Heres the one situation/option... I have some "play" money Ive made off some timber. I have sold 20 acres of my 55 acre mature park like timber in order to get some cover in there. Didnt want to sell more due to low timber prices. I have zero food plots, and zero fruit trees on this place. However, even without cover, I see all kinds of deer here, 80 something this year, 19 in one day. Pretty good for Unit B. However, its rare that a mature buck feels like venturing out in the daylight during any firearms season with no cover, so I had to get the cover in there by cutting. I hunt this property alot, as its enjoyable to see deer all the time, I also let friends and my Dad hunt here with me. Together we have taken 11 deer in 2 seasons. 2 good bucks and 9 does. You could say we have gotten alot of use out of it. Aerial photo below, timber is being cut along the road and behind the houses in the yellow outlined areas. Large cleared areas to the North and East are now thick planted pines.
Now the other situation/option, my 85 acres in the mountainous section of Fentress County. I have 4 food plots near 5 acres and over 100 apple trees and 20 some odd pears and numerous other various mast trees planted. Plenty of food for what few deer are there. I only hunt this property in gun, maybe 10 times a year, just myself, no one else. I have killed one deer on this place in 5 seasons, I dont shoot does, only mature bucks there. Ill average seeing 15 deer a season there. So you could say Ive not gotten much use out of it I guess but it is my favorite place, its home and has some giants around. What Im missing here is one single large enough field to put some summer crop in, like forage soybeans.
So on to my decision I need to make.... I have this play money, and I could do both projects but Im getting married so Im just going to use a small percentage for one project and put the rest back. So do you...
A. Put 2 or 3 1 acre or so plots/orchards in on the 55 acres given that situation OR
B. Expand a 1.2 acre plot on the 85 acre, turning it into 4 acre field where I could grow corn/soybeans/sunflower/milo etc.
Thats what Im going back and forth in my head about, hope I made sense with it all. Any input and reasons why would greatly appreciated. I really enjoy food plots and growing fruit trees, even though they arent necessarily needed.
Now the other situation/option, my 85 acres in the mountainous section of Fentress County. I have 4 food plots near 5 acres and over 100 apple trees and 20 some odd pears and numerous other various mast trees planted. Plenty of food for what few deer are there. I only hunt this property in gun, maybe 10 times a year, just myself, no one else. I have killed one deer on this place in 5 seasons, I dont shoot does, only mature bucks there. Ill average seeing 15 deer a season there. So you could say Ive not gotten much use out of it I guess but it is my favorite place, its home and has some giants around. What Im missing here is one single large enough field to put some summer crop in, like forage soybeans.
So on to my decision I need to make.... I have this play money, and I could do both projects but Im getting married so Im just going to use a small percentage for one project and put the rest back. So do you...
A. Put 2 or 3 1 acre or so plots/orchards in on the 55 acres given that situation OR
B. Expand a 1.2 acre plot on the 85 acre, turning it into 4 acre field where I could grow corn/soybeans/sunflower/milo etc.
Thats what Im going back and forth in my head about, hope I made sense with it all. Any input and reasons why would greatly appreciated. I really enjoy food plots and growing fruit trees, even though they arent necessarily needed.
