Ok heres the situation. I allocate myself a certain amount to spend on habitat type stuff on my property ever year so I dont go crazy with spending. I am wanting more dozer work done and basically have two options that I am choosing from, both are estimated to cost the same amount.
option A- a 1.5 acre bench that is 30 yards above a 0.75 acre existing food plot. It will be rocky but even my rocky spots grow some fairly nice plots. With this option no new roads will be cleared because an existing road borders the area. Less than 15 marketable maples would be cleared out. I would be able to plant approxiamtely 80 wildlife trees in this long and narrow field.
option B- a 0.6 acre flat that was an old field 50 years ago but has been abandoned and has grown into a pine thicket. It is nearly rock free from where the old timers took the rocks off. No marketable trees. Along with this option will come 3/4 of a mile of old road beds full of trees that will be turned back into access roads. These roads would open up easy access to my creek, old homeplaces, big spring, and cave. I would only be able to plant approxiamately 10 persimmon and maybe 3 apple trees around and in this field. There are 5 existing persimmon already around the edges.
I was leaning toward the 1.5 acre field because it would probably produce more tonnage of food and allow for more wildlife trees to be planted.
My Dad says to go with the 0.6 acre field because its rock free and would open up so many areas to easy access with the road clearing.
Wish I could do both but I am sticking to my budget, whichever one I dont clear will be a project for the next years also so it will eventually get cleared regardless. I really need help making up my mind since it is getting close to the time my dozer man can make it in. Any other questions I missed about deciding factors, just ask. Thanks for the help.
option A- a 1.5 acre bench that is 30 yards above a 0.75 acre existing food plot. It will be rocky but even my rocky spots grow some fairly nice plots. With this option no new roads will be cleared because an existing road borders the area. Less than 15 marketable maples would be cleared out. I would be able to plant approxiamtely 80 wildlife trees in this long and narrow field.
option B- a 0.6 acre flat that was an old field 50 years ago but has been abandoned and has grown into a pine thicket. It is nearly rock free from where the old timers took the rocks off. No marketable trees. Along with this option will come 3/4 of a mile of old road beds full of trees that will be turned back into access roads. These roads would open up easy access to my creek, old homeplaces, big spring, and cave. I would only be able to plant approxiamately 10 persimmon and maybe 3 apple trees around and in this field. There are 5 existing persimmon already around the edges.
I was leaning toward the 1.5 acre field because it would probably produce more tonnage of food and allow for more wildlife trees to be planted.
My Dad says to go with the 0.6 acre field because its rock free and would open up so many areas to easy access with the road clearing.
Wish I could do both but I am sticking to my budget, whichever one I dont clear will be a project for the next years also so it will eventually get cleared regardless. I really need help making up my mind since it is getting close to the time my dozer man can make it in. Any other questions I missed about deciding factors, just ask. Thanks for the help.
