I returned to Noxubee NWR during the week of Thanksgiving to locate more Superlative trees and do some Deer Hunting. I had locations of some trees from Lidar that Jess Riddle sent me back in 2015. Over the last several years I had found most of them and decided to finish up on a couple areas that I had not done.
The first area I went to was Green Tree Levee #2 created for Duck Habitat back in the late 70’s. It’s periodically flooded to enhance Duck Habitat.
- Levee
The Levee is shaped like a J and is approximately 1.4 miles long beginning near the Noxubee River and running north to south with the J going southwest.
There are two 140’ hits near the center and north area near the Levee and my goal was to locate them.
- Hog Trap mid Levee
After a .75 mile walk from my Truck I went east into the Forest and managed to find the first hit.
- Cherry Bark Oak
Two large and tall Cherry Bark Oak, the first was 138’, CBH- 11’ 10” the second 139.5’, 12’ 2”. The leaves are still on at this time but I believe I was near the tops. I continued up the Levee another .75 mile nearing the River where the second Lidar hit was located but was unable to locate it. I will return at a later date.
The next morning I decided to head to an area where I had not been in 20 years called Cedar Grove road. A gravel road approx. 3 miles long coming off state HWY 25 running west to east with Cypress Creek to the south. I parked by an old Logging road that went south and walked it measuring Pines along the way in the 130’ class. The Trail turned west and I went southeast towards the Creek. Near the Creek the Trees became larger.
- Loblolly Pine
I measured a nice Loblolly Pine to 139.5’ with a CBH-10’ 9”.
- Cypress Creek
At the Creek there were many Bald Cypress in the 120’ class but nothing huge. One surprise was a large Swamp Chestnut Oak growing right over the Creek about 100’ tall with a CBH- 13’ 2”, the third largest I’ve measured in the state.
- Swamp Chestnut Oak
This area warrants more exploration.
That afternoon I returned to Keaton Tower road which parallels Cedar Grove south about a mile down. I reported on this area last year and had numerous big tree discoveries here. I continued at Noxubee River where I left off last year and traveled east discovering a few more big trees. First a nice Overcup Oak 120’, CBH- 12’ 5” maybe my largest in the State and a Sweetgum 126’, 11’ 9” the second largest measured in Noxubee.
- Overcup Oak
- Sweet Gum
The last day I was there I did some exploring along the Noxubee River East of Green Tree Levee #1. I walked approx. 1.5 miles toward Green Tree #2 along and around an old Log road that parallels the River.
- Noxubee River
- Unknown Mushroom Species
This area is where two large and tall Cherry Bark Oak in the 140’+ class are located that I measured back in 2015. As I traveled more easterly I began to be in new territory looking for the larger trees.
- Black Walnut
I discovered a couple of small Black Walnuts which are rare in the Forest here but not on Private land.
- Shumard Oak
I was about to be out of time when I came across the largest Oak I’ve ever seen in MS! It blew me away at least 18- 20’ CBH and most likely a remnant left by loggers. I will return in mid-December to get some measurements. The Shumard Oak may be the new MS Champion and might point out in the 400 class. Larry
