New Property in Hickman County and need some advice

tfree

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My brother purchased a 140-acre piece of property in Hickman County and we are looking at some options for land management programs. Currently, we are looking into having the property set up as a Greenbelt "Forest Land" parcel but ultimately we want to steward the land well for deer, turkey, and bird hunting and hope to offset some taxes. Any input from the vast experience here would be valuable! Thanks in advance!

Ted
 

TheLBLman

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Mostly Dove and Ducks. We have existing water on the property and the ability to flood several 2-5 acre plots for ducks and roughly 10 acres of pastures to potentially plant millet for doves
You should do well with the doves, and maybe the ducks if you're close to the TN River there.

I was afraid you were talking about quail.
Even if you build great quail habitat, you'll still be lucky to have anything more than a remnant population.
 

megalomaniac

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Have him talk to your county tax assessor first thing. Some counties require a formal forestry plan to be filed to qualify for Greenbelt. Other counties are more lax. Some counties even require an actual forester draws up the plan.

Once you find out what is needed to Greenbelt the property in Hickman County, then contact TWRA or NRCS to have a biologist come out and make a long term plan.
 

DoubleRidge

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We worked with a Forester to develop a management plan. In our county this was required to enter the property into the greenbelt under forest land. But the plan the Forester developed focused heavily on habitat improvements for wildlife....he also helped us understand what NRCS programs we would qualify for and directed us down the right path through all the paperwork process.....and as mentioned in previous post...TWRA has wildlife biologist that will work with you to develop a management plan as well...tons of information and support is available....be patient and remember it's a journey...it takes time to see the fruits of your labor....but land management can be very rewarding.... enjoy the process along the way.
 

BSK

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We worked with a Forester to develop a management plan. In our county this was required to enter the property into the greenbelt under forest land. But the plan the Forester developed focused heavily on habitat improvements for wildlife....he also helped us understand what NRCS programs we would qualify for and directed us down the right path through all the paperwork process.....and as mentioned in previous post...TWRA has wildlife biologist that will work with you to develop a management plan as well...tons of information and support is available....be patient and remember it's a journey...it takes time to see the fruits of your labor....but land management can be very rewarding.... enjoy the process along the way.
^^^^^
THIS!
 

PickettSFHunter

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Talk to the tax assessor. As has been said, every county can be different about greenbelt. Some make it a money racket for foresters and some don't. Some make it about impossible. Some don't even do forestry greenbelt and just do agricultural. Ag is cheaper for taxes but might require some creativity.
 

deerfever

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I was required to submit a plan to the county and had to pay a forestry guy to come out! Good information on here as I imagine it can be different with varying counties as noted.
 

wildlifefarmer

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My brother purchased a 140-acre piece of property in Hickman County and we are looking at some options for land management programs. Currently, we are looking into having the property set up as a Greenbelt "Forest Land" parcel but ultimately we want to steward the land well for deer, turkey, and bird hunting and hope to offset some taxes. Any input from the vast experience here would be valuable! Thanks in advance!

Ted
I've been on this journey for over ten years. To have a piece of paradise for the critters that myself and family can enjoy. It is a long road trip. Enjoy it. Nothing better than being outside. It may seem pricey but get a forester that fits your wishes. Have them draw up a management plan n go thru the hoops. DON'T get overwhelmed. Do what you can do, one baby step at a time.
 

BSK

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And when it comes to Foresters, make sure they are well-versed in forestry plans for wildlife. What a Forester will recommend for managing timber for long-term value may be quite different than what should be recommended for wildlife.
 

JCDEERMAN

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And when it comes to Foresters, make sure they are well-versed in forestry plans for wildlife. What a Forester will recommend for managing timber for long-term value may be quite different than what should be recommended for wildlife.
Yes! The one forester we had out couldn't make that distinguishment. We wanted it for wildlife and he was looking at it for a long-term timber aspect. Two totally different objectives.
 

Popcorn

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Unfortunately, most of the "old school" foresters have only been trained on working towards long-term profitability, and have no concept of wildlife and hunter needs.
I am no forester but was raised on a diet of farm and timber. Oaks were actually considered for the grazing of cattle and hogs when the acorns were dropping, especially in drought years. When we cut timber it was strictly for profit or lumber to build with and preservation for future harvests was heavily considered. To this day when I advise or oversee a timber stand I plan cuttings with profit and preservation of future harvests being my #1 factor and wildlife being secondary or the passive beneficiary. On a recent pine cut I was admonished for that approach and put on a path of wildlife benefits are primary with revenue being incidental! There is a significant difference in approach and results and they are contrary to one another!
 

BSK

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On a recent pine cut I was admonished for that approach and put on a path of wildlife benefits are primary with revenue being incidental! There is a significant difference in approach and results and they are contrary to one another!
Exactly Popcorn. Sometimes, when it comes to timber, long-term profitability and wildlife needs are completely contradictory.

For example, in the past foresters were usually dealing with landowners that didn't want their properties to look terrible after a logging operation. Foresters designed cuts to take out unproductive trees and release high value trees without creating big ugly open patches. They would sell their work to the landowner saying that in 5 years, the landowner wouldn't even be able to tell there had been logging. And if that is the case, the cut had no value to wildlife! The point of logging for wildlife is to get a lot of sunlight on the ground, which often means a lot of trees being removed. That tends to look ugly for some time!
 

DoubleRidge

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Exactly Popcorn. Sometimes, when it comes to timber, long-term profitability and wildlife needs are completely contradictory.

For example, in the past foresters were usually dealing with landowners that didn't want their properties to look terrible after a logging operation. Foresters designed cuts to take out unproductive trees and release high value trees without creating big ugly open patches. They would sell their work to the landowner saying that in 5 years, the landowner wouldn't even be able to tell there had been logging. And if that is the case, the cut had no value to wildlife! The point of logging for wildlife is to get a lot of sunlight on the ground, which often means a lot of trees being removed. That tends to look ugly for some time!

Agree.....there are portions of our place that I'll admit....in the winter months many people would classify as "ugly"....but come springtime the beauty developed..... basically I guess it's as the saying goes "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...and it's amazing what happens when sunlight is allowed to get to the forest floor....allot of beutiful things develop.
 

BSK

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Agree.....there are portions of our place that I'll admit....in the winter months many people would classify as "ugly"....but come springtime the beauty developed..... basically I guess it's as the saying goes "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...and it's amazing what happens when sunlight is allowed to get to the forest floor....allot of beutiful things develop.
My biggest problem selling timber harvests for wildlife to my clients is the type of people I have as clients! Many have disposable income and live in highly manicured gated communities. They want their hunting properties to look the same. I have the hardest time convincing them that "ugly" is great deer habitat! I often have to take them on a road trip to show them knarly, overgrown fields full of briers, weeds and tall grasses to show them what GREAT deer habitat actually looks like. Generally, they are not thrilled with creating a nasty jungle on their property.
 

huvrman

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Bought my 120 acres of woods near Dale Hollow Lake in 2012. In 2013 I applied for Greenbelt and needed a forestry plan. The forester and his 2 teams of 3 guys each spent 3 days assessing my acreage FOR FREE. A couple of weeks later I received a comprehensive report of what I had on my property with specific recommendations based on what they saw. The focus was on timber and game management best practices. As a result I've now got my invasive tree species in check, have increased my food plot size from 3 1/4 acre plots to 7 plots ranging from 1/4 acre to 3/4 acres each. I've opened up the canopy around my existing persimmon trees, added some undergrowth areas, gotten some of my access road erosion eliminated, and planted 4 apple and pear trees in one of my plots. Since putting these practices in place I'm seeing more and larger deer and have no problem working turkeys on just about every hunt. 2 years ago I killed a 174 inch nontypical (180 inch gross) and missed a 154 inch typical last year that was taken later on an adjacent property. (In the previous 5 years I'd seen only 1 130 inch buck). I routinely see 2 to 3 large bucks in the course of a year on my cameras now. 5 years after the plan, I even received a call from the same guy asking if I had put into place any of the recommendations they had made and if I had seen any results. Can't speak highly enough of the work they did to set me up for success. Still tweaking the plan, but an extremely pleased.
 

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