very dimensionally stable (resists shrinking and swelling) and is highly prized for high-end furniture and flooring.

RIFT SAWN
• The Cut: Similar to quarter sawn, but the boards are cut at a specific angle (usually to ) to the growth rings to ensure the grain remains linear.
• The Result: Produces the most consistent, straight-line grain pattern with no "flecking."
• Characteristics: This is the most expensive and wasteful method because it leaves many wedge-shaped scraps, but it offers the most uniform look.

LIVE SAWN (SLAB SAWN)
• The Cut: The saw passes straight through the log from one side to the other without turning it.
• The Result: A single board will contain a mix of grain patterns—plain sawn near the center and quarter/rift sawn near the edges.
• Characteristics: It captures the full character of the tree and is often used for "rustic" designs or wide-plank flooring.

12/23/2025

Deer need cover to get age and age is the singke biggest factor that makes bucks have big racks.

Why is your hunting property not holding deer?

I think one of the bigger blind spots folks have, regarding increasing the overall deer holding capacity of their hunting properties, is just how many trees they need to cut to actually move the needle with their deer habitat.

Anytime you're out running a chainsaw on your hunting land you can make a positive difference for the deer. But the folks that see the true game changing impacts are the ones that have spent countless hours burning up the bar oil on their properties.

It's a pretty simple equation, the more habitat you build, the more deer you'll hold.

Now, from a hunting perspective we certainly still want to have "dead spots" on our hunting properties to be able to hunt strategically. We can't improve every square inch otherwise we'll have no way to access our stands and no place to blow our scent when we're on the deer stand.

But aside from that, the folks that are really making a noticeable difference on their properties are the guys that aren't nickle and diming with their tree cutting, but rather dropping trees by the 100s and getting real deer habitat on the ground.

Learn the tree species on your property, learn all the various forest stand improvement techniques available to you, make a plan, and get to cutting. The work you do right now can change your hunting next fall.

12/19/2025

11/11/2025

From the bottom of our hearts…. THANK YOU!

07/15/2025

We need more projects like this!

06/18/2025

05/26/2025

There simply is no words that can voice our appreciation for those that paid the tab for our freedom with their own lives. We are forever in debt to them!

04/04/2025

This is one reason that timber management is important for your property. We are conditioned to believe that a park like, wide open woods is a good thing, but it isn’t. It is especially not good for most wildlife, particularly game animals…

The #1 Most Important Food for Whitetails (That Most Hunters Overlook!)

Whitetails aren’t corn-fed cattle—they’re designed to digest one thing above all else: woody browse. If your land lacks it, you're missing the foundation of a truly elite whitetail habitat!

Did you know that up to 70% of a whitetail’s natural diet consists of woody browse—twigs, buds, leaves, and stems from shrubs, saplings, and trees? It’s their most reliable, year-round food source, providing critical fiber and nutrients for survival, antler growth, and body conditioning.

Whitetails are ruminants, meaning their four-chambered stomachs are built to break down tough fibrous material through fermentation. The more high-quality woody browse available, the more efficiently they can extract energy, stay in top physical condition, and remain on your property.

So, how do you create more of this essential food source? With a chainsaw. Logging, hinge cutting, flush cutting, and strategic thinning allow sunlight to hit the forest floor, stimulating new growth of saplings, shrubs, and native forbs. This explosion of fresh, digestible browse is the foundation of a serious habitat plan for any property size.

If you're serious about holding mature bucks on your land, your first step isn’t planting food plots—it’s maximizing woody browse.

Want an expert strategy to transform your land into a whitetail paradise? DM me "WOODY BROWSE" for a custom habitat plan tailored to your property’s needs!

For more in depth information on increasing woody browse on your property, click the link below ⬇️

https://youtu.be/ZGycrd9k490