scrimshaw
Member
Farm Property Photo Link
Hello! I just purchaed a 103 acre farm and am interested in optimizing it for deer hunting (not worried about timber harvesting for money or anything, just interested in improving my deer hunting)! I drew a picture of its current layout linked above. The thin black line is the property boundary. The next thickest black line are internal roads--no gravel just dirt. And the thickest black line is the state road.
To my East and South are a few homes which are on big lots (5-10 acres) and are mostly surrounded by cutover and none of these persons hunt except one house on the south end.
I have four ponds as detailed in the drawing. 50 acres woods (majority in the middle of the property which is mostly big timber with some cutover) and the remaining wooded area is 15 acres on the south end which is all 15 year cutover). The middle of the property is where my house is overlooking the largest pond (2 acres) and then a small shed close to the house also on the pond. The dense green "spray paint" looking image is cuttover and the green squares are big timber--100 y.o. oaks, maples, beech, hickory, etc.
The white areas are open fescue fields. This year I had them sprayed with roundup ready and had a farmer plant RUR soybeans on all open areas of 50 acres. Reasoning: to start killing the fescue since it was of no value to the deer and get some summer plots in to have something to feed the deer and hunt over. The farmer will harvest in early Nov. and replant in wheat for the winter.
There's a large power line easement on the South end and a gas easement as marked. This 100 ft. easement has to stay clear of anything less than 12 foot tall.
I marked the elevations with red arrows going from the high elevations to low elevations (high elevations 680 feet; low elevations 600 feet): the north field is rolling with a CREEK on the north side boundary and two ponds, and is low elevation, getting lowest towards the east and high elevation on the west side boundary. The big timber in the middle is high elevation starting at the West and progressively getting lower towards the creek bottom on the East. The furtherest field is at a high point along the woodline and then goes down a hill getting lower elevation towards the creek bottom on the Southern end of the property where the 15 acres of 15 y.o. cutover is located.
The South end is comprised of another 100 acre farm where no one hunts but was purchased as future development of 10 acre homesites. The West boundary is also a 100 acre farm which is all big timber which is being leased for hunting and which is also going to be developed into 10 acre homesites. To the East across the road is 500 acres of state land that is owned by the water and sewer company and will never be deveoped according to the state and is all big timber. Also, the entire property is fenced with a 4.5 foot fence for cattle that were once farmed. The entire North, South, and East boundaries are bordered by the Creek.
I want to do this right and now it will be an ongoing process. I have a fresk palate to start with especially in the fields and wanted to ask some ideas for habitat development for the deer. I wanted to get the soybeans in this year to just get something started but can do anything after that. On the West end where the farm is getting developed eventually should I grow something or grow cutover on the fence line and for how many yards in to protect against other hunters and to block out any future development so I don't sit there and see houses?
I'd love to make some box stands and some good spots are on the North field at the NE end at the creek bottom over looking the entire field and the West end bordering the big timber. Also on the South field, along the ridge above the power line is a big hill overlooking the entire creek bottom and cutover. What's the ideal stand locations in regards to future plantings?
Should I keep the 50 acres in fields and how should I do my plantings? Should I run horizontal strips N-S away from the creek bed on the North field towards a stand? Should I put a stand in the middle of the field and radiate "spokes" of different warm grasses, summer plots and cool season crops?
I'm trying to set this up to be the best habitat possible for the long term and although I know it will be an ongoing process and yearly work and maintenance (which is what I love), I would like to get 3 or 4 great stand sites that might be able to produce good spots permanently.
If any of you can relate to any of the topography, timber and plant situations with easements, etc. and can chime in for some ideas to do long term that would be great as detailed as possible.
Of course one thing is going to be to break out the chain saw and start disecting the big timber areas. Should I do that 3-5 acres at at time per year or every 5 years, or should cut a few different places on the big timber the first year and then how often after that? Also, the S end creek bottom is great bedding but is 15 y.o. cutover so that will probably need some chainsaw work also. There's interior trails on the back end of the cutover on the S end, should I maintain those or should I incorporate those in the cutover.
Should I use those interior trails for growing crops? I think a great "sanctuary" will be on the S end cutover on those 15 acres and might be something I should leave alone as far as hunting. The East end of the power lines across the fence is also low elevation and is thick stuff as no one does anything with it as well as adjoining creek bottom on this eastern side bordering the power lines FYI. Deer are funneling at North and South end of North field at corners of property and South end of big timber in middle of property and entire cutover on Southern field and East end of power line easement at creek bottom.
Overall questions:
1. Ideal starting points for stand locations? I'd like to make 3-4 "nice" box stands that I can use for 30 years--20 foot elevation and maybe 6' x 8' wide.
2. How to orient plots and what sizes of plots (or just one big field of crops?), direction from creek bottoms, and with power lines in mind? Both fields have creeks in them, should I plant water loving clover close to these or should I plant mast along these since they're good funnels for the deer due to low elevation/topography?
3. Should I put any holes in the fence to funnel deer movement? No plans for any cattle but fence is a good tresspassing deterent but tresspassing seems to be nill here.
4. Should I border my Western side by cutover of some sort hard and soft mast to get the growth started to protect against hunters on the West side and future development of homesites, as well as provide a travel corridor b/t North side and middle of property as right now it's just a big field that deer arean't meandering into and using the northern boudnary where the other hunters are. How wide should I make this boundary cutover?
5. How to start my timber management and size to start with (3-5 acres) and how often and where to start? Should I do hinge cuts or let them just fall down or both?
6. Keep any internal roads and plant any in clover, etc.?
7. Plant any pines? Are these of any value?
8. How to break up the fields, if necessary: someone spent a lot of time and money to make them fields and want to utilize them if possible but am willing to break them up or plant mast if necessary. I've heard of some putting round hay bails along boundaries or areas they wanted split: the animals/birds land on them and dump seeds on them and after 5 years you have a natural treeline of brush.
9. What areas should I leave as sanctuaries, locations and size in acres and should I have more than one?
10. Should I have one large feeding plot that I don't hunt over or is it OK to have all "hunting plots", and where should I locate this feeding plot/nutritional plot?
Just tring to setup good spots and food sources and bedding ares with everything in mind including the lay of the land and exisitng elements. By the way, of course I'm practicing QDM and passing up on small deer!
Thanks so much, I know this is a long email so if anyone read it thank you!
Eric
Hello! I just purchaed a 103 acre farm and am interested in optimizing it for deer hunting (not worried about timber harvesting for money or anything, just interested in improving my deer hunting)! I drew a picture of its current layout linked above. The thin black line is the property boundary. The next thickest black line are internal roads--no gravel just dirt. And the thickest black line is the state road.
To my East and South are a few homes which are on big lots (5-10 acres) and are mostly surrounded by cutover and none of these persons hunt except one house on the south end.
I have four ponds as detailed in the drawing. 50 acres woods (majority in the middle of the property which is mostly big timber with some cutover) and the remaining wooded area is 15 acres on the south end which is all 15 year cutover). The middle of the property is where my house is overlooking the largest pond (2 acres) and then a small shed close to the house also on the pond. The dense green "spray paint" looking image is cuttover and the green squares are big timber--100 y.o. oaks, maples, beech, hickory, etc.
The white areas are open fescue fields. This year I had them sprayed with roundup ready and had a farmer plant RUR soybeans on all open areas of 50 acres. Reasoning: to start killing the fescue since it was of no value to the deer and get some summer plots in to have something to feed the deer and hunt over. The farmer will harvest in early Nov. and replant in wheat for the winter.
There's a large power line easement on the South end and a gas easement as marked. This 100 ft. easement has to stay clear of anything less than 12 foot tall.
I marked the elevations with red arrows going from the high elevations to low elevations (high elevations 680 feet; low elevations 600 feet): the north field is rolling with a CREEK on the north side boundary and two ponds, and is low elevation, getting lowest towards the east and high elevation on the west side boundary. The big timber in the middle is high elevation starting at the West and progressively getting lower towards the creek bottom on the East. The furtherest field is at a high point along the woodline and then goes down a hill getting lower elevation towards the creek bottom on the Southern end of the property where the 15 acres of 15 y.o. cutover is located.
The South end is comprised of another 100 acre farm where no one hunts but was purchased as future development of 10 acre homesites. The West boundary is also a 100 acre farm which is all big timber which is being leased for hunting and which is also going to be developed into 10 acre homesites. To the East across the road is 500 acres of state land that is owned by the water and sewer company and will never be deveoped according to the state and is all big timber. Also, the entire property is fenced with a 4.5 foot fence for cattle that were once farmed. The entire North, South, and East boundaries are bordered by the Creek.
I want to do this right and now it will be an ongoing process. I have a fresk palate to start with especially in the fields and wanted to ask some ideas for habitat development for the deer. I wanted to get the soybeans in this year to just get something started but can do anything after that. On the West end where the farm is getting developed eventually should I grow something or grow cutover on the fence line and for how many yards in to protect against other hunters and to block out any future development so I don't sit there and see houses?
I'd love to make some box stands and some good spots are on the North field at the NE end at the creek bottom over looking the entire field and the West end bordering the big timber. Also on the South field, along the ridge above the power line is a big hill overlooking the entire creek bottom and cutover. What's the ideal stand locations in regards to future plantings?
Should I keep the 50 acres in fields and how should I do my plantings? Should I run horizontal strips N-S away from the creek bed on the North field towards a stand? Should I put a stand in the middle of the field and radiate "spokes" of different warm grasses, summer plots and cool season crops?
I'm trying to set this up to be the best habitat possible for the long term and although I know it will be an ongoing process and yearly work and maintenance (which is what I love), I would like to get 3 or 4 great stand sites that might be able to produce good spots permanently.
If any of you can relate to any of the topography, timber and plant situations with easements, etc. and can chime in for some ideas to do long term that would be great as detailed as possible.
Of course one thing is going to be to break out the chain saw and start disecting the big timber areas. Should I do that 3-5 acres at at time per year or every 5 years, or should cut a few different places on the big timber the first year and then how often after that? Also, the S end creek bottom is great bedding but is 15 y.o. cutover so that will probably need some chainsaw work also. There's interior trails on the back end of the cutover on the S end, should I maintain those or should I incorporate those in the cutover.
Should I use those interior trails for growing crops? I think a great "sanctuary" will be on the S end cutover on those 15 acres and might be something I should leave alone as far as hunting. The East end of the power lines across the fence is also low elevation and is thick stuff as no one does anything with it as well as adjoining creek bottom on this eastern side bordering the power lines FYI. Deer are funneling at North and South end of North field at corners of property and South end of big timber in middle of property and entire cutover on Southern field and East end of power line easement at creek bottom.
Overall questions:
1. Ideal starting points for stand locations? I'd like to make 3-4 "nice" box stands that I can use for 30 years--20 foot elevation and maybe 6' x 8' wide.
2. How to orient plots and what sizes of plots (or just one big field of crops?), direction from creek bottoms, and with power lines in mind? Both fields have creeks in them, should I plant water loving clover close to these or should I plant mast along these since they're good funnels for the deer due to low elevation/topography?
3. Should I put any holes in the fence to funnel deer movement? No plans for any cattle but fence is a good tresspassing deterent but tresspassing seems to be nill here.
4. Should I border my Western side by cutover of some sort hard and soft mast to get the growth started to protect against hunters on the West side and future development of homesites, as well as provide a travel corridor b/t North side and middle of property as right now it's just a big field that deer arean't meandering into and using the northern boudnary where the other hunters are. How wide should I make this boundary cutover?
5. How to start my timber management and size to start with (3-5 acres) and how often and where to start? Should I do hinge cuts or let them just fall down or both?
6. Keep any internal roads and plant any in clover, etc.?
7. Plant any pines? Are these of any value?
8. How to break up the fields, if necessary: someone spent a lot of time and money to make them fields and want to utilize them if possible but am willing to break them up or plant mast if necessary. I've heard of some putting round hay bails along boundaries or areas they wanted split: the animals/birds land on them and dump seeds on them and after 5 years you have a natural treeline of brush.
9. What areas should I leave as sanctuaries, locations and size in acres and should I have more than one?
10. Should I have one large feeding plot that I don't hunt over or is it OK to have all "hunting plots", and where should I locate this feeding plot/nutritional plot?
Just tring to setup good spots and food sources and bedding ares with everything in mind including the lay of the land and exisitng elements. By the way, of course I'm practicing QDM and passing up on small deer!
Thanks so much, I know this is a long email so if anyone read it thank you!
Eric
